Question 1

What is DIYfolio?

Accepted Answer

DIYfolio is a remodel workspace for your real home. You can measure rooms, build estimates, collect inspiration links, track materials and receipts, run Upkeep checklists, and compare visual remodel ideas — mostly on your phone, without being forced to sign in.

Question 2

How do I get around the app?

Accepted Answer

The bottom bar has Homes, Projects, Upkeep, Materials, and More. Search, Settings, Calculators, Inspiration, Plans, and Visualize live under More. Opening a home shows shortcut tiles for The Shed, Studio, active projects, Due Soon, receipts, and plan library.

Question 3

What does Search find?

Accepted Answer

Search looks through homes, rooms, room projects, materials, tools, appliances, and plans saved on this device. Results open the matching screen when you tap a row.

Question 4

How do I add a home?

Accepted Answer

From the Homes board, tap Create, name the property, optionally add an address and cover photo, then open it to add rooms. Tap Create on the Homes board. Enter a name (at least two characters). Add an address or cover photo if you want. Save and open the new home.

Question 5

How do I add a room?

Accepted Answer

Inside a home, open Rooms & Spaces and use the sage Add control. Pick a room type (kitchen, bath, garage, and others), name it, and set length and width when you are ready to estimate. Open a home from the Homes board. On Rooms & Spaces, tap Add room. Search or scroll for a type, or add a custom Room name. Save — the room opens to Overview, Inspiration, Projects, Estimate, Visualize, and Collaborate tabs.

Question 6

How do I set a room or home cover photo?

Accepted Answer

Room cards and the property header use the same photo picker. Open the ··· menu on a room card and choose Add cover photo, or set the cover when you create or edit a home.

Question 7

Where do room measurements live?

Accepted Answer

Length, width, and height on a room feed flooring, paint, and bulk material math in that room’s estimate. Settings can dim dimension labels on cards when you prefer a cleaner board.

Question 8

Can one project span more than one room?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A room project can list several rooms when the job crosses spaces (for example continuous flooring). Scope and takeoff roll up from every linked room.

Question 9

Where do my projects live?

Accepted Answer

Tap Projects on a home to see in-progress jobs grouped by room. The same projects appear on each room’s Room Projects tab. Start a job from either place.

Question 10

How do I start a room project?

Accepted Answer

In a room, open Room Projects, add a project with a category, then tap Start project when you are ready. Starting can walk you through safety prompts and suggested steps for that category. Open the room → Room Projects. Add a project and pick a category (flooring, paint, electrical, and others). Tap Start project. Complete the safety walkthrough when it appears.

Question 11

What is the safety walkthrough?

Accepted Answer

Before work begins, DIYfolio can ask about water shutoff, breaker access, permits, and when to call a pro — based on the project category. Your answers are saved on the project for later reference. This walkthrough is not a substitute for a licensed tradesperson or your local building code.

Question 12

How do project steps and time estimates work?

Accepted Answer

Each active project can list steps you check off, optional wait windows, YouTube links, and estimated versus actual time. A forecast summary helps you see what is left.

Question 13

What happens when I mark a project done?

Accepted Answer

You confirm completion, optionally save leftover materials to The Shed, then see a short celebration (sound and animation can be turned off in Settings). The job leaves the active queue. Open Projects on the home or the room’s Room Projects tab. Tap the in-progress control on a job. Confirm you are marking it complete. Choose whether to save leftovers to stock.

Question 14

How do leftover materials work?

Accepted Answer

When you finish a project, DIYfolio can move unused quantity into on-hand stock in The Shed. Future estimates can hint when you already own enough material.

Question 15

Where do house estimates and calculators live?

Accepted Answer

Open Calculators under More for house roll-ups and outdoor math (fence, deck, mulch, paint, and more). Yard rooms use the same calculator flow from Room Projects. Each room project has an Estimate section on the Projects tab. The Materials tab is your shopping checklist across the whole home.

Question 16

How does the Materials tab work?

Accepted Answer

Materials groups unchecked lines by room or trade, shows spent versus remaining, and uses large checkboxes for store trips. It works offline once data is on the phone.

Question 17

How do Home Depot and other store links work?

Accepted Answer

Paste a product URL on a material line. Your phone fetches the store page over the internet (the retailer sees your connection like a normal browser visit). DIYfolio fills the title and item number for you to review. Prices can be stale — always confirm in the store. DIYfolio is not affiliated with retailers. Open a material in an estimate. Paste a Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, or Amazon product link. Review the parsed title and item number. Type or update the unit price and save.

Question 18

Can I lock or type a price manually?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Prices are yours to edit. Price lock on a line keeps your number even when catalog hints change.

