5 Home Repairs Retirees Should Never Do Themselves — and What They’ll Cost
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Some home repairs seem simple enough to tackle yourself, especially when you’re retired and have the time. But certain jobs turn dangerous fast when you’re dealing with heights, electricity, gas lines or heavy equipment, and the risks go up as you get older.
Here are five repairs retirees should always hire out, along with what professionals actually charge to do them right.
1. Roof Repairs Can Hurt You
Climbing on your roof becomes more dangerous after age 65. Your balance isn’t what it used to be, and a fall from even a single-story roof can cause serious injuries or death.
Professional roofers charge $150 to $1,000 for most minor repairs, with simple fixes like replacing a few shingles on the lower end and leak repairs on the higher end. Major structural repairs run $3,000 to $6,000.
That might sound expensive until you consider what happens if you fall. Hip fractures, head injuries and broken bones take months to heal at any age, and recovery gets harder the older you are. Roofers have safety equipment, insurance and experience working at heights. You don’t.
Skip the ladder and call someone who does this for a living.
2. Electrical Work Causes Fires and Kills People
Electrical repairs look deceptively simple. You flip a breaker, swap out a switch and you’re done. Except when you wire something wrong, overload a circuit or touch a live wire you didn’t know was hot.
Electricians charge $150 to $500 for small jobs like installing outlets or replacing switches based on current pricing. Larger projects like upgrading electrical panels cost $1,100 to $2,500.
The danger isn’t just electrocution, though that’s bad enough. Faulty wiring causes thousands of house fires every year. You might save $200 doing it yourself, but you’re gambling with your life and your home.
Licensed electricians know building codes, understand load calculations and carry insurance if something goes wrong. Hire one.
3. Tree Removal Crushes Houses and People
Cutting down a tree seems straightforward until it falls the wrong direction and lands on your house, your car or you. Trees are heavier than they look, and they don’t fall predictably once you start cutting.
Professional tree removal costs $400 to $1,200 for small trees on the lower end and large trees running $2,000 to $3,000. Emergency removal after storms can hit $5,000.
Tree services have equipment like cranes, woodchippers and safety gear that lets them control where the tree goes. They’re insured when things go wrong. You’re not.
Dead trees are even more dangerous because the wood is brittle and branches fall unpredictably. Pay someone else to take the risk.
4. Gas Line Repairs Can Blow Up Your House
Gas leaks smell like rotten eggs for a reason — so you know to get out immediately. Trying to fix a gas line yourself means working with pipes that carry explosive fuel through your walls and under your floors.
Gas line repairs cost $150 to $800 for most jobs, with simple leak fixes on the lower end and buried line repairs running $1,500 to $3,000.
The stakes are life and death. One spark from a tool, one unsealed connection, one mistake and you’ve got a house fire or an explosion. Licensed plumbers who work on gas lines know how to test for leaks, handle pressure correctly and follow strict safety codes.
This is not the repair to save money on.
5. Major Plumbing Means Water Damage and Mold
Replacing a faucet washer is one thing. Fixing a burst pipe, repairing a main water line or dealing with a sewer backup is another. Water doesn’t wait for you to figure it out, and mistakes flood your house fast.
Professional plumbers charge $125 to $350 for typical repairs, with small fixes like unclogging drains on the lower end and pipe replacements running $500 to $800. Major issues like slab leaks cost $500 to $2,000.
Water damage spreads through walls, floors and foundations. By the time you see it, the real damage is already done behind the scenes. Mold grows in 24 to 48 hours, and fixing water damage costs way more than hiring a plumber from the start.
Plumbers also have the right tools to find leaks without tearing up your entire house. Let them do it.
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