Work out what’s wrong before you pay anyone
What fails in a house, why it fails, and which of it you can handle yourself without calling a contractor. Pick the area, then narrow it down by the symptom and the age of the house.
- Problems sorted by symptom and by the decade the house was built
- Checks you can run yourself before anyone comes out
- Cost ranges for judging a quote, and the work you should not pay for
1What is broken?
Pick the area. Each section lists its problems by the decade the house was built, because a 1930s house and a 2010s house fail in completely different ways.
2By the age of your house
Age does not mean worse. It means a different set of failures. Find the decade your house was built and open the trade you need.
| Built | Plumbing | HVAC | Electrical | Water damage | Mold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before about 1940Galvanized supply, cast iron drains, cloth-wrapped wiring, ungrounded circuits. | Plumbing | HVAC | Electrical | Water damage | Mold |
| 1940 to 1980Copper supply, aging cast iron stacks, 60 to 100 amp panels, first-generation central air. | Plumbing | HVAC | Electrical | Water damage | Mold |
| 1980 to 2000Polybutylene and aluminum wiring, 150 amp panels, R-22 systems. | Plumbing | HVAC | Electrical | Water damage | Mold |
| Since 2000PEX on slab, 200 amp service, builder-grade equipment failing street by street. | Plumbing | HVAC | Electrical | Water damage | Mold |
| What it costsWhat the work costs, and which of it you should not pay for at all. | Plumbing | HVAC | Electrical | Water damage | Mold |
3How to use a page
Every problem page is written in the same order, so you can stop as soon as you have your answer.
- Read the short answerThe first paragraph says what is most likely going on and where the problem sits.
- Rule out the cheap causesCauses are listed in the order you should check them, because they get more expensive as you go.
- Run the checks yourselfMost pages include a test that takes a few minutes and a tool from any hardware shop.
- Judge the quote, or skip the callCost ranges show what fair looks like. If it is a job you can do, the page says so and carries no phone number.
4Work it out yourself
Four tools that narrow the problem down before you spend anything.
5We tell you when not to call anyone
Three of the six answers in our pipe identification tool end that way. When a call does connect to a contractor, we earn a referral fee. How this site makes money.
6When it does need a pro
Gas work, panel replacement, sewer lines under the slab and anything behind a wall you would have to open up.
Read the page for your problem first. It tells you whether this is one of those jobs, and what a fair quote looks like before you make the call.
Speak to a local pro
Every trade has its own line. Pick the one you need and the number is on that page.
7Questions
Are you a contractor?
No. iLikeTo Fix explains problems and costs. When you call a number on a trade page, the call connects to an independent local contractor and we earn a referral fee. Read how it works.
Why do some pages have no phone number?
Because the honest answer on those pages is that you can do the job yourself. A page that tells you to fix it in ten minutes has no reason to send you to a contractor.
Are the cost ranges quotes?
No. They are a guide for judging a quote. Access drives the number more than materials do, so a slab house with finished ceilings costs far more than a house with an open basement.
Why does the age of the house matter?
Materials changed by decade: galvanized steel before the war, copper and cast iron after it, polybutylene and aluminum wiring in the 1980s and 90s, PEX since. Knowing the era narrows the likely cause before you check anything.
What if it is an emergency?
Gas smell, water near electrics, sewage inside or water you cannot stop: follow the steps in Some things cannot wait at the top of this page first, then read on.
Read the page first then make the call
Know what is wrong, what it should cost and whether you need anyone at all before a contractor walks in the door.