DIY Project Tool Lists
Pick a project. Get the complete tool list. Know what to borrow and what to buy before you start.
Everything You Need to Tile a Bathroom
Tiling a bathroom is a weekend project that looks professional when done right. The tool list is longer than most people...
Complete Deck Building Tool List
A deck build delivers immediate results — you use it as soon as it's done. The tool list is heavy on power tools for fra...
DIY Oil Change: Tools and Supplies
An oil change takes 20-30 minutes once you've done it a couple times. The tool investment is minimal and pays for itself...
Interior Painting: Complete Setup
Painting a room is the most common DIY project, and the difference between an amateur job and a professional-looking res...
Unclogging a Drain: Tools by Severity
Every drain clog has a tool that matches its severity. A plunger handles 80% of clogs. A hand snake handles 15% more. Th...
Replacing a Kitchen or Bathroom Faucet
Replacing a faucet is one of the most satisfying plumbing projects because the result is immediately visible. The hardes...
Patching and Repairing Drywall
Drywall repair ranges from filling a nail hole (5 minutes) to patching a fist-sized hole (2 hours). The tools scale with...
Installing an Electrical Outlet
Replacing an existing outlet (old for new, or upgrading to GFCI) is a straightforward project. Adding a new outlet invol...
Spring Yard Cleanup Toolkit
Spring cleanup sets the tone for the rest of the growing season. The work breaks into four phases: clearing winter debri...
Hanging Shelves: Tools and Tips
Hanging shelves is one of the most useful beginner projects. The challenge is not the shelf itself but what is behind th...
Building a Raised Garden Bed
A raised garden bed is a solid starter project: simple box joinery, no complex cuts, and something you can plant the sam...
Installing a Ceiling Fan
Replacing an existing ceiling light with a ceiling fan is a manageable intermediate project. The wiring is the same as a...
Replacing a Toilet
Replacing a toilet is less intimidating than it sounds. The old toilet comes off with two bolts, the new one goes on wit...
Building a Fence: Complete Tool List
Building a fence is straightforward work repeated many times. Dig a post hole, set a post, attach a rail, nail up picket...
Installing Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a click-together system designed for DIY installation. The planks lock together without glue, float...
Kitchen Backsplash Tiling: Complete Tool List
Tiling a backsplash is a great introduction to tile work because the area is small, the cuts are minimal, and mistakes a...
Build a Workbench: Complete Tool List
A workbench is one of those projects where the thing you are building becomes the place where you build everything else....
Replacing a Door Lock
Replacing a door lock is one of the fastest home improvement projects. If you are swapping an existing lock for a new on...
Patching Concrete: Cracks, Holes, and Spalling
Concrete cracks. Every slab, sidewalk, and driveway develops them over time from freeze-thaw cycles, settling, and age. ...
Installing a Dimmer Switch
Replacing a standard light switch with a dimmer is one of the simplest electrical projects. The wiring is identical: hot...
Building Closet Shelving
Stock closet organizer kits from home improvement stores work for standard closets, but they are overpriced for what the...
Winterizing Pipes: Tools and Supplies
A burst pipe from freezing costs $5,000-10,000 in water damage on average. Winterizing costs under $50 in materials and ...
Power Washing a Deck
A power-washed deck looks like new wood. The process strips a year of dirt, mildew, and weathering in an afternoon. The ...
Installing a Garbage Disposal
Replacing an existing garbage disposal is a straightforward swap: disconnect, untwist, twist the new one on, reconnect. ...
Building a Planter Box
A planter box is a small-scale woodworking project that produces something immediately useful. The construction is simpl...