Should I hire a handyman to install shelves?

For one or two light shelves, you probably don't need to hire anyone. If you own a drill, a level and a stud finder, screwing a pair of brackets into studs is one of the easier jobs in a house. A handyman earns the fee when the shelves are heavy, the wall is difficult, the bracket has to be invisible, or there are a lot of them.

When doing it yourself makes sense

• The shelf holds light things: photos, plants, a few paperbacks.
• The brackets can go where the studs are, or the shelf maker supplies hardware for your wall.
• The wall is ordinary drywall at a height you can reach from a stepladder.
• You have the tools, and a slightly crooked first attempt would not bother you.

Read how to hang heavy shelves on drywall before you start.

When a handyman is worth it

Heavy loads. Books, records, dishes and pantry goods are where shelves fail. The fasteners need a wide margin: industry safety standards recommend about a quarter of an anchor's tested ultimate load as a reasonably safe working load,^[8] and moving weight toward the far end of a shelf greatly reduces what the anchor can safely hold.^[8] An experienced installer knows how many fasteners a loaded shelf needs and where to put them.

Floating shelves. The bracket is hidden, so it has to be perfectly level and fixed exactly where the board sits, usually into studs that don't line up with the bracket's holes. Small mistakes show, and many floating shelves are rated for light loads only.

Difficult walls. Plaster and lath, tile, brick and concrete each take different bits and anchors, and cracking a tiled backsplash costs more than the shelf.

Height and reach. Shelves above stairs, over a toilet or high in a vaulted room mean ladders in awkward places.

Systems and volume. Closet systems, garage shelving and a list of shelves across the house go faster with someone who does them every week, and a handyman can patch the old holes in the same visit.

The licence and permit picture in Virginia

Virginia's contractor law covers work on a building or structure permanently annexed to real property, and any other improvements to such real property,^[1] and no one may do contracting work in Virginia without a licence under that chapter.^[2] A Class C licence covers a single contract or project worth over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[1] A couple of shelves is rarely over that line. A whole-house closet system or a wall of built-ins can be.

Under the Board for Contractors' regulations, home improvement contracting (HIC) covers repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses,^[3] and it is the specialty many handyman businesses hold. Finish carpentry, as the same regulations define it, includes installing cabinets and other millwork,^[3] which is what a large built-in becomes.

Lighting is a separate trade. The HIC specialty does not provide for electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas fitting work,^[3] and no individual may do electrical work for the public for pay without a tradesman licence, unless working under the supervision of a licensed tradesman in that specialty.^[4][5] If you want lights or an outlet in the shelving, plan on a licensed electrician for that part.

Permits rarely come into it. Under Virginia's building code, no permit application or related inspection is required for the installation or replacement of cabinetry or trim,^[6] or for other repair work the building official deems minor and ordinary.^[6] Wiring, or opening or changing a wall, is where you should ask your local building department first.

How to hire well

DPOR's advice for any contractor applies here: "Solicit at least three bids for the work you need."^[7] Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work,^[7] and for small jobs a clear written work order is still worth having. On deposits, DPOR's rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less,^[7] and it advises not to pay the whole bill until the work is complete and not to pay cash.^[7]

The most useful question to ask is how the business will fasten your heaviest shelf. A good answer names studs, the anchor it will use where there is no stud, and how many fasteners per bracket.

Stop and call a pro if

• You have started and the stud finder shows nothing where a heavy shelf must go.
• A drill bit hits metal, or you find water, a pipe or a wire in a hole.
• The drywall is soft, crumbling or stained where the shelf will go.
• The shelving needs lighting, an outlet moved, or the wall opened.

Getting it done

Read what shelf installation costs in Virginia, see what jobs a handyman can do without a contractor licence, find handyman businesses around Blacksburg, or browse the handyman answers. To get quotes, describe the shelving job on Loclis.