Fix it or call a pro?
- 110 repairs
- Built on our guide data
- Free, no sign-up
Pro prices are the typical ranges from each guide and vary a lot by area. Tools you buy are yours to keep for the next job, which we note but still count. Time is the guide's estimate, adjusted for experience.
How it works
Every repair in the list comes from one of our guides, with its own time estimate, parts cost and typical pro price.
Doing it yourself is the guide's parts range, plus the typical store price of any tool you'd need to buy (tools you tick as owned are left out, and optional ones never count). Time is the guide's estimate times an experience factor: 1.5× for a first time, 1.2× if you've done a few fixes, 1× if you're handy. Hard-to-reach jobs add 25%, and an old or corroded part raises the high end of both time and parts. Your time is that estimate times your hourly value.
Local prices: pro prices start as the national typical range from each guide. If you give a ZIP code, they're scaled by your state's Regional Price Parity, the government's measure of how much prices run above or below the US average, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). Labor rates in big cities can run higher than the state average, so treat it as a better estimate, not a quote.
The verdict compares that total with the low end of the pro price: half or less says DIY makes sense, up to 90% says it's worth a try, up to 120% is a close call, and above that a pro may be worth it.
Overrides beat the math: a first-timer on a high-consequence job (gas, wiring, roofs, ladders) is pointed toward a pro, and a fix you've already tried gets one careful retry before calling. The "what changes the answer" line is the guide's own list of signs that it's time to stop.
About this tool
Who it's for
For the moment you're staring at a problem and wondering whether it's worth a Saturday or a phone call.
Example
You enterRunning toilet, you own a wrench, you've done a few fixes, your time at $25/hr
You getDIY makes sense here: $5–$25 and about 20–35 minutes, against $150–$300 for a plumber. Mistake consequence: medium.
What's different
- Uses the time, parts and pro prices from 110 of our guides, not generic averages.
- Counts tools you'd have to buy, and remembers the ones you own across every tool here.
- Tells you where the DIY boundary is, from each guide's own call-a-pro signs.
Gotchas and tips
- Pro prices vary a lot by area; a local quote beats any average.
- First times take longer. The calculator adds time for that, but plan on a store run.
- If the job involves gas, the main panel or a steep roof, the math doesn't matter much.
Privacy: Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us, and anything it remembers is saved on this device only.
Built and maintained by the GrabTheHammer team, using the same time, cost and safety notes as our guides. Updated September 2026. Spot a problem? Tell us.
Fix it or call a pro questions
When is it cheaper to call a pro?
When you'd have to buy an expensive tool for a one-time job, when the job is risky (gas, wiring, roofs), or when a mistake could cause water damage. For most small repairs, though, the pro's price is mostly the service call.
Why is a plumber so expensive for a small job?
Most of the bill is the trip: travel, a minimum charge and the first hour. That's why a $5 part can turn into a $150–$300 visit, and why small fixes are often worth learning.
Does this include my time?
Yes, if you want it to. Enter what an hour of your time is worth, or 0 to leave it out. First-timers get extra time added, because the first go always takes longer.