Question 19

How is sales tax set?

Accepted Answer

In Settings, set a ZIP code and sales tax percent for estimates. Bundled average rates ship in the app as a starting point; you can change the percent anytime. Tax lines are estimates, not filing advice.

Question 20

Can I print material labels?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Materials labels opens a print-friendly sheet of names and links for jobsite bins.

Question 21

What are receipts in DIYfolio?

Accepted Answer

A receipt is one store trip. Add it from a room project’s materials or tools, or from the home’s Receipts tab. Link lines to the receipt and keep photos or PDFs on the phone.

Question 22

Can DIYfolio scan a receipt photo?

Accepted Answer

On Android, the scanner crops the receipt, then Google ML Kit on your phone reads store, date, line items, tax, and total for you to review. Receipt images and text stay on your phone. ML Kit may send Google limited diagnostics (device info, app version, an installation ID, performance and error codes). See the Privacy Policy. Checked lines can be added to a project’s materials. You can still type fields by hand or attach a PDF.

Question 23

What is Upkeep?

Accepted Answer

Upkeep is your home maintenance checklist (search still finds “home care”): safety, HVAC, exterior, seasonal yard tasks, and more. Setup chips show counts. The Due Soon home tile and Upkeep filters highlight cards that are overdue or coming up based on the intervals you chose.

Question 24

How do care reminders work?

Accepted Answer

In Settings, enable reminders for a monthly Upkeep note (and optional safety-overdue alert). Android will ask for notification permission the first time. Notifications stay on the phone; you can turn them all off in Settings.

Question 25

What do Looks good, Needs work, and Something else mean?

Accepted Answer

Each card logs a result that updates the next due date. Safety cards cannot be snoozed past their maximum interval.

Question 26

What is the home report PDF?

Accepted Answer

From Upkeep you can download one PDF for insurance or handoff. It can include care history, permits, wall colors, products, and optional contents inventory.

Question 27

Where do appliances live?

Accepted Answer

Open Upkeep and switch to Appliances, or use the appliances entry when your build exposes it. Each appliance can store model details, manuals, parts, and due dates.

Question 28

Can I scan an appliance model sticker?

Accepted Answer

Photograph the model/serial label. Google ML Kit on your phone reads the text for you to edit. ML Kit may send Google limited diagnostics (device info, app version, an installation ID, performance and error codes); see the Privacy Policy. DIYfolio can open web searches for manuals and parts — no brand database required.

Question 29

What is Studio?

Accepted Answer

Studio groups color tools: Visualize for remodel previews, Color pin samples a pixel from a photo, Color canvas paints strokes on a board, and My colors saves swatches.

Question 30

How do Studio color tools work?

Accepted Answer

Color pin samples a color from your photo on the phone and matches it to the bundled paint catalog. Color canvas lets you paint strokes on a photo to try ideas. Nothing is sent to a cloud image generator.

Question 31

Where does the paint catalog come from?

Accepted Answer

Thousands of paint names are built into the app and stay on your phone. Matches are approximate — always verify with a physical chip.

Question 32

What is the plan library?

Accepted Answer

Each home can store PDF plans you purchased, plus typed supply and cut lists. Open Plans from the home shortcuts or property Plans tab.

Question 33

How do cut lists work?

Accepted Answer

From measurements and sheet sizes, DIYfolio builds a rip-first cut list you can check off in the shop. Link back to the plan PDF when you need the original page.

Question 34

How does Inspiration work?

Accepted Answer

Save TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and photo links per home. Thumbnails cache on the phone after the first preview. Paste to add, tag rooms and vibes, and pick a winner for the brief.

Question 35

How do I share with Collaborate?

Accepted Answer

On the phone, Collaborate exports a .diyfolio file with your chosen homes, rooms, or projects (photos can strip GPS by default). You send the file yourself — email, cloud drive, or messaging. The recipient imports it and picks merge or replace. DIYfolio does not upload the file. You choose where it goes. Open a home or room → Collaborate. Choose whole home, selected rooms, or specific projects. Export and send the file. On the other device, open the file from DIYfolio or Files and pick merge or replace.

Question 36

How do I open a shared .diyfolio file?

Accepted Answer

Use Join / import from More or tap a .diyfolio attachment. Preview what is inside before you merge into an existing home or create a new one.

Question 37

What does Visualize do?

Accepted Answer

Visualize compares remodel images you bring in (from Gemini, ChatGPT, or other tools) against the original room photo with a before/after slider. The app does not generate images inside Visualize.

Question 38

Can DIYfolio send a prompt to another AI app?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can share a prompt and room photo to another app (for example ChatGPT or Gemini). That app receives the photo and text and handles it under its own privacy policy. If you share a result back while DIYfolio is waiting, it attaches to that visualize session.

