Donna Kowalski41 years on a Chicago maintenance crew

Before you call anyone, open this book.

In 1978 I was the only woman on the maintenance crew of a four-hundred-unit Chicago apartment complex. For forty-one years I was the one you called. Now I'll show you what I actually did when I got there, so you can fix it yourself for under ten dollars, or know the fair price before anyone touches it.

See the books → Read the math →
60Fixes under $10
40Fair repair prices
7-DayMoney-back promise
Donna Kowalski in her basement workshop
41years on
the crew

“Nine times out of ten, it's the cheap part.”

01The books

One to fix it. One to never get overcharged.

Large print, plain English, one page per job. Written for people who have never fixed a thing, and for people who are tired of nodding along while someone explains their own house to them.

The Before-You-Call Book
When you can fix it yourself

The Before-You-Call Book

  • 60 home fixes under $10, one page each
  • Running toilets, slow drains, a humming disposal, doors that won't latch
  • What the part costs, how long it takes, the steps in order
  • When to stop and call a professional
The Fair Price Book
When you need a professional

The Fair Price Book

  • What 40 common home repairs should really cost
  • The questions that take the padding out of any quote
  • The red flags that mean "get a second quote"
  • What to say on the phone, word for word
The Year-Round House

Plus the bonus book, The Year-Round House: twenty minutes, four times a year, that head off the big repairs. It comes with the Complete Library, along with four printables for the fridge and the toolbox.

02The math

Five everyday repairs, two ways.

These are the calls I went on most. On the left, what they cost with a repairman. On the right, the same five jobs done from the book.

Calling a repairman Per job

Toilet that runs all night$150–250
Kitchen sink that won't drain$150–300
Garbage disposal that just hums$150–250
Air conditioner dripping inside$100–250
Door that won't latch$100–175
Total$650–1,225

With the book Parts only

A new flapper Fix 3.1$5–10
Bucket and gloves Fix 3.8$0–5
A hex key Fix 3.9$0–5
A jug of vinegar Fix 7.3$0–5
A small file Fix 5.1$0–8
Total$5–33

One skipped service call pays for all three books, several times over.

See the books · $37 →

Typical U.S. service-call and hardware-store prices; yours may be higher or lower. Assumes a few basic tools (the book lists twelve, about $40; most homes have half). Every fix says when a job belongs to a professional.

03The Complete Library

Everything, for less than one service call.

One payment. No subscription. Instant download to your phone, tablet or computer, and every page prints.

The Before-You-Call Book, The Fair Price Book and The Year-Round House
Large-print PDFs · 285 pages · 2026 edition

The Complete Library: both books, the bonus book and every printable.

Sixty fixes you can do yourself, the fair price for forty jobs you can't, and a twenty-minute seasonal routine that keeps small problems small.

$37$67Weekend price
What you get
  • The Before-You-Call Book: 60 one-page fixes under $10
    $47
  • The Fair Price Book: what 40 repairs should really cost
    $33
  • The Year-Round House: the bonus seasonal book
    included
  • Four printables: Quote Decoder, $40 Drawer, Season by Season, Walt's Rules
    included
  • Every future edition, sent to your email
    free
Your price today$37
Buy the Complete Library →

Instant download · Pay once · Yours to keep

7DAYS

7-day money-back promise. Read it, try a fix or two. If it isn't for you, send one email and you get every cent back.

Or buy just one book
The Before-You-Call Book

The Before-You-Call Book

60 fixes, plus The $40 Drawer tool list

$27$47
Buy this book →
The Fair Price Book

The Fair Price Book

40 fair prices, plus The Quote Decoder card

$19$33
Buy this book →
Donna Kowalski on her front stepsDonna Kowalski · Chicago
04A letter from Donna

I was the one you called.

Most of the men on that crew bet I'd quit by Christmas. Walt, our head of maintenance, didn't. He handed me the toolbox and never once let me buy a part before I'd found the problem. I stayed forty-one years and ended up running that crew.

The part I'm not proud of: I once watched a contractor charge a widow nine hundred dollars for a twelve-dollar valve, and I didn't say a word. I've been speaking up ever since. These books are all of it, in type big enough to read without hunting for your glasses.

"Can you carry the toolbox? Then you can learn what's in it."Walt · my first boss · 1978
— Donna
Donna's Personal Checklist: a free one-page list of twelve things to check before you pay anyoneFree · 1 page
A free gift from Donna

Donna's Personal Checklist

A free one-page checklist (not the book): twelve things to check before you pay anyone to come out. For the fridge. I'll also send a five-minute fix now and then.

Free · Unsubscribe any time · Never shared

05Questions

Before you decide.

Are these paper books in the mail?

No. They're digital books (PDFs) you download right after you pay. They open on your phone, tablet or computer, and you can print any page you like.

How do I get them after I pay?

You'll get an email within a minute or two with a Download button. Tap it and the book opens. Can't find it? Check your spam folder, or email donna@donnafixes.com and we'll send it again.

I'm not handy. Is this too much for me?

They were written for people who have never fixed a thing. Every fix starts with what you'll see and ends with when to stop, and The Fair Price Book needs no tools at all.

Which option should I pick?

Most people take the Complete Library: it's only $10 more than one book and it covers both sides, the jobs you can do yourself and the ones you can't.

Is this a subscription?

No. You pay once and the books are yours to keep, with every future edition free.

What if it isn't for me?

You have 7 days. Send one email and you'll get your money back, no questions asked.

Last word

Keep your money where you can keep it.

Both books, the bonus book and every printable, for less than the trip charge on one service call. Seven days to change your mind.

Buy the Complete Library · $37 →

Instant download · Pay once · Yours to keep