10 Home Repairs You Can DIY—and 10 Where You Need to Hire a Pro

Re-grouting Tile

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

This common household fix can be done by a homeowner who is comfortable with DIY projects. The surface of tile grout is porous, so dirt can get trapped in cracked grout. This leads to discoloration and further damage.

The first step in repairing grout is to choose the right one. Grout choices consist of four different types: sanded, unsanded, acrylic latex, or epoxy. Measure the space between your tiles to figure out which type of grout you should use. If the space between the tiles is less than 1/8-inch, use unsanded, acrylic, or epoxy grout. If the grout space is larger than 1/8-inch, use sanded grout. Also, don't forget to match the grout color before making your final purchase.

The next step is to clean the grouted area. Use a grout saw to remove any damaged grout and then dampen the joints with a wet rag. Mix the grout according to the manufacturer's directions and begin grouting the tile. It is important to fill all the joints completely and smooth over the surface with a damp sponge to remove excess grout. Allow the grout to set firmly and then clean with a damp rag.

Patching a Hole in Drywall

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

Nearly any homeowner can patch nail holes. Filling unsightly nail holes is an easy way to make old drywall look new. Using a spackle knife, fill in each hole with lightweight putty and scrape the excess off the walls. Wait for the putty to dry and sand the spot down until it's smooth. Then, paint the repaired spots with a primer.

For larger holes in the drywall, cutting, replacing, mudding, taping, and sanding is required and should be reserved for a professional to ensure the seams are undetectable once covered with paint, says J.B. Sassano, president of Mr. Handyman.

Installing Floating Shelves

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

If you're short on storage space, floating shelves are an effective (and attractive) way to provide it. They're also a relatively simple woodworking project for DIY-ers. You can buy your floating shelves from any big box or furniture store. Or, you can customize them to your home and color palette.

Painting a Bedroom

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

Painting a room in your home is a reasonably straightforward DIY task—especially if the walls are in good shape and the ceilings aren't unusually high. It's also considerably cheaper than hiring a pro.

If you are comfortable on a ladder, and you have the right supplies, painting a bedroom is a matter of following six simple steps.

Fix a Running Toilet

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

A running toilet can be comfortably fixed by a DIY-er with a toilet rebuild kit ($27, homedepot.com). You can find one at any hardware or big box store. These kits typically contain straightforward and easy-to-follow instructions. If you have a one-piece or specialty toilet, these can be tricky and might need a professional touch.

Replacing a Faucet

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

This advice comes with a condition: If you have a centerset type of faucet, this is a good DIY job. Just follow the faucet manufacturer's installation instructions. But a more complicated, wide-spread type of faucet with various hose connections on the underside would be best handled by a professional, recommends Glovan.

Fixing a Clogged Garbage Disposal

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

A clogged disposal may be cleared by using a small specialty wrench that fits into a hexagonal opening on the underside of the disposal while the disposal is turned off. Try this first, and you can call a professional if this method doesn't clear the stoppage, suggests Glovan.

Cleaning Gutters

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

Clogged gutters can cause water to pool around the house, leak into the basement, and seep under siding causing some major mold and rot issues, warns Sassano.

To prevent water damage, leaves should be cleaned out of gutters every spring and fall. If you aren't up for the challenge of moving or steadily climbing up and down a ladder and clearing debris, hire someone to complete this important task.

Adding Chimes to Your Doorbell

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

If you are interested in changing the sound your doorbell makes, consider adding chimes to your existing doorbell system. It is a low-voltage project that doesn't require the know-how of the pros, Simnacher assures us.

Fixing a Leaky Kitchen or Bathroom Pipe

The Verdict: Try to DIY It

A DIY fix for a drain pipe may be simply tightening a slip-nut near the P-Trap. If the leak is directly from a hole in the drain pipe, a DIY fix would be a flexible coupling with hose clamps. If the leak is from a drain pipe inside the wall, consider calling a professional, says Don Glovan, a franchise consultant with Mr. Rooter Plumbing.

Hanging Wallpaper

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

The challenge with hanging wallpaper is getting it straight on the wall and matching up the patterns correctly. Having a good laser level can help. Also, it typically requires two people. Sometimes bubbling can happen, which means a strip of paper will need to be removed and a new strip reinstalled. This can result in not having enough wallpaper and needing to order more.

While only you can decide whether the DIY savings outweigh potential risks, hiring a professional guarantees a smooth and predictable outcome, says Tina Nokes, owner of Five Star Painting in Loudoun, Virginia.

Painting the Exterior of Your Home

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

Painting the exterior of a house is a big job. Most homes require all of the trim, soffits, and rake boards and, depending on the type of home, all of the siding as well. This requires extensive use of ladders at high levels and sometimes climbing onto the roof.

Homeowners need to consider safety requirements before tackling an exterior job. Five Star Painting recommends hiring a professional with experience and the correct equipment.

Removing Popcorn Ceilings

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

Removing popcorn ceilings is gaining in popularity, but it is an extremely messy job. First, the popcorn must be sprayed and softened by a softening agent. Then, all of the surface area must be scraped with a blade. While scraping, it is impossible not to create divots and holes on the surface. Those divots and holes need repair with a compound that will need to dry and then be sanded smooth.

Finally, everything needs to be primed and painted with two coats of paint. The work is overhead and requires ladders. For a job like this, hire a professional and save yourself the headache and probably less-than-desired results, Nokes recommends.

Installing a Light Fixture

The Verdict: Hire a Pro (Probably)

Electrical repairs and installations are expensive. Taking a little time to research and understand your electrical system can give you the necessary skills to take on some electrical projects yourself.

When installing a light fixture, low-voltage projects can be safely performed by a homeowner as they are less likely to cause structural or bodily harm. With that said, if you don't feel confident in your knowledge or skill or if your project is over 50 volts, it's best to call in a professional, says Keith Simnacher, owner of Mr. Electric in Austin, Texas.

Installing a Ceiling Fan

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

Installing a ceiling fan is not extremely difficult, but it may take a few hours depending on your home maintenance experience and the size of the fan. Save this project for a professional if you aren't comfortable performing work on a ladder, recommends Simnacher.

Installing Molding

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

Not all homeowners have a power saw or the skills to cut and safely install crown molding while on a ladder. The measurements must be accurate and the cuts must line up seamlessly. This task is best left to a professional unless you're a really experienced DIY-er, says Sassano.

Replacing a Door

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

While a new door can help brighten a space and cut down on heating and cooling costs, these savings are best spent on making sure the installation job is done right. Any major door overhaul should be handled by a professional, according to Sassanoor—for example, turning two windows into an opening for beautiful French or sliding glass doors.

Fixing a Sticking Window

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

There are a number of reasons that a window may stick. It may be a buildup of dirt and debris in the window casing. Problems in the foundation of your home can cause windows to lose alignment and get stuck. Sometimes, a window is painted and shut before it completely dries, which glues the window closed. High humidity can cause doors and windows to swell and bind them in the jamb.

Repairing Damage to Your Roof

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

True, replacing a few damaged shingles isn't a complicated job. But roof work in general is often best left to the professionals. There's the obvious safety component: You are working up high, on an angle, so a dangerous fall is always possible.

Secondly, pro roofers can spot problems that you don't. Missing shingles could have allowed water to damage the beams underneath. And if you don't fix it properly, you might cause further damage.

Fencing Your Yard

The Verdict: Hire a Pro

While you will save money in labor costs, putting up a fence by yourself is a big job that will take hours of tedious, repetitive work. You also might need to check local building codes and secure a permit. A fence company typically sends several laborers to get it done quickly, and they usually handle the permitting process for you.