Residential Remodelers
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 127,400 residential remodeling contractors in the US remodel houses and other single and multi-family dwellings. Popular projects include additions to indoor and outdoor living space, and kitchen and bathroom remodels. Other sources of revenue include providing maintenance/repair services and updating structures to meet new building codes and energy efficiency requirements.
Cyclical Demand
Remodeling activity is highly cyclical, and follows broader economic cycles, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies Harvard University.
Sensitivity to Interest Rates
Most homeowners rely on loans to finance remodeling projects.
Industry size & Structure
A typical residential remodeling firm employs three workers and generates about $604,000 annually.
- There are more than 127,400 residential remodelers in the US employing nearly 445,000 workers and generating over $77 billion in annual revenue.
- The majority of establishments are small, with over 80% of residential remodelers employing fewer than five workers.
- Business models range from small family-owned firms, which may perform remodeling work themselves, to individuals serving as general contractors who hire employees and subcontractors to complete larger remodeling projects.
- The 50 largest residential remodeling firms (500 to 999 employees) generate only about 8% of the industry’s revenue.
- Residential remodeling spending reached about $480 billion in 2023, but is expected to moderate to $450 billion in 2024, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Industry Forecast
Residential Remodelers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Oct 17, 2024 - More Robust Remodeling Spending by Mid-2025
- Home remodeling spending is expected to resume stronger growth by the middle of 2025, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) report released in October by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. Homeowner improvements and repairs are expected to decrease 2.1% to $469 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to Q4 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, remodeling spending will drop 2.1% from Q1 2024 to $454 billion. Spending will then rise to $473 billion in Q2 2025, up 0.6% from Q2 2024. In the third quarter of 2025, year-over-year spending is forecast to increase by 1.2% to $477 billion. The Joint Center expects improvements to be supported by improving existing home sales and higher home values, which will boost spending for necessary replacement and discretionary remodeling projects.
- For the tax year 2023, about 2.3 million tax returns utilized the Energy Efficient Home Improvement credit (25C tax credit) under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, according to the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) most recent clean energy tax credit statistics. The 25C tax credits, which are based on 30% of the improvement’s cost, help homeowners pay for qualifying energy-efficiency improvements to their primary or secondary residences. The credits include a total annual credit of $1,200 for insulation and air-sealing home-improvement projects. The credits are available until 2032, and the combined annual maximum credit is capped at $3,200. In the 2023 tax year, insulation and air-sealing materials and systems were the most popular improvements, accounting for nearly 30% of all returns that claimed a 24C credit.
- The NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) reading for the third quarter of 2024 was 63, down two points from the second quarter, according to an October 2024 report by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Any RMI reading over 50 indicates that most remodelers feel market conditions are good. In the second quarter, the Current Conditions Index portion of the RMI declined one point to 72. The Future Indicators Index component of the RMI fell three points to 55. While the RMI remained solidly in positive territory in Q2 2024, the NAHB noted that high prices for labor and high interest rates continue to pose challenges for some remodelers. The NAHB expects remodeling spending to post solid 2% growth over the next two years.
- The recent What Home Buyers Really Want Study by the National Association of Home Builders highlights kitchen and bathroom features most attractive to prospective home buyers. Study participants were given a list of 28 kitchen and 18 bathroom features and were asked to rate each as essential, desirable, indifferent, or do not want. Top kitchen features include walk-in pantries (80% of buyers ranking desirable or essential), table space for eating (80%), double sinks (78%), drinking water filtration (75%), pull-out shelves (74%), and central island (74%). The leading bathroom features include both shower and tub in the primary bath (78% of buyers ranking desirable or essential), linen closet in the primary bath (76%), private toilet compartment in primary bath (70%), double vanity in primary bath (67%), white toilet tub and sink (67%), ceramic wall tiles (65%), and granite vanity (64%).
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