homenickelpro

Home repairs, for less

Fix it yourself, or hire a pro? Decide in five minutes.

Straight-talking guides to the money side of home repairs: which jobs are safe to do yourself, which never are, how to get fair quotes, and how to spend less on tools and materials.

DIY or hire calculator See it job by job

Replace a bathroom faucet

Do it yourself

  • Faucet$95
  • Supply lines$18
  • Basin wrench$22
  • Redo buffer$20

$155 + 2.5 hrs

Hire a plumber

  • Faucet$95
  • Parts$18
  • Labor quote$190
  •   

$303 0 hrs

DIY saves about $148, or $59 an hour of your time.

Made-up example prices. Your quotes and stores decide the real numbers.
CalculatorDIY or hire?Tools, materials, a redo buffer and your time, against the quote. Quick guideJob by jobSixteen common repairs: usually DIY, maybe, or hire a licensed pro. ChecklistRepair ReadyShutoffs, a repair fund, a starter kit and a plan for hiring.

15 guides from the workbench

DIY or hire

Spend less on repairs

Hiring well

Tools and materials

Free download, no email needed

The Repair Cost Planner

A DIY-or-hire worksheet, a three-quote comparison, a materials list and a repair fund tracker. Print a fresh copy for every job.

Get the free PDFSee the Repair Ready checklist

Coming soon

Watch it done right before you start

Nickel Pro Repair Videos: short, careful videos for the small repairs most people can safely do, each with a parts list, the tools you need and a clear "stop here and call a pro" point.

$6 a month, or $49 a year. Cancel any time.

See the video library