Pros say word of mouth works best when finding the right fix-it person.

It’s a question Bill Derowski, who owns Pacific Grove Ace Hardware, hears almost daily from customers: “Do you know a good handyman?”

The question is so common that around 30 years ago, Derowski started building a list of local handymen to share. The list also includes contractors, plumbers, gardeners and other home professionals. He only includes those who shop at the store and have interacted with him and his staff, and who he hears positive reports about from customers.

“It’s always good to get a recommendation by word of mouth rather than pick someone willy nilly,” Derowski says.

By law, handymen in California are only allowed to do small jobs up to $500, including labor and materials – anything over that amount requires a contractor’s license from the Contractors State License Board.

Handymen are ideal for smaller jobs that contractors or other tradespeople are less interested in coming out for, like dripping faucets and sticking doors. And many can fix things in more than one area of expertise, so no need to call more than one kind of tradesperson for a laundry list of complaints.

Besides Derowski’s list, other ways to find experienced handymen include asking friends and neighbors, he says. The high-tech version of this approach is to turn to online communities, like Nextdoor.com.

Another resource: local real estate agents. Realtor Debby Beck says she gets asked constantly by clients and people who approach her at open houses who she uses to get homes in shape for sale. She keeps business cards of handymen and other tradespeople in her Pacific Grove office to share with anyone who asks.

Beck says she often worries about people using Craigslist and other sources that aren’t vetted – especially in an area like the Monterey Peninsula with a high senior population who are frequently targeted for scams.

“You don’t want to let a stranger in your house,” she warns. She also says to look out for red flags of scammers, like anyone asking for all the money up front.

Derowski tells his customers to interview at least a few handymen before hiring anyone. Don’t necessarily go with the cheapest one, but rather the one you think you’ll communicate with the best.

Communication includes booking the job to start with: Derowski says the most popular handymen are hard to reach, and when customers complain repeatedly about unreturned calls, he’s “stringent” about taking them off of his list. He advises the busy ones to at least return calls as a courtesy, and if they’re too slammed to accept a job, provide names of other good handymen they know.

THE PACIFIC GROVE ACE HARDWARE handyman referral list is available at the store, 229 Forest Ave., (831) 646-9144. For more referrals, check the Weekly’s Service Directory