Checklist
DIY tool and safety checklist
Run through this before the first cut, scrape or drill hole. It takes about 20 minutes and catches the usual causes of a stalled or unsafe job: a missing tool, a missing piece of protective gear, an old paint surface, or a wire or pipe you did not know was there. Your ticks are saved on this device only.
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Before you decide
If you cannot tick a box in sections 1 or 5 with confidence, pause. Electrical, gas, structural and major plumbing work can injure or kill, and mistakes can void insurance or fail an inspection. Hire a licensed professional for those steps.
Why this order
The checklist starts with the decision, because the safest way to avoid a bad job is to avoid taking on the wrong one. Tools and gear come next, then the hazards that people forget until they are standing in them: old paint, hidden wires and pipes, and ladders. Cleanup comes last because waste rules and kids and pets near the work area are easy to overlook.
Nothing here replaces the manual for a tool or the label on a product. Where those say something stricter, follow them. This page is general information, not professional advice, and local codes and lease terms differ.
Where this comes from
The lead paint items follow the Environmental Protection Agency guidance for do-it-yourselfers on renovating homes built before 1978, which advises against dry sanding, power sanding and aggressive scraping of old painted surfaces, and recommends a certified lead-safe contractor. The other items are widely published basic safe-work habits: read the manual, wear eye and hearing protection, check for hidden utilities, and treat electrical and gas work as a job for licensed professionals. For specifics on a tool or product, the maker's instructions are the authority.