Home Improvement and DIY Apps

When we think of tools for home improvement projects and DIY tasks, we often think of hammers, drills and screwdrivers. But we often overlook one of the most powerful, useful tools now in our arsenal — our mobile phones. Here are some of the most powerful home improvement DIY apps for homeowners and those in the remodeling business.

Mobile phones — and even mobile devices such as tablets and iPads — are great additions to a handyman or DIYer’s toolbox. Many professionals in the home improvement industry rely on apps for everything from simple calculators to levels and even interior design purposes.

Home Improvement Apps for Android and iPhone

Below is a list of some of the best home improvement apps for the iPhone and Android mobile devices. Most of these applications are free or ad-supported, but there are a few you can purchase for a nominal fee.

iHandy Carpenter

iHandy Carpenter is a terrific home improvement app for iPhone and iPad. Using your mobile devices built-in censors, the iHandy Carpenter app can be used as a variety of different tools, including a surface level, bubble level, plumb bob, protractor and even a ruler. With a price tag of only $1.99, this software can save you a bundle and make extra room in your toolbox.

Lowe’s and Home Depot Mobile Apps

The next two entries on our list are probably a no-brainer, but they definitely deserve a mention. Both Home Depot and Lowe’s home improvement stores offer their own mobile apps. Perfect for looking up prices for supplies or even ordering them and saving yourself a trip to the store. Both are also great while you are actually shopping in person as well, as they each have the ability to tell you exactly where a particular item is located – no more trying to find an employee or roaming aimlessly up and down the aisles!

TapPainter

TapPainter is an ingenious home design app for homeowners or interior design gurus that are trying to decide what color to paint a home’s walls. Simply snap a picture of the room you wish to paint, then choose from one of three different methods which paint color you would like to use. Then, with the click of a button, TapPainter adds the color to the photo of your wall, letting you see what it will look like without applying a single drop of paint.

One of the coolest features about this app is the ability to choose colors based off of popular paint samples at your favorite home improvement stores. The app has a built-in library of paint samples from the major brands and even has a tool for you to enter your paint swatch number if you have trouble finding it in the app.

Handyman Calculator

Only available for Android devices, the Handyman Calculator is a powerful calculator tool that helps you measure almost any home improvement task you can imagine. Use it to calculate square footage, how much lumber you need for a particular home project, or to help with unit conversions.

In addition to its measurement features, the Handyman Calculator also has a built-in time tracking tool, to-do list, multiple mathematical converters and calculators for feet, inches, woodwork, siding, electrical, tile and carpet measurements.

Houzz

One of the most important tools a DIYer has at their disposal is information. Houzz is a great app that takes the popular social network for home improvement gurus and places it on your mobile device. Chock full of helpful articles, tips and advice, the Houzz app can help you figure out how to tackle home projects or help you get in touch with home improvement professionals for advice or help.