# DIY vs hiring a pro **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** tools-electric-diy\ **Created:** [April 21, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013 "2023-04-21T13:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/61 "2023-04-22T00:15:04Z")
@Dorjan, I basically use the same measures to determine whether it’s me or a pro doing the work. When I was younger though, I didn’t often have the money to hire a pro. This turns out to be a great way to practice becoming a pro yourself. Once you reach that status, you have to decide the time/expense factor a different way: 1. Can I earn enough to be a pro? and 2. Do I like doing it enough to be a pro? ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/62 "2023-04-22T05:09:35Z")
I’d do the Halloween costume, the sod (or alternative; we’re in a drought), and I might do a bookcase. For the rest of them, I’d call a pro. When we were younger, my husband and I did all our own home & auto repairs by necessity. We got pretty good at some of them, although because we didn’t have money, we often cut corners. Once we started making enough money to afford to hire professionals, it was a huge pleasure to turn it over. I’ll still do small, easy repairs inside and I do my own yard work because I want it my own way, and the services have their own ways. No one else is going to pull weeds by hand or pick and choose which ones are weeds and which are valuable native plants. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/63 "2023-04-22T16:53:54Z")
I can do pretty much all the things listed. When we built out our basement I did all the framing, electrical, and some plumbing work. I installed our dishwasher, have replaced garbage disposals several times, and have replaced just about every plumbing fixture in the house over the years. I don’t do much work on my car anymore because I don’t have the specialized tools and other stuff needed, but I did remove the carb from my motorbike and rebuild it last year. I also do our own appliance repairs when possible. I dismantled our microwave and fixed a problem by cleaning a ribbon cable when the local appliance repair place wanted $600 to fix it, which was more than the thing cost me new. I repair our vacuums, appliances, and electronics when possible. I even bought a cheap watchmaker’s kit and learned how to clean and regulate an automatic watch, just for fun. Most skills can be learned. The stuff I won’t do is the stuff that clearly requires talent and experience, and not just book knowledge. For example, I can put up drywall, but taping and mudding takes a certain amount of developed skill if you want it done right. The same goes for caulking windows - I’ve done it, but it’s never very pretty. Pros are much better at it, because they do it every day. As I’ve gotten older I defer to the experts more. When younger, I was more interested in learning new skills and challenging myself, so I took on lots of jobs. Now I’ll do things if it looks fun, but if it looks like hassle I just hire a pro. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/64 "2023-04-23T02:51:29Z")
I tend to make a time vs. money analysis. It’s almost never anything formal, and I don’t have some kind of rubric that I apply to help decide either. It’s more of a “Do I have the money to have someone else do this? Do I have the time to do it _and_ learn how to do it if I don’t already? Am I motivated to learn how to do it/do it myself?” type set of questions, and if the first one is Yes, and either of the other two are No, then I sub it out. If it’s yeses across the board, then I’ll give it a shot. Back when I was younger and childless, I had a lot more yeses, and fewer nos, but now that I’m a bit older, have more money, have kids, and am fiercely protective of my own free time, I find that spending money for time seems like a great deal. For example, I used to do my own yardwork pre-children. But when we had our first kid, my wife convinced me to hire a lawn service “temporarily” when he was a baby. I’ve never looked back; it’s so much easier to just pay my lawn guy than to bother with keeping gas in the mower, keeping the mower maintained, and actually mowing for 2 hours a week. Money well spent, as far as I’m concerned. Same for housecleaning- we’ve got a housekeeper that comes in bi-weekly, and she’s a godsend. I’d honestly pay her 150% of what we do and call it a bargain. I’m not going to pay a handyman to go fiddle with balky doorknobs or other minor home repairs though. Those things are usually pretty quick, and I’ve got the know-how and tools to do them as well. Automotive-wise, I tend to sub it all out these days. Time vs. money and all that. I used to do a _lot_ of home-mechanic stuff, but nowadays I’ve got more money than time, so I pay to have it done, even if it’s something I can do easily like oil changes, alternator replacements, etc… ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/65 "2023-04-23T04:23:44Z")
The touchstone for me is painting a room. It’s a tough decision. I do a much better job than pro painters. OTOH, a crew of three painters comes in and knocks out several rooms in a day and a half. They bring all their own stuff and are responsible for clean-up. A single room takes me about five days, Granted, it’s perfect when I’m done…all the switch plates have been removed and the edges of the old paint around them sanded down, the trim is cut in perfectly using a small art brush. Chips and holes have been caulked, sanded, and primed. Stray marks (pen, marker, rubs) have been sealed with Kilz. There’s no comparison in the quality. In other words, I pay to have someone paint the rooms. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/66 "2023-04-24T12:39:44Z")
