12 Services That Home Improvement Stores Offer For Free

If you're an avid DIYer or simply love to tinker with new projects, you know that home improvement stores hold a treasure trove of goodies to help you with everything from repairing a leaky faucet to building a backyard deck. In addition to power tools, exotic wood, and every conceivable nut, bolt, and fastener you could imagine, these warehouses also offer freebies worth knowing about.

Many people walk right by the perks without offering a second glance. However, many of these offers can save you from costly mistakes. Some items you'll have to sign up to receive, while others are readily available on specific dates. From fun workshops to inspire new builders to professional advice and planning assistance, it's worth it to take a moment to discover the number of free services available. This article covers 12 useful freebies you can find at your local home improvement stores and how to take advantage of them.

Do you ever think about what's in tap water? If you're like 90% of Americans, your drinking water comes from the public water system, where it's regulated and deemed safe (via CDC). All municipal drinking water must meet the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. As part of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the water department must inform you when there's a problem, such as flooding or a local spill that affects the water system. If you have well water, you'll need to perform a water test at least once a year to ensure it's safe to drink.

Home water testing kits, like the Varify 17-in-1 Complete Drinking Water Test Kit, let you perform the most important tests from home. These tests measure water hardness, chlorine levels, and total dissolved solids (TDS). Home Depot offers free professional in-home water testing. To take advantage of the service, contact your local Home Depot and request the service. The company will contact a local water treatment specialist and set up an appointment on your behalf. You'll receive a call back with a list of available times. After the test is complete, you'll receive a copy of the results and recommendations on bringing your water up to standards, such as installing a water softener or a whole-house filtration system.

The kitchen is the center of life in most homes. It's where we spend most of our time and where family and friends often gather when they visit. It's also one of the first rooms in the home where homeowners begin their renovation projects, because it's the one room to renovate for the best value. Based on the number of decisions you have to make, any remodeling project can be a huge undertaking, but there are a couple of places you can get help. Home Depot and Lowe's offer in-home consultations to assist you in making your dreams a reality. Both use sophisticated software programs to generate 3D renderings, so you can see what your new design will look like before getting started. They also offer estimates and connect you with local professionals.

To sign up with Lowe's, you can contact your local store and mention the in-home design assistance or go online and fill out a request for an in-home consultation. For Home Depot, contact them by phone or visit the in-store kitchen and bath design center. You can also locate the online services and see if a specialist is available in your area. The initial consultation is free, and you're under no obligation to purchase anything. The designer will discuss your goals, style preferences, and budget.

If you're looking for a fun and engaging activity for your kids on the weekend, Lowe's and Home Depot sponsor a monthly DIY workshop. For Home Depot, the activity takes place on the first Saturday of every month. The workshop is first-come, first-served, but children aged 5 to 12 can build everything from a planter to a keepsake box. Once complete, the item is free to keep. Visit the retailer's website and sign up in advance.

Lowe's also offers the My Lowe's Rewards Kids Club. Parents must be members of the My Lowe's Rewards Club. Any child under the age of 18 may participate, but it's recommended for children aged 4 to 11. These events usually take place on the third Saturday of the month and last 30 to 45 minutes. Members also can take part in things like in-store scavenger hunts.

Kid events tend to be extremely popular, and spots can fill up quickly, so it's a good idea to preregister and arrive at the store early on the day of the event.

Nearly every person has experienced disappointment from a plant that just wouldn't make it despite their best efforts. One day, your plant is thriving with large green leaves and beautiful blooms. The next, it's lifeless and drooping with no hope of return. You can desperately search online for gardening hacks that will give you an instant green thumb. But, unless you have the patience to research your plant to determine the ideal growing conditions, there's a good chance its days are limited.

If you're like most people, you simply toss out the old plants and start again. Fortunately, retailers like Home Depot and Lowe's recognize this common frustration and offer a generous return policy on their perennials, trees, and shrubs.

To use this service, the most important thing you need is your original receipt. When you bring your plant back to the store, you'll need to provide proof of purchase and to verify the date. Be sure to check the specific terms of the guarantee at your local store.

There's nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of a DIY project and having your tool snap or crack under pressure. A socket that cracks or a screwdriver tip that strips down can bring your work to a screeching halt. If you've purchased your tools from Harbor Freight, this is only a minor inconvenience. This retailer is well known for its lifetime warranty on the vast majority of its hand tools. The warranty only applies to Doyle, Pittsburgh, and Icon brands. However, if one of these tools breaks or fails for any reason, you simply walk into your local store and exchange it for a new one, hassle-free.

To take advantage of this warranty, you don't need the receipt, the original packaging, or any proof of purchase. Just bring the broken tool to the checkout counter and explain that you need a warranty exchange. The cashier will check to see if it's a warrantied item and provide you with an identical replacement. It's important to note that this warranty only applies to hand tools. It doesn't cover power tools, pneumatic tools, or replacement parts, like saw blades and grinding discs.

