DIY Project Plan Sequence and Dependencies Check

Check your DIY project plan for a workable sequence and dependencies, so each job happens in the right order and on time.

Added October 15, 2026. Written with AI assistance and checked for clarity and placeholders; not reviewed by a lawyer, accountant, clinician or other professional. How these prompts are made

The Open buttons send the prompt text as currently shown below to that site only when you click. Fill in the placeholders first.

[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it (what [VERIFY] means).

Check my DIY plan. Project description and the list of jobs in the order I plan to do them: [JOB_LIST]. Start date and deadline: [DATES]. Who will do each job (me, a friend, a paid trade): [WHO_DOES_WHAT]. Space and tools available: [SPACE_AND_TOOLS].

Look for jobs in the wrong order (for example painting before dust-making work), jobs that depend on deliveries or drying times, jobs that need two people, and jobs that need a qualified professional or a permit. Add the time estimates and compare with the days I have, showing the arithmetic. Mark the critical path: the chain of jobs that decides the finish date.

Return a table with Job, Depends on, Time, Who and Risk, a corrected sequence with dates, and a list of questions to confirm with the trades. Rules on permits and who may do electrical, gas and structural work are [VERIFY] for [JURISDICTION].

Add a worked sequence with invented jobs for a bedroom refresh over three weeks. Jobs and estimates: strip wallpaper 6 hours, repair plaster 4 hours plus 2 days drying, sand 3 hours, prime 3 hours, paint two coats 8 hours with 4 hours drying between, fit new flooring 6 hours (two people), hang curtains 1 hour. Add the working hours: 6 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 8 + 6 + 1 = 31 hours, plus drying time that does not need me but delays the next job: 2 days for plaster and 4 hours between coats. With 5 hours available per week, 31 working hours need about 6.2 weeks, which is more than the three weeks I have, so either more help or fewer jobs is needed. The critical path: strip, repair, drying, sand, prime, paint, flooring, in that order, with flooring last to avoid spoiling it. A common mistake is fitting flooring before painting finishes; the corrected order puts it last. Check which jobs need a permit or a professional, for example any new electrical sockets, and mark them to book early because tradespeople may have lead times. Add a buffer of about 20 percent to every estimate and recalculate, showing the new total: 31 x 1.2 = 37.2 hours. Add a decision for each overrun: drop the flooring, hire a helper for two weekends, or extend the deadline. Remind me to buy materials early to avoid delays.

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Invented bedroom refresh, working hours: strip wallpaper 6; repair plaster 4 (plus 2 days drying); sand 3; prime 3; paint two coats 8; fit flooring 6; hang curtains 1.
Total working time = 6 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 8 + 6 + 1 = 31 hours. With 5 hours a week: 31 / 5 = 6.2 weeks, but I have 3.
With a 20 percent buffer: 31 x 1.2 = 37.2 hours.
Corrected order: flooring last. Permit check: new electrical sockets need a qualified person [VERIFY].
Options: hire help for two weekends, drop the flooring, or extend the deadline.

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