When to Hire a Contractor

When to Hire a Contractor vs. Do It Yourself Work
Author: Jessi Moyle

It’s easy to look at a remodel or repair job and convince yourself you can handle it. Surely it can’t be that difficult to fix that leaky pipe….surely! Of course, it’s easy to look at some jobs and know there’s just no way you can tackle the project. Sure…go ahead and knock that wall out…but make certain it’s not a bearing wall. A what?

You’d find out soon enough what a bearing wall is when you remove it, because what it’s probably bearing is some of the roof truss load. Knock that wall out and you’re in for a big surprise…a big unpleasant surprise when you compromise the structural integrity of the house.

Deciding when to hire a contractor versus doing the job yourself is often clear, but not always. Jobs that require regulatory inspections, such as electrical and framing, usually must be completed by a licensed contractor. Large complex jobs such as adding a room are best left to the professionals.

But you can’t really say that all small jobs are ideal for the do it yourself homeowner. If you don’t know how to hang wallpaper, then odds are you’re going to make a mess out of the job. Instead of a beautiful new room, you get lumpy unattractive walls that make you think you’re seeing things where the designs don’t match along the seams. There’s nothing more aggravating than buying materials and spending time on a job only to have to redo the whole job over again. It’s expensive and time consuming.

In addition, you need to admit to yourself when you don’t have the right skills. If you you’ve never built kitchen cabinets or replaced a roof, the time to learn is not on your house. Building materials are expensive today and you don’t want to waste money. That kind of defeats the whole purpose of a do it yourself job, doesn’t it?

Other factors to keep in mind include the following.

• Do you have the right tools for the job?
• Can you safely do the job?
• Do you know all building regulation and permit requirements?
• Can you maintain a high quality?
• Do you have the knowledge needed to do the job?
• Do you know what materials are required?
• Do you have the time to complete the job? 1

These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before you decide to repair that foundation crack or replace soffit. When you’re wife wants the bathroom remodeled, you might ask yourself if you are really up to tearing out the bathtub and or installing a new shower enclosure. You can’t do without the use of a bathroom for very long, so it’s wise to admit when you’re not sure you can handle the project.

I know….it may be hard to admit you don’t know everything. But do you want a nice remodel job, or the nightmare and expense of redoing a poorly done job? If your ego is wounded, just tell everyone you’re just too important at work to spend time remodeling. They may not believe it, but it’ll make you feel good anyway.

Sources:

(1) http://www.nari.org/homeowners/tips/doityourself.asp

Maintenance