With thousands of paint colors to choose from, selecting that perfect one can be agonizing. Maybe you're trying to match an existing color on your wall for a touch-up, or maybe you have found the perfect shade in a throw pillow for your bed. Trying to locate the exact color from swatches on a piece of paper is nearly impossible unless you're a designer who has learned how to pick the perfect shade. This is where paint-matching services come in. Both Home Depot and Lowe's, and many other paint retailers, offer color matching.

For color matching, bring a physical sample of the color you want to match to your local store. If you're trying to match your wall color, grab a small chip from a spot behind an outlet. You can also grab a small chip from inside an old paint can. This sample is placed inside a spectrophotometer, and within minutes, the computer will have a custom formula ready for you.

According to a survey by SellCell.com, nearly 90% of Americans have been holding on to old phones, batteries, and other gadgets for years after they were last used. For some, it's the thought that they might be worth something one day. For others, it's not knowing where to dispose of these items that keeps them buried inside drawers, tucked in closets, and hoarded away in a basement giveaway bin. Cell phone batteries, rechargeable drill batteries, and other larger electronics aren't meant to be discarded in regular trash because they contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment. When discarded in landfills, they also create fire hazards. Fortunately, most home improvement stores have a bin near the front of the store where you can dispose of this type of waste for free, instead of paying to take it to the landfill.

Gather all your devices and head to your local home improvement store. You don't even need to make a purchase. Lowe's, Home Depot, and Harbor Freight all have e-waste programs allowing you to recycle unused electronics. Locate the bin at the front of the store and toss the objects in their corresponding slots.

One of the biggest challenges when purchasing items from a home improvement store is getting them home. Unless you have a truck or a kind friend with a trailer, you'll need to rent a vehicle. Before pulling out your credit card, ask the store if they offer complimentary delivery. Some stores, like Home Depot and Lowe's, provide free local delivery on major appliance purchases, provided you spend a specific amount. The specifics may vary and differ depending on your local store, so it's always best to ask an associate or a customer service representative. For smaller purchases, you may be eligible for free next-day delivery.

To receive delivery, be sure to mention it to the cashier when you check out or talk to a sales associate prior to paying. In some cases, the store may also assemble expensive items, like grills, and then dispose of the packaging for free as well.

One of the most popular services Lowe's and Home Depot offer for free is lumber cutting. If you're like many DIYers, especially those living in apartments or those without a lot of room, cutting large sheets of plywood and lumber is out of the question. It's possible to cut down large pieces of wood without a table saw, but you still need space to spread out, measure, and make the cuts. To help you solve this problem, Home Depot and Lowe's provide in-store lumber cutting services. Usually, the first few cuts are free. You may have to pay a small fee if you need multiple cuts. They also won't guarantee precision cuts. The service is usually designed to make transport easier, such as cutting large sheets of plywood so they fit into your vehicle.

To use this service, select your lumber from the shelves and take it to the designated cutting area, located near the back of the lumber department.

Purchasing window treatments for standard windows is easy. You can select the color and style you want from the shelf and take them home for installation. If you have a custom window, it can be difficult to locate blinds that fit. Unless you know about the free service offered by home improvement stores, you may try cutting your blinds on your own. Both Home Depot and Lowe's will cut blinds to size, so you can get the exact width you need.

To get the correct width, take measurements of each window. Home Depot provides a blind measurement guide online that can help. Print the sheet, fill it out, and then hand it to a sales associate at your local store. The sales associate will use a specialized machine that cuts vinyl, aluminum, and faux wood blinds to the exact width you need. The only condition is that the blinds must be purchased in-store. They will not cut blinds you've purchased from another retailer.

Taking on a new home improvement project can be an overwhelming task, especially if you know you don't have the right equipment. In some cases, you may not know what to buy before you get started. To help you, Harbor Freight offers a free online tool selection library that matches tools to your specific experience level and need. Tools are listed by type and category and include the specs for some of the most popular products.

Navigate to the Harbor Freight website and search for the product selector page. Look through the categories and find the one that describes what you're trying to accomplish. After you answer a few questions, you'll be given a list of available products and their prices. Purchase the products online or locate your closest store for in-person shopping. This free service can save you hours of frustration and prevent you from buying the wrong tool for the job.

If you've spent hundreds of hours working on your own home improvement projects and think you'd like to turn your knowledge and skills into a real career in a trade, Home Depot offers a virtual class where you can learn the basics to get you started for free. Also referred to as the Path to Pro, this educational program is for those with an interest in drywall, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, welding, and other skilled trades.

Register online and receive information on how to begin your class. The basic skills class takes about an hour to complete and is completed on demand independently. After, you'll connect with local professionals, who can get you started in your career. A more comprehensive, in-person training program can take as long as 12 weeks. Through Path to Pro, you can search for jobs and learn how to make yourself more marketable to potential employers. The program is free for anyone who enrolls.