DIY projects can be an exciting way to personalize your home, save money and learn new skills. However, DIY isn’t always as simple or cost-effective as it looks on YouTube. That seemingly straightforward repair or upgrade that only took a minute to watch could take you all afternoon and five trips to the hardware store to complete. And when you finally step back to admire your handiwork, does it look professional?
From buying specialized tools to fixing unexpected mistakes, the actual price of a DIY project is often more than you thought it would be. Before you start (and inevitably run into something you didn’t expect), it is important to know what goes into a DIY project—the good, the bad, and the somewhat questionable. Now is the time to decide whether you really want to learn how to plumb a sink today or call a handyman to do it for you.
Let’s dive into seven hidden costs of DIY projects and why handyman services could be the better option for your next home improvement task.
1. Tools You’ll Only Use Once
Most handy homeowners have a trusty set of tools—a hammer, a wrench, screwdriver, pliers. These useful tools help you hang pictures, tighten loose cabinet pulls and unfasten that pesky spray nozzle from the end of the hose. All is a day’s work for a proud homeowner.
When hanging a new light fixture calls for a voltage tester, wire stripper and a ladder tall enough to reach your ceiling, what seemed like a quick and cheap DIY upgrade now requires a significant upfront investment. If you find yourself buying equipment you probably won’t use again; it might be time to reconsider your plan of action.
Calling an electrician might seem like the best choice, but if you do that it might cost you hundreds of dollars, but what about a handyman? They have the tools and expertise. And they often charge less for a smaller job. Best of all, you get your Saturday afternoon back.
2. Lack of Expertise
Is this your first time repairing a drywall the exact size and shape of a baseball bat? If it is, proceed with caution. While the steps to repairing drywall are straightforward, achieving the new wall look takes practice. Applying spackle, sanding it just so and painting it to match the rest of the wall is more of an art than a science. Depending on the size of the hole, you may need to add supports to the wall as well.
Even small DIY projects have a learning curve. You may not cause much damage by attempting to fill a drywall hole. Still, you could spend hours applying spackle, sanding it down, refilling the low spots, sanding again, priming and painting, only to discover that one area is too high and another is too low. The more mistakes you make, the more the project takes up your time and money (and sanity).
3. Injuries and Accidents
Aristotle once said, “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” Nothing could be more true when it comes to DIY projects. Without proper training in how to use power tools, apply dangerous chemicals or perform electrical work, you could be exposing yourself to risks you didn’t even know were there.
We all like to think our homes are safe spaces, and they are when we use them as intended. When you remove cover plates for switches or cut into the drywall, you run the risk of opening the door to potentially hazardous situations, from minor cuts to electrocution. These risks are real and create unwanted emergencies for homeowners every day. Your time and money-saving efforts suddenly become a significant medical expense.
4. Materials (and More Materials)
It’s easy to assume that the cost of a DIY project is the cost of materials. The rest is just your time, right? Sure, but that cost may be more than you planned.
Take our drywall repair above. You need a small piece of drywall to patch a baseball-shaped hole. The hardware store doesn’t sell small pieces, so you’ll have to buy a sheet. And the tape that you bought doesn’t stick to the wall the way you expected the tape would. You decide to buy a roll of self-adhesive tape. Happily, the joint compound came in a small container for a small job. But you just can’t get it to go on smoothly. Midway through the third application, you run out and back to the store.
Sometimes, it’s what you don’t know; sometimes, it’s what you don’t already have, but the cost of materials for DIY projects almost always exceeds your initial estimate. Plan for projects to take more time and money than you think they will.
5. Costly Mistakes
While some DIY projects are straightforward, others require specialized knowledge in several different areas to get the job done right. Electrical work, plumbing or structural repairs often demand skills that most homeowners don’t have. Attempting these projects without proper training can lead to expensive mistakes or safety hazards.
Yes, we live in an age where you can learn how to do just about anything by watching a quick five-minute YouTube video. That’s assuming that everything goes right. Any handyman will tell you that home projects rarely go exactly as planned. Plan for the unexpected. If a home project like installing a new bathroom faucet is a stretch for your skillset, what will you do when the threading gets stripped or the gasket breaks when you tighten it down?
Rather than complicating things by trying the DIY method, know your limits and leave the unknowns to the experts.
The Real Cost of DIY
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the emotional toll of DIY projects. Between juggling tools, deciphering cryptic instructions, and worrying about the outcome, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. What started out as an exciting idea to make your laundry room more functional can turn into the “unmentionable event of 2025.” Even when you emerge victorious, the stress can take away from the joy of improving your home and leave you questioning whether the project was worth it.
When you add up the hidden costs of DIY—tools, mistakes, time, safety risks and stress—it quickly becomes clear that tackling home projects on your own is not the perfect cost-effective choice you may have been sold. In many cases, it makes sense to leave professional jobs in the hands of a professional. If you are searching for “handyman services near me,” consider One Home Solution. Our expert team can help you get the job done on budget without resorting to DIY solutions.