Homeowners Lure Free Labor With Libations

Word of advice: Cocktails and power tools don't mix. Renovation parties are sweeping the nation, as homeowners look for ways around rising construction costs. But handing out martinis and sledgehammers doesn’t always produce the best results, the Wall Street Journal counsels, recounting horror stories of crooked tiles, drywall hung backwards, and wrong walls broken down.

Contractors see the parties as a boon, earning big fees to clean up messes made by inexperienced revelers, or offering to oversee parties for a fee. One emergency room operator reports seeing five renovation party accidents this year. But some homeowners say the parties do help with simple tasks like demolition, that “everybody could do, even children.” (More home renovation stories.)