DIY renovation guides
Step-by-step guides for the jobs of a room renovation, in the order they are done, with what to buy and when to call a licensed pro.
Planning
Protect and demo
- How to remove a toilet, vanity and faucets yourself: step by step
- How to remove kitchen cabinets and countertop yourself: step by step
- How to remove baseboards, casing and old doors yourself: step by step
- How to remove old flooring yourself: step by step
- How to remove bathroom wall tile yourself: step by step
- How to remove light fixtures, outlets and switches safely yourself: step by step
- How to remove an old kitchen backsplash yourself: step by step
- How to clean and re-secure gutters yourself: step by step
- Roof repair or replacement: what a pro does and what you can do
- How to clear a yard and break up an old slab yourself: step by step
Rough-in
Walls and ceiling
Primer and first coats
Floors
- How to install click-lock LVP flooring yourself: step by step
- How to tile a bathroom or kitchen floor yourself: step by step
- How to check a subfloor before new flooring yourself: step by step
- How to level a floor with self-leveling underlayment yourself: step by step
- How to install floor transition strips yourself: step by step
- How to fix a squeaky floor yourself: step by step
- How to build a paver patio yourself: step by step
- How to build a ground-level floating deck yourself: step by step
- How to lay a decomposed granite patio or path yourself: step by step
- How to build a paver walkway yourself: step by step
Kitchen and bathroom install
- How to waterproof a shower yourself: step by step
- How to tile shower walls yourself: step by step
- How to grout tile and caulk the corners yourself: step by step
- How to install a bathroom vanity and sink yourself: step by step
- How to install a kitchen backsplash yourself: step by step
- How to install a floating bathroom vanity yourself: step by step
- How to install a peel-and-stick backsplash yourself: step by step
- How to install kitchen cabinets yourself: step by step
- How to install a butcher block countertop yourself: step by step
- How to replace a kitchen sink yourself: step by step
- How to tile a wall yourself: step by step
- How to install a shower door yourself: step by step
- Get a frameless glass shower door installed: what a pro does and what you can do
Doors and trim
- How to measure a door opening before buying a door yourself: step by step
- How to install a prehung interior door yourself: step by step
- How to install door casing yourself: step by step
- How to install baseboards yourself: step by step
- How to fill nail holes and caulk trim yourself: step by step
- How to install and finish oak window trim yourself: step by step
- How to build a wood or vinyl privacy fence yourself: step by step
- How to assemble and anchor a pergola kit yourself: step by step
- How to build a low front yard fence yourself: step by step
- How to replace a front entry door yourself: step by step
- Replace a garage door: what a pro does and what you can do
- How to build a shed from a kit yourself: step by step
- Replace windows: what a pro does and what you can do
- How to install a porch railing kit yourself: step by step
Final paint
- How to paint doors, casing and baseboards yourself: step by step
- How to paint walls: the final coat yourself: step by step
- How to touch up paint after a renovation yourself: step by step
- How to paint a house exterior yourself: step by step
- How to hang wallpaper yourself: step by step
- How to seal an asphalt driveway yourself: step by step
- How to caulk windows on the outside yourself: step by step
Trim-out
- How to install a closet system yourself: step by step
- How to install cabinet pulls, door handles and shelves yourself: step by step
- How to install bifold or sliding closet doors yourself: step by step
- How to replace a door knob or deadbolt yourself: step by step
- How to install a faucet, toilet and shower head yourself: step by step
- How to replace a bathroom exhaust fan yourself: step by step
- How to replace a toilet yourself: step by step
- How to recaulk a bathtub yourself: step by step
- How to replace a shower head yourself: step by step
- How to replace a bathroom faucet yourself: step by step
- How to regrout a shower yourself: step by step
- How to replace outlets, switches and light fixtures yourself: step by step
- How to connect a dishwasher, range and hood yourself: step by step
- How to replace a kitchen faucet yourself: step by step
- How to install a garbage disposal yourself: step by step
- Gas range connection: what a pro does and what you can do
- How to lay a new sod lawn yourself: step by step
- How to install low-voltage path and string lights yourself: step by step
- How to replace a porch light yourself: step by step
- How to install house numbers and a mailbox post yourself: step by step
- How to plant front yard beds with drip irrigation yourself: step by step
- How to install blinds and shades yourself: step by step
- How to install a ceiling fan yourself: step by step
- How to replace a ceiling light fixture yourself: step by step
- How to install artificial turf yourself: step by step
- Get a hot tub installed: pad, power, permit: what a pro does and what you can do
- How to install exterior shutters yourself: step by step
Walkthrough
Free calculators
Compare and plan
- Renovating your first home yourself
- Turning over a rental unit yourself
- Renovating an older home safely
- A DIY renovation app in Spanish
- Renovation vs Houzz: inspiration or a plan you can do
- Doing it yourself vs hiring a contractor: what you actually save
- Renovation vs Angi and Thumbtack
- Renovation vs AI room designers
- Renovation vs YouTube tutorials
- Renovation vs planning a renovation in a spreadsheet