A couple weeks ago my gf decided to hire a pro for some rough landscaping work. We have a pond on our property. Most years we set aside a weekend for “cleanup work” of the pond and its surroundings. We missed the last few years and it became a formidable task. She talked to a landscaper. She figured 3 or 4 guys could do the work in an 8 hour day, and figured that would cost around $1000. He quoted $1200 and she said ok. The 3 man crew arrived early on a Saturday. Around noon she walked over and things were going well. She gave them the check, as we were leaving for recreation. When we saw the pond the following day she was furious. They did not do what she wanted. She is a little picky, but they definitely did not do a great job. Later that day, the company owner called to thank her for using his business and to ask her to leave a review online. She said he wouldn’t want her review, as she was dissatisfied. He came by a half hour later and agreed. He was angry that his crew didn’t do as they were told, and offered to have a couple of guys stop over and complete the job. She was pissed off and told him no. So, yesterday the two of us spent six hours together working on the area. It was actually kinda fun. We also got an apology card with a check for $300 from the guy. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/67 "2023-04-24T12:56:32Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > I use a matrix of cost, time, effort, safety, and outcome to decide. A serious question - do you have a literal matrix in Excel or something with your various criteria, or is this just some sort of algorithm you go through in your head? ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/68 "2023-04-24T13:10:30Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > do you have a literal matrix in Excel or something with your various criteria, or is this just some sort of algorithm you go through in your head? I’m a data analytics guy by profession, but no, this is just in my head. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/69 "2023-04-24T13:34:45Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > ’m a data analytics guy by profession I’m a training and performance analyst and a bit of a matrix-aholic 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/70 "2023-04-24T16:03:23Z")
If anyone has formalized their decision matrix it would be fun (for very geeky values of “fun”) to compare our weighting decisions. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/71 "2023-04-24T16:13:43Z")
My decision tree is much simpler: **Can I afford to hire a pro to do it?** If the answer is “Yes,” then I’ll likely do just that. I _can_ do many of the things listed in the OP. I just don’t _want_ to. (Taxes are done with TurboTax, which I consider “having a pro do it.”) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/72 "2023-04-24T16:18:02Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > My decision tree is much simpler: > > **Can I afford to hire a pro to do it?** If the answer is “Yes,” then I’ll likely do just that. I _can_ do many of the things listed in the OP. I just don’t _want_ to. +1 If I have a task, the first question is how much time will it take and would a pro charge more than the value of my time, which I place a significant dollar value on. I know how to change oil, do taxes, mow lawns, etc. I choose to spend my time on things I enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/73 "2023-04-24T18:58:54Z")
DIY: replace basement stairs install washer dryer plumb and install - soapstone basement sink, kitchen appliances, tub and bathroom sinks interior painting wallpaper sanding floors tile floors, backsplash and tub alcove deck (low to ground job) gravel driveway, firepit, bocce court small stone patio Steam boiler annual prep and clean adding or replacing outlets, light fixtures, switches garden beds kids play fort driveway sealing rehang a window, glaze a window Pro (some are theoretical): Septic re-piping steam radiators exterior 2nd floor house painting roofing moving a toilet waste pipe water heater rewiring the kitchen replace circuit breaker box anything requiring a tall ladder oil changes (I can do them, but I like my guy to look the car over, rotate tires, etc.) any car stuff that involves highly rusted bolts, exhaust, brakes, etc. I just about killed myself trying to get 3 (three) bolts removed from an easily accessible point at the back of the car. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/74 "2023-04-24T19:16:52Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > When do you choose to do something yourself vs paying someone else to do it? When the cost is much more than I think it’s worth, combined with how difficult I think the job will be and if there are specialized tools involved. Eg. a few years ago my washing machine was leaking out the bottom. A little at first and then much more. Repair company would charge $150 just to come look. Front loader in a tight spot - did not want to move it. So I undid a couple of screws on the front, and took a look. Water was leaking from a hole in a rubber thingie attached to a hose dohickey. I went online and watched a few youtube videos. Ahhh, it’s a coin trap. Not too hard to fix. Went online again and found the part number. Ordered it. Picked it up. Replaced it using handy tips from youtube video which saved me some frustration (how to get hose clamps off easier) Job done. Cost for part = $15.00 ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/75 "2023-04-24T23:29:06Z")
