DIY vs. Contractor

To begin the task of teaching you tricks of the trades I must first address the topic of what can/could be tackled by a do it yourself-er  and what should/really-should be done by a licensed contractor. As far as I know it is legal for a homeowner to acquire building permits for any trade on their primary residence everywhere in the US (check with your local building department before assuming that I am right), though net every project requires permits. It might be the legal right of the homeowner to take on any project that their heart desires but it might not be wise.

As a licensed general contractor that has experience in every trade I have to say that there are several systems in a house that a homeowner, with no knowledge of or experience with that system, should not attempt to modify, or repair that system.  Some of those systems are: the electrical system, the plumbing system (water supply, waste lines, and natural gas), the HVAC system (heating and air conditioning), the roof system, the foundation and all load bearing framing members. Working on any of these without proper understanding of how they work can result in very bad things. If you live through the experience you may be faced with astronomically greater repair costs than if you had hired a professional in the first place (half joking).

On the other hand there are many things in or on a house that a decently handy homeowner with a minimal amount of tools should be able to handle (results may vary). Though there is no replacement for actual experience there are endless resources in books and online to learn how to do virtually anything. My advice is that you learn everything there is to know about your project, until you fully understand how it works and why it works, before you start the work.  If you like watching HGTV and DIY you need to know that you are not seeing the whole scope of a project. It may look easy but that is because the edit 90% of the real work out of the shows.

In a nut shell you should hire a licensed contractor when you need to, do it yourself when you can, and don't skimp on educating yourself either way. ALWAYS get multiple bids if you are going to hire a pro. Don't hire your neighbors, friends, cousin who kinda does stuff. Don't hire a "handyman" to do a contractor's job. Be safe and have fun.

Thanks for reading.
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