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DIY vs. hire a professional

Put in what you'd spend, how long it would take, and the quote you were given. Tools, extra costs, and contingency start at zero. The result stays in your browser.

Your project

Optional. It shows up in the explanation.

Currency

A label only. Amounts are not converted.

The numbers that matter

Supplies you expect to buy for this project. Enter 0 if there are none.

CAD

Your own time on this project. Use 0 only if you want the comparison to ignore time.

hrs

A figure you choose. This site does not estimate wages or local rates.

CAD

The amount you would pay the professional, as a single figure.

CAD
Additional optionsTools, extra costs, and a cushion. These start at zero.Show

Starts at zero. Enter only the share you want this project to carry.

CAD

Starts at zero. Add delivery, disposal, permits, or tax if you want them counted.

CAD

Starts at zero. Applied only to DIY cash, as a cushion for surprises.

%

Result

Fill in the main numbers to compare.

Materials, hours, the value of your time, and the quote are required. Tools, extra costs, and contingency already count as zero.

  • Still needed: material costs
  • Still needed: estimated hours
  • Still needed: what an hour of your time is worth
  • Still needed: the contractor's quote

How to read the result

Start with the quote if you have one. Then enter the materials you'd still buy. If the job needs tools, a dump run, a permit, or a cushion for surprises, open Additional options. Those lines are zero until you change them.

The hourly value is yours. Use your wage, a lower number if the work is the fun part, or a higher one if the weekend is scarce. The break-even rate is the hourly value where DIY plus your hours would equal the quote.

A positive savings number means the quote is higher than doing it yourself, once your time is included. A negative number means hiring is cheaper. Cheaper is not the same as the right call. Skill, insurance, and building rules are outside the math unless you already put them in a number.

The full formula is on the method page. Read the disclaimer before you treat a result as a decision.