10 Tools Every Homeowner Should Own

Owning a home means eventually dealing with things that break, need adjusting, or just need to get done.

You don't need a contractor's truck full of tools to handle most of it. You need the right ten.

This list is built around the tools that actually get used — the ones that earn their shelf space by solving real problems. Not the tools that look impressive in a catalog.

A few things before we start:

• —Cordless tools are listed with specific examples. If you already own a capable battery platform, look for compatible tools in that system before starting a new one.
• —No prices are listed because they change. Use the CHECK CURRENT PRICE buttons to see what things actually cost today.
• —This list is for homeowners, not contractors. If you're doing this professionally, your needs are different.

The Quick List

A drill is the first tool most homeowners reach for. Hanging pictures, assembling furniture, installing hardware, drilling pilot holes, driving screws into wood — a good drill handles all of it. The DeWalt ATOMIC DCD794D1 is a compact brushless drill/driver in the 20V MAX ecosystem. Compact matters more than most people expect. A shorter drill gets into tighter spaces, feels less fatiguing over time, and fits in a bag without taking over the whole thing.

An impact driver is not a drill. It drives fasteners — screws, lag bolts, deck screws, long fasteners into wood — with a rotational hammering action that a drill can't replicate without stripping the head or your wrist. Once you've used an impact driver for the first time, you'll wonder how you drove screws without one. The Ryobi ONE+ PCL235K2 is a brushless impact driver in the ONE+ ecosystem. Ryobi's ONE+ platform includes more than 300 products and has maintained battery compatibility for approximately 30 years, which makes it a practical choice for homeowners who want a broad tool collection without professional-tool prices.

A circular saw opens up a significant range of projects that are otherwise impossible without one. Cutting lumber to length, building shelves, trimming boards, framing a wall, cutting plywood — none of it happens efficiently without a saw. The Ryobi ONE+ HP 7-1/4" Brushless Circular Saw runs on the same ONE+ batteries as the impact driver above. If you're building a Ryobi platform, this is a natural addition. If you're on a different platform, find the equivalent 7-1/4" brushless circular saw in your ecosystem.

An oscillating multi-tool does things no other tool does well. Cutting door casing to fit flooring. Removing grout. Cutting a notch in a tight space. Trimming a nail flush. Scraping adhesive. Sanding in a corner. It's not the tool you reach for first. It's the tool you reach for when everything else won't work. The DeWalt XR DCS356C1 is a brushless oscillating multi-tool in the 20V MAX ecosystem. Variable speed and tool-free blade changes make it practical for the variety of tasks homeowners actually encounter.

A wet/dry shop vacuum is not glamorous. It is, however, one of the most-used tools in a homeowner's garage. Sawdust. Drywall dust. Water from a slow leak. Debris from a demo project. Construction cleanup. The RIDGID 6-Gallon NXT is a compact, capable shop vac that handles both wet and dry pickup. Six gallons is enough capacity for most homeowner projects without being so large it becomes a storage problem.

Hanging anything heavy on a wall — a TV, a shelf, a cabinet, a mirror — requires finding the studs behind the drywall. The Franklin Sensors ProSensor M210 uses multiple sensors simultaneously to detect stud edges more reliably than single-sensor models. It shows you where the stud is and how wide it is, which reduces the guesswork that leads to unnecessary holes in your walls.

A tape measure may be one of the most frequently used tools in a homeowner's kit. The Stanley FATMAX 25' has a wide, rigid blade that stands out farther than most before bending — useful when you're measuring alone. The case is durable. The markings are clear. It's a tape measure. Buy a good one and stop thinking about it.

A level is one of those tools you don't appreciate until you hang something without one. The Empire TRUE BLUE 24" Box Level is accurate, durable, and a practical size for most homeowner applications — long enough to check a shelf or cabinet, short enough to store without taking up a full wall. The TRUE BLUE vials are easy to read and protected against damage.

Pliers are the hand tools you reach for when something needs to be gripped, turned, bent, or held. The Channellock GS-6 includes a 6" Tongue & Groove plier, a 6" Long Nose plier, and a 6" Diagonal Cutting plier. Channellock has been making pliers in the United States since 1886. These are not the cheapest pliers you can buy. They are pliers that will still be in your toolbox in 20 years.

A utility knife is the tool you use every single day without thinking about it. Opening boxes. Scoring drywall. Cutting rope. Trimming caulk. Stripping wire insulation. The Milwaukee FASTBACK 6-in-1 has a one-handed blade deployment, a built-in wire stripper, a screwdriver bit holder, and a blade storage compartment. It's a utility knife that does more than open boxes.

What Should You Buy First?

If you're building this kit from scratch, here's a practical order.

5 Tools You Probably Don't Need Yet

This is the No Tool Snobbery section. These are all legitimate tools. They're just not homeowner-starter-kit tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

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