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Calcimator

DIY vs Hire a Professional Calculator

Compare the true cost of doing it yourself vs hiring a professional. Includes materials, tools, your time value, and redo risk based on skill level.

DIY Savings (or Extra Cost)

$562.50

Adjusted DIY Cost (with Risk)

$1,437.50

Inputs

$
$
$
hours
$/hr

Comparison

DIY Base Cost

$1,250.00

Professional Cost

$2,000.00

Redo Risk Cost

$187.50

Cost Breakdown

How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the Professional Cost quoted for the job and your Materials Cost for a DIY approach.
  2. Enter Tools Cost for any new equipment needed and your Estimated DIY Hours.
  3. Enter Your Hourly Wage to value your time and select your Skill Level (1–5) for risk adjustment.
  4. Review Adjusted DIY Cost with redo risk factored in against the Professional Cost.
  5. Check DIY Savings or Extra Cost to make an informed decision based on both money and time.

How the result changes with Professional Cost

Professional CostDIY Savings (or Extra Cost)Adjusted DIY Cost (with Risk)
$10,000.00$8,562.50$1,437.50
$35,000.00$33,562.50$1,437.50
$65,000.00$63,562.50$1,437.50
$90,000.00$88,562.50$1,437.50

What each input means

Professional Cost
Quoted cost from a professional to do the job.
Materials Cost (DIY)
Cost of materials you would buy to do it yourself.
Tools Needed Cost
Cost of tools you need to buy or rent for the project.
Estimated DIY Hours
How many hours the project will take you.
Your Hourly Wage
Your hourly wage or the value you place on your time.
Skill Level
Your skill level for this task (1 = novice, 5 = expert). Affects redo risk.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Professional Cost = 2000, Materials Cost (DIY) = 500, Tools Needed Cost = 150, Estimated DIY Hours = 20 = 6 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate DIY Savings
    DIY Savings
    562.5 = $562.5
  3. Calculate Adjusted DIY Cost
    Adjusted DIY Cost
    1437.5 = $1,437.5
  4. Calculate DIY Base Cost
    1250 = $1,250
  5. Calculate Professional Cost
    Professional Cost
    2000 = $2,000

Engine last updated .

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