Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Lower total cost option
DIY
DIY total cost (incl. your time)
$2,640
Contractor total cost
$3,200
Difference
$560
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter contractor quote ($).
- 2Enter diy materials cost ($).
- 3Enter tools you need to buy/rent ($).
- 4Enter your estimated hours (hrs).
- 5Enter value of your time ($/hr).
- 6Enter redo/mistake risk buffer (%).
- 7Read your lower total cost option on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
DIY saves the labor markup a contractor charges, but costs you time, tool rental or purchase, and the risk of redo costs if something goes wrong. This calculator compares a contractor quote against your own materials cost plus tool costs plus the dollar value of the hours you'll spend, so you can see the real breakeven — not just the sticker price difference.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Contractor quote: 3200 $
- DIY materials cost: 1400 $
- Tools you need to buy/rent: 200 $
- Your estimated hours: 20 hrs
- Value of your time: 40 $/hr
- Redo/mistake risk buffer: 10 %
Results
- Lower total cost option: DIY
- DIY total cost (incl. your time): $2,640
- Contractor total cost: $3,200
- Difference: $560
What each field means
Inputs
- Contractor quote ($)
- The contractor quote used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- DIY materials cost ($)
- The diy materials cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1400 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Tools you need to buy/rent ($)
- The tools you need to buy/rent used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Your estimated hours (hrs)
- The your estimated hours used in the calculation, measured in hrs. Starts at 20 hrs so you have a working example on load.
- Value of your time ($/hr)
- The value of your time used in the calculation, measured in $/hr. Starts at 40 $/hr so you have a working example on load.
- Redo/mistake risk buffer (%)
- The redo/mistake risk buffer used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 10 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Results
- Lower total cost option
- Returned as a plain value and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- DIY total cost (incl. your time)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Contractor total cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Difference
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why include the value of my own time?
Because time spent on a DIY project is time not spent working, resting, or on other projects — pricing it honestly, even at a modest hourly rate, prevents DIY from looking artificially cheap.
What counts as a mistake risk buffer?
First-time DIYers commonly need to buy extra materials, redo a step, or eventually call a pro to fix a mistake — a 10-20% buffer captures that realistically instead of assuming a flawless first attempt.
Are permits and code compliance factored in?
No — add permit fees to your contractor quote or DIY materials line as applicable; some jobs (electrical, structural) may also require licensed work regardless of cost.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). DIY vs Contractor Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/diy-vs-contractor-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/diy-vs-contractor-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DIY vs Contractor Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [DIY vs Contractor Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/diy-vs-contractor-cost) (2026).