RENOBENCH / LABOR VS DIY COST COMPARISON
DIY or hire a contractor?
Compare the full cost.
Compare the same project scope using your DIY costs and a written contractor quote. See the difference in cash, then decide whether to include the value of your own time.
DIY cost includes materials, tools, rentals, fees, and contingency. Contractor cost includes the written quote, excluded expenses, and your chosen reserve. Your time is shown separately for both options.
Enter your own prices. Blank costs count as $0; this is not a market-price estimate.
Your DIY cash budget
Include required products, delivery, disposal, any paid help, and applicable taxes. Count each expense once. Include setup, shopping, learning, cleanup, and project time in your hours.
Your contractor cash budget
Use a quote for the same materials, quantities, and work. Add delivery, disposal, permits, taxes, or other costs only if excluded. Coordination hours cover your own time, not hours billed by the contractor.
Value your time, if you want to
This is a personal planning assumption, not a wage estimate. It is applied to your time under both options. Leave it at $0 to compare cash budgets only. Time value is not added to the cash contingency reserve.
The 10% starting reserves are editable demonstration assumptions, not recommended percentages. Adjust each reserve to your own project.
Your time value: $0.00
Cash + time: $0.00
Your coordination time value: $0.00
Cash + time: $0.00
Scope has not been confirmed. A price difference is not a recommendation to do the work yourself.
WHAT THE TOTAL DOES NOT TELL YOU
A lower number needs
the same scope.
Check the work.
Match quantities, product specifications, preparation, installation, cleanup, disposal, permits, taxes, and exclusions. If one option leaves work out, add it before comparing.
Check the practical fit.
Consider your skills, available tools, schedule, disruption, and the work you can take responsibility for. Verify local requirements and whether qualified professional help is needed. This calculator does not assess project safety.
For contractor estimates, the Federal Trade Commission recommends checking written scope, materials, timing, and price, and comparing more than one estimate rather than automatically choosing the lowest price.
ONE EXAMPLE, TWO PERSPECTIVES
Cash savings and time
are different questions.
| Cost item | DIY | Contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Base cash costs | $2,200 | $4,300 |
| Reserve at 10% | $220 | $430 |
| Cash budget | $2,420 | $4,730 |
| Your time at $25 per hour | 45 hours = $1,125 | 5 hours = $125 |
| Cash plus time value | $3,545 | $4,855 |
In this fictional example, DIY uses $2,310 less cash. After valuing your own time under both options, the difference is $1,310. Neither result tells you whether DIY is appropriate for the actual work.
METHODOLOGY
The math behind the comparison.
- DIY base = materials + tools and rentals + other DIY costs.
- Contractor base = written quote + costs excluded from that quote.
- Each cash reserve = that option’s base × its reserve percentage ÷ 100.
- Each cash total = base + reserve.
- Your time value = your hours under that option × your chosen hourly value.
- Each cash-plus-time total = cash total + your time value.
- Displayed differences = contractor total − DIY total. Positive means DIY is lower; negative means the contractor option is lower.
Reserves and totals are rounded to cents. Time value is not a cash payment unless it represents an actual expense; do not count the same paid help in both the cash inputs and your own hours. No allowance for rework or delay is calculated automatically. Include only assumptions you can explain.
Prepared by RenoBench. Worksheet revision: October 22, 2026. Prices and hours come from the user. Sample data is fictional. No professional license, contractor endorsement, or verified local pricing is claimed.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Before choosing an approach.
Is DIY always cheaper than hiring a contractor?
No. The answer depends on the same work being included under both options, the materials you select, tool and rental costs, paid help, fees, and your time. This tool compares entered amounts; it does not predict how the project will go.
Should I add tax and permits?
Include applicable costs once. Use tax-inclusive amounts for your DIY inputs and check whether the contractor quote includes tax, delivery, disposal, and permits. Add excluded amounts only in the corresponding extra-cost field.
How should I value my time?
Choose an hourly amount that makes sense for your planning, or leave it at $0. Apply the same amount to your DIY hours and your own contractor-coordination hours. The rate is a personal assumption, not an estimate of wages or lost income.
Can the calculator decide whether I should do the work myself?
No. It does not inspect the property or assess skills, code compliance, project safety, workmanship, or insurance. Confirm the scope and relevant local requirements with appropriate professionals before choosing an approach.
Will my comparison sync across devices?
No. Save comparison uses this browser’s local storage. Clearing browser data may remove it. Export a CSV or print a PDF to keep an independent copy.
KEEP PLANNING
Build the rest of your budget.
Measure materials and organize a full project before comparing costs.
Planning worksheet. Confirm scope and costs with your contractor.