Board Synergy Club
Management & Vendors • Choose qualified professionals

Hiring a Handyman for Your Condo Unit

A small repair can affect more than one home. Choose someone qualified for the actual task, verify insurance, and arrange approvals before work begins.

Handyman or contractor?Hiring checklist

The job—not the title—determines what is required

“Handyman” does not establish a person’s authority to perform regulated work. Some minor tasks do not require a DBPR contractor license, but state licensing, local requirements, and permits must be checked for the specific scope.

DBPR’s licensing guidance recommends checking local requirements even for services that do not require a state license. A business registration or tax receipt is not proof of a trade license.

Proposed taskSuggested next step
Minor cosmetic upkeep or furniture assemblyConfirm the scope is unregulated and the worker is competent and insured.
Electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning, or water-heater workVerify applicable trade-license and permit requirements before hiring.
Walls, windows, doors, roof, or structural changesConsult the association and building authority; obtain qualified professional review.
Shared systems or common elementsConfirm who may authorize the work; an owner’s agreement alone may be insufficient.
A low price does not create an exemption. Do not assume that calling work “maintenance,” splitting it into smaller jobs, or paying cash removes licensing or permit requirements.

Match the skill to the task.

What if the worker is uninsured?

Possible consequences include an unresolved damage claim, disputes about an injury, and legal expenses. Liability depends on the facts, employment relationship, contracts, and coverage; the owner is not automatically liable for every incident, but should not assume there is no exposure.

Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate recommends obtaining evidence of general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance—or a valid exemption—before signing.

For association projects, have the association’s insurance adviser and counsel determine limits, additional-insured endorsements, and contract terms. A generic certificate naming the association does not substitute for a required endorsement.

Three checks before work begins

  1. Who is responsible? Review the declaration to identify unit-owner, limited-common-element, and association responsibilities.
  2. What association approval is needed? Obtain the required written authorization and contractor rules. Identify work hours, shutoff arrangements, debris handling, access, and protection of shared areas.
  3. What government approval is needed? Ask the building authority about permits and inspections. Association approval does not replace a permit; a permit does not replace association approval.

Do not agree to an owner-builder permit merely because a worker asks. Eligibility and responsibilities require review with the county; a condominium owner should not assume the exemption available for another property type applies.

In Century Village, arrange gate access separately. A pass admits a visitor; it does not verify qualifications or authorize construction.

Common pitfalls

One leak can affect several units. Keep written records and report damage promptly instead of relying on an informal promise to fix it later.

Small jobs deserve clear safeguards.

A practical hiring checklist

  1. Define the task and obtain comparable written estimates.
  2. Check association requirements and government permits.
  3. Verify licensing where required and check references.
  4. Confirm insurance, exemptions, and the actual workers involved.
  5. Sign a complete agreement with a sensible payment schedule.
  6. Keep invoices, approvals, photos, and inspection records.
  7. Verify completion and required permit closeout before final payment.

Palm Beach County recommends references, a written contract, verified license and insurance, applicable permits, receipts for cash, and permit closure before final payment.

For the board

Suggested practice: publish clear contractor requirements and use them consistently. Explain what an approval covers. Avoid describing a worker as “association approved” if residents could interpret that as a guarantee of skill, insurance, or workmanship.

Official verification resources

Management & Vendors

Reviewed October 17, 2026. General education. Confirm licensing, permits, responsibility, and coverage for the particular task with the appropriate authority and professionals.

Stop a small job from becoming an unapproved larger one

Board Synergy recommended practice Put the exact task in writing, including what is excluded. If hidden damage or extra work is discovered, pause the affected work safely and reassess licensing, permits, association approval, insurance, price, and schedule before authorizing the change.

Example: cosmetic work becomes plumbing work

A cabinet repair exposes a leaking pipe. Permission to repair the cabinet is not permission or qualification to alter the pipe. Notify the appropriate association or owner contact and obtain the properly qualified trade and approvals.

Example: painting becomes exterior work

A request to paint inside a unit expands to an exterior door, wall, or railing. Check the declaration and alteration rules before proceeding; the location and component can change who may authorize it.

Give the worker approved parking, access, work-hour, shutoff, and disposal instructions. Photograph relevant conditions safely, document changes and incidents promptly, and keep the completion and inspection records. Emergency protective action should be coordinated through the appropriate emergency contact.

A resident referral or future contractor survey describes an experience; it is not an association endorsement, license verification, insurance confirmation, or guarantee.

Connected Board Synergy guides

Independent educational guidance. Confirm current regulator information, controlling documents, and the actual agreement for your decision.