I just finished replacing the retainer bar and clips in my refrigerator door. The hardest part was ordering the correct parts online. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2023, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/76 "2023-04-25T08:37:48Z")
A DIYer with the right preparation and right head for things may do a better job than a pro at times for certain kinds of projects. Especially when it comes to detail and craft, and the project is approached more like a hobby or an entertaining diversion, there is an advantage over someone that has to make a living at it. Time is a precious thing. But…I see a lot of horrifically bad drywall, carpentry, painting, plumbing etc. A lot of the time homeowners will be very proud of atrocities committed by some family member or themselves. Having to fix someone else’s crap is part of life in the trades. That someone else may be an inexperienced or careless ‘pro’, but DIY stuff is pretty reliably crap from my experience. ---
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2023, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/77 "2023-04-25T10:19:25Z")
Wait a minute! It’s possible to hire other people to do things for you? My parents lied to me! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/78 "2023-04-25T13:33:04Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > Having to fix someone else’s crap is part of life in the trades. That someone else may be an inexperienced or careless ‘pro’, but DIY stuff is pretty reliably crap from my experience. Perhaps your experience is a bit slanted since you don’t have to fix the DIY stuff done properly. I’ll give you that it’s pretty common to find it done wrong, but maybe not quite as often as it seems to you. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/79 "2023-04-26T02:50:20Z")
Probably right. There are times I know it is a DIY job because it’s bad, Im sure there are times I could not tell. And I am saying this about basic residential construction stuff. Not some sort of craft. Ive seen some really cool climbing walls for example, but that sort of thing is almost all DIY. There does tend to be cues where things are done in an unconventional way. I see a lot of poor workmanship from house flippers, but that tends to be bad in a different way. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013/80 "2023-04-26T15:46:03Z")
I’ve never hired anyone to do something except one time. I built my own 2 story house (well, half a house). Single handed. No help at all except for a couple of days of initial rough framing construction. Drywall, roofing, sewers, electrical, furnace and air conditioning, everything. All to code and inspected. Plus my 3 bay, 2 story garage, heated and air conditioned. Built several race cars including engines, suspension design, paint, etc. All auto maintenance including engine and transmission rebuilds. Built many a porch, frame or brick, when helping my son get his contracting business going. I developed a way to straighten leaning garages and we fixed a bunch for far less cost then replacement. If we have to replace a garage I can generate a drawing by hand including stud placement and a complete lumber list in an hour or so. I also figured out a way to raise a garage and have done several (owners have purchased a tall SUV that won’t fit) I could do one myself if I had to. Designed and built a few industrial machines including my could-be-patented, continuously cleaning sluice. Planned how to buy a small trailer, dissembled and make everything fit in a Scion xB, drive from Ohio to California, assemble the trailer, load and bring home a rare, 1946s electric vehicle. Decided against it as I already have one. (Hey, they are rare). Studied with a local luthier and made my own electric guitar including hand carved, rock maple neck. Never learned to play it. Built a wind tunnel for the Explorer Scouts. Built a sailboat from scratch including the masts. Didn’t study hull design. It was crap. I have all the woodworking equipment I need. A machine shop with lathe, milling machine, drill press, etc. A sheet metal shop with brake, shear and slip rolls plus hand tools. Welding including 2 TIG welders. The only time I hired someone was to clean a stopped sewer. 25 years ago I replaced most of my sewer line myself except for the part near the street where it goes real deep. That was beyond my trencher and mini backhoe. But, after many years it periodically got roots and had to be snaked out. This is a 150 foot sewer line that could only be cleaned with an electric eel with 1 1/4" spring wound cables. I can snake it out in 30 minutes for a $50 rental. On the eve of my knee replacement, in the winter, it backed up. I had no choice. Roto Rooter showed up with some wimpy 3/4" snake that took them hours to get through and it only made a little hole according to their camera inspection. It cost nearly $400. At least it confirmed it was roots and not a break. It failed 6 months later. Since then I have been using root killer twice a year and no problems so far. But… I’m 76 and not so spry anymore. Sigh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diy-vs-hiring-a-pro/983013.md?page=5)