Quick answer: Not ending, splitting. Pure DIY is falling while hybrid projects, where the homeowner does part and hires out the rest, jumped to roughly 46% from around 20% to 26% a year earlier. Homeowners still handle small jobs and overwhelmingly cite saving money, but above roughly $5,000 or anything technical, they're calling someone.
Homeowners haven't lost their appetite for doing things themselves. They've got more selective about which parts they'll touch, and the line has moved.
What the numbers say
In 2025, projects broke down at roughly 52% pure DIY, 24% a mix, and 24% fully hired out. The shift since has been in the middle. Around 46% of homeowners now run a hybrid project, doing some labor and bringing in a professional for the rest, up from the 20% to 26% range the year before.
Money still drives the DIY half. About 62% of homeowners say what they like best about it is what it saves.
The savings are real, and often smaller than people think
I'd gently push on that 62% though, because saving money is what people report, not always what happens.
The comparison most homeowners run is contractor quote versus materials. That leaves out the tool you had to buy for one job, the weekend you didn't get back, the second trip to the store, and the reasonable odds of a rework. Do a job once and the tool cost lands entirely on that job. Do a job badly and the professional fixing it charges more than they would have to do it properly first time.
For painting a room, this math still works comfortably. For anything where the failure mode is water behind a wall, it often doesn't, and it's rarely discovered until later.
The YouTube problem
Which brings up something worth saying out loud, even though it's a bit rude.
A ten minute video shows you the steps. It doesn't hand you the judgement, and judgement is most of the trade. The video was filmed in a house where the framing was standard, the pipe was where it should be, and nothing behind the wall was a surprise. Yours may differ, and the moment where a professional says that's not right and stops is exactly the moment a confident amateur keeps going.
That's the honest version of why hybrid projects are climbing. Not that homeowners got lazier. Enough people learned, expensively, where their own line sits.
How the split actually works
What most homeowners now do is divide the job at the point where risk and licensing start.
Demolition, prep, painting, clean-up and finish work stay in-house. Electrical, gas, structural and waterproofing go to someone licensed and insured. It's a sensible allocation, saves genuine money on labor hours, and keeps the parts that can flood a house or start a fire with someone carrying insurance for exactly that.
Planning on that basis? Our cost breakdowns for a kitchen remodel, a bathroom remodel and hiring a tradesperson generally show where the money actually goes.
Doing part yourself? Get a pro for the rest without a lead fee
The hybrid approach only works if finding someone for the specialized half is quick and doesn't inflate the quote.
Qiggz is a free, US-based marketplace for local trades. Pros never pay to be found here, so what you're quoted is the price of the work rather than the work plus a platform's cut. Find a local pro, or go straight to a plumber, an electrician or a handyman.
Frequently asked questions
Is DIY actually declining?
Pure DIY is falling as a share of projects, but overall activity hasn't collapsed. What's grown sharply is the hybrid approach, with roughly 46% of homeowners now doing part of a project themselves and hiring out the rest, up from around 20% to 26% the previous year.
When should I hire instead of doing it myself?
The practical line most homeowners use is size and licensing. Above roughly $5,000, and for anything involving electrical, gas, structural or waterproofing work, they hire. The reasons cited most are technical expertise, specialized knowledge and equipment.
Does DIY actually save money?
Often, but less than the headline comparison suggests. Most people compare the contractor quote against materials alone, leaving out tools bought for a single job, their own time, and the cost of rework. On low-risk cosmetic work the savings hold up well. On technical work the downside case is expensive.
What is a hybrid home improvement project?
One where the homeowner handles part of the labor, usually demolition, prep, painting or clean-up, and hires a professional for the specialized portion. It cuts labor cost while keeping licensed work with someone insured to do it.
Why do homeowners still DIY?
Cost, overwhelmingly. Around 62% say saving money is the best part of it, and on smaller lower-risk jobs those savings are real.
Sources
- 2025 project split (roughly 52% DIY, 24% hybrid, 24% hired) and the rise in hybrid projects to roughly 46% from around 20% to 26%: Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) and The Farnsworth Group, 2026.
- Homeowners hiring more above roughly $5,000, citing technical expertise, specialized knowledge and equipment: HIRI and The Farnsworth Group, 2026.
- 62% of homeowners citing money saved as the best part of DIY: 2026 DIY trend reporting.
- Qiggz free-to-be-found positioning: first-party (Qiggz product); see /signup.
