We’re guessing that if you’re considering updating your home, you’ve probably had one, if not all of these thoughts:
- “I’m pretty handy, surely there’s some part of this project that I can do to make the budget stretch a little further”
- “If I want to DIY some of it, is the contractor going to be ok with that?”
- “If I do DIY some of the project, WHICH parts of the project should that be, and which parts are best to leave to the professionals?”
To be completely honest, you’re not the only one who has had these same thoughts, because really, home construction isn’t rocket science! However, while it’s not rocket science, there are parts of any home project that do need to be done correctly, both from a legal and structural integrity standpoint.
So what exactly should that breakdown between DIY vs. hiring a contractor be?
Generally speaking, if it requires dealing with the city (permitting and preliminaries) or it involves the structure of your home, hire a professional. You want to make sure everything is done according to the proper legal channels so you don’t get fined, and you want to make sure the structural integrity of your home is maintained so that concerns don’t pop up 6 months, 1 year, or 10 years down the road.
If it doesn’t involve these things, chances are good you could DIY it. Tiling, painting, and refinishing your floors are all things you can definitely learn how to do yourself and that could save you some money by going the DIY route.
However, we recognize that breakdown might not always be so black and white. What about the renovations or updates that are a little more complicated?
Well, we actually offer a feasibility consult service here at Valiant that can easily answer that question for you. This is a service that we do before we start any of our projects, whether it’s an addition or a remodel. And while we generally do this for clients who have committed to a project with us, we’re more than happy to come out and take a look at your space for a small fee.
Essentially the feasibility consult service looks like this: You send us some photos or a short video. Then, we give you a call and discuss your goals and get more details on the project. After this point, there is the option for us to come to your house, chat with you as we walk through the space and help you figure it all out!
This feasibility consult can even go so far as to check in with the cities and the permitting departments, and all those other necessary (but sometimes tricky) things to figure out so that we can really answer the question of “can this happen for you?” as thoroughly as we can.
Once the feasibility consult is done, there is no obligation to hire us to finish your project. If you decide to go the DIY route, we’ll simply charge you the small consult fee and wish you the best of luck with your project! If you do decide to have us perform the work for you, the fee will just be credited right back to your project! It’s that simple!
So, whether you know right now you want to DIY or you’re just not sure, we hope this blog post has answered any lingering questions you might have about the common “DIY vs Contractor” debate. If you have further questions on this topic (or on any other topics), we’d love to hear from you! It’s our goal to be a source of help and education for all of your home projects!