Americans Waste More Than $300 and Six Hours on DIY Mistakes

Seattle -- Many homeowners opt to take on home improvement projects themselves, expecting that they can save themselves money, but new research from home improvement marketplace Porch shows they may be wrong. According to the new research, do-it-yourself errors can end up costing homeowners nearly six hours of time and adding $310 to the cost of the project, on average.

Flooring installation caused homeowners the most headaches. Mistakes during the labor- and material-intense project added nearly 14 hours of time and $829 to the project. Plumbing, electrical wiring and installing a ceiling fan caused the most additional hours to the project, adding nearly seven hours. Exterior painting and replacing an electrical outlet added the most cost, adding nearly $450 to the initial cost.