{"id":1967,"slug":"diy-time-investment-no-reliable-data-conflicts","title":"DIY-builder time investment — estimates range from \"a weekend\" to 190–400 hours; every source conflicted","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["page-builders","editorial-discipline","data-gaps","bespoke-build-economics"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Published estimates: **a weekend (1–3 days)** for a simple site; **10–40 hours** including learning/troubleshooting (a DIY-vs-pro guide); **30–50+ hours** including SEO/accessibility; one agency claims **\"190–400 hours\"** for full DIY competence.\n\n**Source:** Mix of builder marketing, agency content, practitioner guides.\n\n**Confidence:** Directional-Speculative.\n\n**Caveat — every source conflicted:** Builders minimize (selling speed). Agencies maximize (selling alternative to DIY). There is **NO reliable independent study** isolating owner build/maintenance hours. Treat the entire range as conflicted.\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** Flag as a gap, not a finding. Any client-facing piece must state \"no reliable independent data\" and cite only the conflicted range with conflicts named. See [[rule-r3-no-diy-time-investment-as-fact]].","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-diy-page-builder-effectiveness-longevity-june-2026","title":"Research brief: effectiveness and longevity of DIY / page-builder websites for SMBs (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"rule-r3-no-diy-time-investment-as-fact","title":"R3 — Do not publish a DIY-builder time-investment number as fact","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-23T12:08:39.344Z","updated_at":"2026-06-23T12:08:39.344Z"}