Some people shy away from do it yourself home improvement projects, while others are ready to tackle any DIY job. Whether or not you choose to do it yourself or hire a contractor depends on a number of factors, including your DIY skills, time commitments and the size of the project.

Be Honest: How Good Are Your DIY Skills?

Before tackling any DIY home improvement projects it’s important to ask a tough question. Just how good are your do-it-yourself skills? Some homeowners find their DIY skills don’t match their willingness to tackle home improvement projects.

It’s a tricky question, because often a homeowner’s pride is on the line. Even those with strong DIY skills need to be aware of their own limitations, though. Messing up home improvement projects increases the cost, as home improvement contractors have to fix the DIY attempt before they can complete the project.

When to Hire a Contractor

Most homeowners are capable of small DIY projects, such as replacing a faucet or touching up paint. If you’ve got the skills, you might be quite capable of installing a new light fixture or retiling your bathroom.

When it comes to certain home improvement projects, however, it’s best to bring in the experts, unless you really know what you’re doing. Home improvement projects that must conform to building codes or require building permits are more than most homeowners can handle, and are jobs where hiring a contractor makes sense.

No matter how good your DIY skills are, consider hiring home improvement contractors for projects that require working with or altering:

• Electricity
• Masonry
• Natural gas
• Plumbing
• The structural integrity of the house.

Consider the Size of the DIY Project

Even if your do-it-yourself skills are up to any home improvement project, there are still times when you may want to hire a contractor. Large home improvement projects take time, and often interfere with living in a house.

You may be perfectly capable of completely renovating your kitchen, but if you can only spare a few hours a week to work on the project, it’s going to interfere with meal preparation and other kitchen activities for weeks, if not months. On the other hand, hire a contractor who’ll give the project his or her full attention and you could have a remodeled and functioning kitchen in a fraction of the time.

Manpower is also an issue when deciding to hire a contractor or try to do it yourself. Some home improvement projects need to be completed by several people. Unless you have a steady stream of handy DIY friends who are willing to help, you may need to hire home improvement contractors simply because you lack enough people to finish the project.

One final note to the diehard DIY homeowner. Hiring home improvement contractors does not mean you’re a less than capable handyman or woman. Knowing your own DIY limits is strength, not a weakness—and it could save you some serious headaches and money.