That’s certainly a dramatic headline, isn’t it? We’ll get straight to the point, then. The truth is that all Calgary contractors—including us—do this to make money. That’s not much of a secret: all businesses exist for exactly that reason. But it’s important to bear in mind when you’re deciding whether to hire a contractor for your home renovation or to do-it-yourself.
What you need to decide is whether the value of their services is worth the cost of a professional. This article is our effort to help you make that choice.
We’re going to compare the pros and cons two approaches. In the process, we’ll lay out how you might save money by DIYing a project. Next, we’ll look at what a contractor actually does on a project and what the benefits are. And finally, we’ll talk about how to know whether you're up to doing the job yourself.
Let’s start by answering a simple question:
Can you save money on a home renovation by doing it yourself?
The short answer to is yes. Hiring a contractor means that you’ll pay for their labour and markup: the things that make their business profitable. So, naturally, if you remove the cost of a contractor and do-it-yourself, you’re going to have a chance to save money on your home renovation.
But nothing in life is free. Your savings come from investing your own labour and time on the project. That can range from being the person holding the paintbrush to calling and hiring tradespeople to complete tasks that are beyond your skillset. There’s no two ways about it: it will be work. But if everything goes right, you’ll have the job completed soon and likely learned a few things along the way.
Wait, what do you mean if everything goes right?
What can go wrong with DIY home renovations?
In some cases, not much: if you’re painting walls, the worst that can happen is you make a mess. In other cases, quite a bit. We all expect things to go smoothly and according to plan but the reality is that that’s often not the case. One of the main challenges for DIY renovators is that they can’t plan for those challenges because they don’t know what they don’t know.
Professionals can avoid mistakes because they’ve done this before. And if mistakes do happen, it’s their responsibility to fix them—not yours. If you’re the one doing the work, you’re on the hook for whatever goes wrong, and your affordable renovation can quickly see its costs (and your stress levels) rise.
What are the benefits of hiring a contractor?
Professional renovations aren’t just about making things don’t go wrong: it’s about getting things right. If you hire a contractor, you should expect them to provide value in exchange for what you’re paying them. We think that a quality contractor should do both great renovation work and make your life easier in the process. Here’s three things that we think the best builders in Calgary should deliver on to earn their keep:
1. Getting quality work finished on a faster timeline
General contractors primary role is to supervise a renovation or remodelling project. That means we’re responsible for finding and hiring the tradespeople who do the work, paying them on time, and holding them accountable for the quality of the job. Experienced contractors know how long it takes to procure materials and complete a task meaning that they can project a timeline more accurately than DIYers. You can read about our team's experience here. Just as importantly, because contractors work with the trades repeatedly, they have a better time negotiating availability and ensuring that things are done right. In the end, you’ll get better results with less stress.
2. Guaranteed completion and a warranty
Homeowners may start with the best of intentions but sometimes life gets in the way and that summer project becomes a three-year slog. When a general contractor takes on a project, it comes with a promise that the work will be finished. And with a professional project manager, the job doesn’t end at completion. The best contractors will back their work with a warranty. This protects you against any defects in materials since they will handle dealing with the original suppliers as well as gives you peace of mind that if there’s an issue with craftsmanship there will be someone responsible for repairing it. We offer a 5 year warranty on all our basement developments. Ask us about it when you contact us.
3. Connections to trades and suppliers
Calgary has seen various labour and material shortages during 2024. That makes knowing who to call and where to go all the more important. Contractors have a network of suppliers and certified tradesmen who they can call on to get a work done. They’ve vetted subcontractors to know who is reliable and therefore save you the guesswork of trying to find someone who will actually do the job right. Just as importantly, general contractors can get discounts from suppliers that DIYers can’t since they buy in quantities and individuals simply don’t.
When does it make sense to DIY a project?
So, now that you know some of the reasons to hire someone, let’s take a look at the flipside. Here’s a three-point test to help you to figure out if it still makes sense to tackle a project on your own.
1. Do you know the steps required to complete a job?
Knowledge is power, so before you grab your power tools figure out what you’re going to do with them. Start by breaking the job down into chunks and doing some research on each of the stages. You want to know the kind of skills, tools, time and inspections that it takes to complete each one of them. That way, you can make a schedule for the job, a list of materials to purchase, and trades you’ll need to hire.
2. Do you have experience with this kind of DIY project?
Once you know what your renovation requires, you can figure out whether it’s within your capabilities. Ask yourself honestly how your past home improvement experiences match up with what you’re planning to build. How do your handyman skills stack up? What did you find frustrating or enjoyable? It’s okay if you haven’t worked on your home before, but consider starting small before jumping into something major like a basement development. Want to know if we have experience? Visit our portfolio here.
3. Do you have the time to get the renovation done?
If you’re anything like us, you probably have a job and a life that makes you wonder where all the time goes. There’s only so many hours in a day and we have to choose how we use them wisely. The reality of DIY work is that it will take up your evenings and weekends. Make sure that you have the time available to see a project through without running yourself ragged. If you’re prepared to put the time in, then go for it!