Home repairs you can do yourself, and the ones to hire out
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
Can you do your own repairs in Pennsylvania?
Many of them, yes. Federal lead rules and state contractor rules are written for people who are paid, so a homeowner working on their own house is outside most of them. What does still apply to you is your municipality's permit rules, and the physical risks, which do not check who is holding the tool.
What is usually fine to do yourself?
Small jobs that do not open walls, change wiring or piping, or put you high on a ladder. The state regulation exempts ordinary repairs from permits, and the federal lead rule below is aimed at paid work.
The authorities make several of these explicitly a homeowner's job:
- Anchoring furniture and TVs. The Consumer Product Safety Commission tells households to anchor TVs and furniture to the wall, using the anti-tip devices sold with new dressers or inexpensive brackets for older pieces, and to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Small mold spots. The EPA says that in most cases you can handle a moldy area of less than about 10 square feet yourself, once the water problem is fixed.
- Caulking small gaps. ENERGY STAR says caulk is for gaps a quarter inch or less and rates sealing behind window and door trim as a moderate to difficult project for a DIYer.
When does a house built before 1978 change the answer?
When the job disturbs paint. The EPA's lead rule generally does not apply to homeowners working on their own pre-1978 home, unless you rent part of it out, run a child care center there or renovate homes to sell. But the EPA still recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor for such projects, because any repair or painting in a pre-1978 home with lead paint can easily create dangerous lead dust.
If you go ahead, the EPA's do-it-yourself steps are to find out whether lead paint is present, seal off the work area, protect yourself with a disposable N-100 respirator, coveralls, eye protection and gloves, mist surfaces before sanding or drilling, clean with a HEPA vacuum, bag your waste and clean the area again before family members return. The EPA's setup advice is to keep family members, and anyone not working on the job, out of the area.
What should you leave alone?
Anything that might be asbestos. The EPA says you generally cannot tell by looking, that you should treat a suspect material as asbestos and leave it alone, and that taking samples yourself is not recommended. Its list of places asbestos turns up includes vinyl floor tiles, textured paint and patching compounds, pipe insulation and vermiculite attic insulation. Do not saw, sand, scrape or drill it; where old flooring needs replacing, the EPA suggests covering it rather than tearing it up.
The inside of the electrical panel. The CPSC advises consumers not to open the panel's interior, because it can expose live wires.
Gas appliances. The CPSC says never to service fuel-burning appliances without the proper knowledge, skill and tools, and that most should be installed by qualified professionals.
Hardwired smoke alarms. The U.S. Fire Administration says only qualified electricians should install them. Battery alarms are a homeowner job.
Large mold or contaminated water. Beyond about 10 square feet of mold, or after sewage backs up, the EPA points to professionals.
Do permit rules apply when you do the work?
Yes. The state regulation speaks of "an owner or authorized agent" applying for a permit, and its exemptions for ordinary repairs apply to you exactly as to a contractor. Local rules can be stricter about who may do the work. Lower Merion Township says a permit is needed even when the homeowner does the job, and that an owner may generally not do their own plumbing and electrical work beyond minor repairs. Philadelphia lets an owner who lives in a one- or two-family home do building-permit work that needs no electrical or plumbing permit.
What about ladders and roofs?
The CPSC's advice for ladder work, including gutter cleaning, painting and home repairs, is to set the ladder's feet on solid, level ground and have another adult on site as a spotter. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says falls are the leading cause of death in construction and that workers six feet or more above a lower level are at risk of serious injury or death if they fall; its rules require employers to protect them. No such rule protects a homeowner, which is a reason to think twice before working high up alone.
How do you split the list?
Do the small, low, reversible jobs yourself. Hand a handyman the ones that need skill or a second pair of hands, and get the pre-1978 paint work done by a certified firm. Send wiring, piping, gas and structural work to the licensed trade your municipality requires. The Pennsylvania rules guide explains who may do what, and the cost guide shows how to bundle small jobs so one visit covers several.
Sources
- A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Sealing Behind Window & Door Trim Project, ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
- Learn About Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- May Is National Electrical Safety Month: Good News for Homeowners - Aluminum Wiring Fix Still Available, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Smoke Alarms, U.S. Fire Administration
- Building FAQs, Lower Merion Township
- Get a Building Permit, City of Philadelphia
- Consumers Should Spring into Safety with the "New Normal", U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Fall Prevention Campaign, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- AnchorIt.gov, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- 34 Pa. Code § 403.62. Permit requirements and exemptions., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)