13 Signs You Need to Hire a Professional for Your Home Repairs

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Keeping a home is a little like caring for a living, breathing thing—always having to watch it, keep up with it. And when it comes to replacing a light bulb through to electrical rewiring, many homeowners boast about their DIY projects. A nice break in your day may tempt you to roll up your sleeves and jump in and do some repairs, but some jobs are better left to the pros.

Knowing when to call in an expert (whether for safety reasons, or to avoid costly mistakes) will save you headaches (and potentially a lot of money) down the road.

Safety Concerns

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It’s always safer to play it safe if you’re ever unsure if something should be completed by you. Safety should always be first and foremost, but some projects can be deceptively simple looking, until you start with the procedures and then they turn into huge risks.

Plumbing Nightmares

While leaky faucets and clogged drains aren’t the end of the world, when you’re facing a major water damage situation, or suspect a pipe has burst, you’ll want to call in a plumber. If water is not dealt with properly, it can cause serious, long term damage to your home. If you constantly mop up water in your house, or suddenly the water pressure in your home drops, get a professional to check it out.

Structural Concerns

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Do you have cracks in your walls, uneven floors, or doors that don’t close properly? These could be structural issues, or at least that is what your hairdresser might think. Having structural integrity is important to making sure your home is safe and this almost always means having to fix it, which takes special knowledge and tools. You don’t want to attempt a DIY fix here — it could cause bigger, costlier problems later.

Heating and Cooling Systems

Trying to fix your HVAC system yourself if it’s not working properly can not only void the warranty but make the problem worse. Heating and cooling systems are complex, and any issue with your furnace making strange noises or your AC blowing warm air needs to be addressed by someone who knows what they’re doing.

Repeated DIY Failures

If you’ve tried to fix something more than once, and it still doesn’t work, then stop spinning your wheels and call the pros. If it’s that dripping faucet or a door that just won’t stay on its hinges, repeated attempts at DIY solutions likely indicate that there’s something more than meets the eye. And save yourself the frustration of not having it diagnosed and fixed properly by a professional.

Gas Line Repairs

If you ever think you might have a gas leak or need to move a gas line, call a professional immediately. Gas leaks can be incredibly dangerous, and it’s definitely not worth taking the risk yourself. You’ll want to leave anything involving gas to the professionals to keep your home safe.

Major Appliance Installation

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When you think you can install a dishwasher or a washing machine, you are wrong. Water leaks, electrical issues, or voided warranties are all possible when you have improper installation. As with most things, it’s often best to let someone who knows what they’re doing handle the heavy lifting, and appliances are no different.

Pest Infestations

Are there signs of termites, ants or rodents, making themselves at home? The traps or sprays you can get at your local hardware store aren’t always enough to get rid of pests. Some pest infestations can spread quickly and cause serious damage to your home’s structure. Those professional exterminators have the tools and the expertise to go after the problem at its source.

Anything Involving Permits

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If you’re working on a job that needs a permit (big renovations, additions, electrical work, etc.), it’s a pretty good sign that you’ll need to hire a pro. Permits exist for a reason: they guarantee that the work is safe and can match to local building code. When you hire a pro you know the job will be done right, and your home and yourself will be safe.

Unfamiliar Tools

If you’ve never used the tool before and need to rent or buy it, then it’s time to think about doing the job yourself. When you use tools you’ve never used before, you can end up making mistakes, having accidents, or producing sub par results. Rather than buying equipment you might only use once (and perhaps not even use it properly), it’s usually safer to hire someone who already has the equipment and knows how to use it.

Roofing Troubles

Quite literally, the roof over your head is one of the most important parts of your home. But if you see leaks, missing shingles or sagging areas, don’t think about a DIY weekend project. It’s dangerous to climb onto your roof without the proper equipment and training, advises Alpha Roofing Industries, and improper repairs can lead to more damage.

Big Time Commitment

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There are some repairs or renovations that are just too time consuming to fit into your already busy life. Yet between work, family and everything else on your plate, do you really want to spend your weekends sanding floors or fixing drywall? At times, hiring a professional isn’t just about getting the job done right, it’s also about allowing you more time to focus on the things you actually enjoy.

Electrical Issues

According to SafetyCulture, electrical problems can be dangerous if you are not experienced. If you see the lights flicker, your circuit breakers trip often, or outlets start to spark, it’s time to call in a licensed electrician. You don’t want to learn these as you go. Because a small mistake could lead to fire or electrocution, it’s worth handing this one over to a pro.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.