Flooring Contractors
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 17,400 flooring contractors in the US install resilient floor tile, carpeting, linoleum, and hardwood flooring. Single-family homes and office buildings account for the majority of sales. Other sources of revenue include apartment buildings; health care and institutional buildings; retail establishments; and educational buildings.
Dependence on General Contractors
Flooring contractors often work with general contractors (GC), which act as a gateway to construction jobs, especially large projects.
Vulnerability to Trends in the Construction Market
The flooring industry and demand for installation services are vulnerable to trends in the construction market, which is cyclical and influenced by economic factors.
Industry size & Structure
The average flooring contractor operates out of a single location, employs about 5 workers, and generates $1 million annually.
- The flooring contracting industry consists of about 17,400 establishments that employ about 80,400 workers and generate $18 billion annually.
- Most firms are small, independent businesses that served a limited geographical area. The largest firms, such as Redi Carpet, Bonitz Flooring Group, and Spectra Contract Flooring, operate regionally.
- Large flooring retailers include LL Flooring, Empire Today, and Floor & Décor. Retailers typically refer customers to third-party flooring installers.
Industry Forecast
Flooring Contractors Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Feb 11, 2025 - Tariffs to Drive up Flooring Prices
- Research by a Bank of America analyst says the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariff regime will likely increase prices for several types of flooring materials. The BoA study found that 40% of ceramic tile is imported, with 35% of imports coming from Italy and Spain, and Mexico and India each accounting for 14%. Imports make up 80% of the US luxury vinyl tile market, of which 50% comes from China. On April 9, the Trump administration paused its reciprocal tariff agenda for 90 days for most countries but left in place a baseline 10% import duty on all countries except China, which faces total tariffs of 145%. Canada and Mexico are not subject to the new 10% baseline tariffs, and goods trading under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement will remain duty-free. Any increase in flooring prices that cannot be passed to customers could eat into contractor margins.
- The continued rise in the median age of US housing stocks may present opportunities for flooring contractors. In an April report, National Association of Home Builders analysis of US Census Bureau data showed that nearly half of owner-occupied homes were built before 1980. In 2023, the median age of owner-occupied homes reached 41 years, up from 31 years in 2005. Median home age has increased since the Great Recession when new housing production dropped dramatically. Since then, home building activity has not kept pace with demand. US homes require more maintenance and repairs as they age, driving remodeling spending. The lock-in effect of low mortgage rates during the pandemic is also prompting homeowners to renovate rather than move and face a higher interest rate.
- Home remodeling spending is expected to see slight gains in 2025 after two years of weakening expenditures, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) report released in January by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. Homeowner improvements and repairs are expected to increase by 0.4% to $513 billion in the first quarter of 2025 compared to Q1 2024. In the second quarter of 2025, remodeling spending will rise quarter-over-quarter to $505 billion, up 0.7% from Q2 2024. Spending will then increase to $506 billion in Q3 2025, up 1.2% from Q3 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2025, year-over-year spending is forecast to rise 1.2% to $509 billion. Joint Center expects improvements to be supported by rising home values, a steady labor market, and gradually improving existing home sales. Better retail sales of building materials and solid remodeling permitting activity should also support home improvement spending.
- North American construction and engineering spending in 2025 is expected to grow by 2% after increasing an estimated 6% in 2024, according to FMI’s first-quarter 2025 North American Engineering and Construction Outlook. With growth of 19%, the data center sub-sector will lead 2025 nonresidential building construction, followed by public safety (9%), amusement and recreation (7%), and manufacturing (6%). Commercial construction spending is expected to decline 9% in 2025 amid a 6% drop in warehouse demand, which accounts for more than half of annual commercial spending. Lodging construction spending is forecast to fall 7%, and stubbornly high office vacancies are expected to hold new office construction to 2% growth in 2025. Amid high mortgage interest rates and a lack of affordability, single-family construction spending is forecast to rise by 4% in 2025. A recent jump in new apartment supply and unfavorable cost conditions will reduce multifamily spending by 13% in 2025.
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