Question 39

What is The Shed?

Accepted Answer

The Shed tracks storage zones, owned tools, and leftover stock for a home. Purchased tools can drop off the house shopping list automatically.

Question 40

Can DIYfolio read a tool name from a link?

Accepted Answer

Paste a retailer tool URL. Your phone fetches the page over the internet and DIYfolio fills the name and item number for you to review, similar to material links.

Question 41

How do I back up my data?

Accepted Answer

Open Settings → Back Up & Restore. Save on This Phone, Share Backup, or Import Backup. Android may also copy app data to your Google account when device backup is on (see Google’s backup settings). Keep a .diyfolio file you control for a full copy with photos. Open Settings. Under Back Up & Restore, tap Save on This Phone or Share Backup. Store the .diyfolio file somewhere safe.

Question 42

Can I export a spreadsheet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Settings → Back Up & Restore → Export Spreadsheet (CSV) across your homes for materials and projects.

Question 43

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

Homes, rooms, estimates, care, receipts, and photos are saved on this phone. Android backup may copy app data to your Google account when that feature is on. Receipt scanning uses Google ML Kit on the device; ML Kit may send Google limited diagnostics (device info, app version, an installation ID, performance and error codes). Link previews and store pages are fetched from the internet when you add a URL. Uninstalling DIYfolio removes on-phone data unless you exported a backup file first.

Question 44

Do I need an account?

Accepted Answer

No account is needed. You can plan rooms, projects, materials, care, and receipts on this phone without signing in.

Question 45

Does DIYfolio show ads or sell my data?

Accepted Answer

No. DIYfolio does not show ads and does not sell your personal information. The app has no advertising or tracking SDKs that send data to DIYfolio.

Question 46

Is my data shared with anyone?

Accepted Answer

We do not sell or share your personal information or your project data with anyone. Android may copy app data to your Google account when automatic backup is on — that is Google's system, not sharing with DIYfolio. On-device scanning uses Google ML Kit, which may send Google limited diagnostics (device info, app version, an installation ID, performance and error codes) as described in the Privacy Policy. Backup files, collaborate exports, and feedback you send go only where you choose. When you save a link, your phone contacts that website directly for a preview.

Question 47

How do I update DIYfolio?

Accepted Answer

Open Google Play Store, search for DIYfolio, and tap Update when an update is available. Your homes, rooms, and projects stay on this phone.

Question 48

What works offline?

Accepted Answer

Homes, rooms, estimates, materials, care, receipts, receipt scanning, Studio color tools, and backups work offline on the phone. Link previews, store page fetches, and importing shared files need internet. App updates come through Google Play.

Question 49

How do I move DIYfolio to a new phone?

Accepted Answer

On the old phone, Settings → Back Up & Restore → Share Backup or Save on This Phone. Move the .diyfolio file to the new phone (cloud, email, or cable). On the new phone, Import Backup and choose merge or replace. Android backup may also restore some data if both phones use the same Google account — a .diyfolio file is the surest copy with photos.

Question 50

How do I delete my data?

Accepted Answer

Settings → Your Data → Delete All My Data erases homes, rooms, and projects on this phone after you confirm. Export a backup first if you might need it later. Uninstalling DIYfolio also removes on-phone data. To remove copies in your Google account, adjust Android backup in system settings.

Question 51

How do I contact support?

Accepted Answer

Email support@diyfolio.app or open Settings → Help & Legal → Contact Support. Your app version and device info are filled in for you.

Question 52

How do refunds work?

Accepted Answer

If you bought DIYfolio on Google Play, refunds follow Google Play’s refund policy. Open Play Store → Account → Payments & subscriptions → Budget & history, or see Google’s help for refund requests.

Question 53

What permissions does DIYfolio use?

Accepted Answer

Camera and photos: room photos, receipts, color pin, and appliance labels. Notifications: optional Upkeep reminders. Files: backups and imports. You can change permissions anytime in Android Settings → Apps → DIYfolio.

Question 54

Is DIYfolio advice a substitute for a pro or building code?

Accepted Answer

No. DIYfolio helps you plan and track work; it does not replace licensed trades, permits, inspections, or local building codes. Call 811 before digging and hire qualified pros when the job requires it.

Question 55

How do I turn off sounds and celebration animations?

Accepted Answer

Settings → Sounds & Effects toggles sound, haptics, celebration animations, and badge hints independently.

What DIYfolio can do

Whole-house materials list

Room projects with a real queue

Upkeep checklists

Color pin & paint canvas

Plan library & cut lists

Share a .diyfolio file