Roofing and Siding Contractors NAICS 238160, 238170

Apr 17, 2026 - US Homes Reach Record Median Age of 44 Years

• The aging of the US housing stock is likely to support continued spending on roofing and siding maintenance and repair. The median age of US homes has reached a record 44 years, driving up maintenance and modernization costs as aging properties require major repairs, according to Harvard researchers and The Wall Street Journal. Much of the housing stock dates to building booms in the 1920s, postwar years, and 1970s, and has not been replaced by new construction. Experts now recommend homeowners budget 2% to 3% of a home’s value annually for upkeep, rather than the traditional 1%. Aging homes also raise insurance risks, limit resale options, and increase financial strain, especially as nearly half of renovation spending now goes to essential replacements.
• The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) increased 1.8% in March 2026 to 250.5 (2000=100), up from the revised March reading of 246.2. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which has been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. On a monthly basis, the commercial planning component improved by 7%, while the institutional component declined by 8.8%. Dodge’s associate director of forecasting, Sarah Martin, said, "Planning momentum in March was powered almost entirely by data center projects, with most other sectors easing back,” said Sarah Martin, Associate Director of Forecasting at Dodge Construction Network. “For some categories, this reflects a natural reset after the outsized growth in late 2025. But for others, elevated macroeconomic risks are likely beginning to feed into planning decisions."

• The total value of private US construction put in place dropped by 0.6% in January 2026 compared to the prior month, according to the US Census Bureau. Residential spending fell 0.8%, as multifamily spending dropped 0.7% and single-family construction spending declined 0.2%. Nonresidential spending decreased 0.4%. Only four subsegments of the nonresidential building sector saw growth in January compared to December 2025: office (+1.1%), healthcare (+0.4%), communication (+0.2%), and lodging (+0.1%). The remaining nonresidential building categories posted flat or negative growth in January 2026, including commercial (-0.1% from December), educational (-1.1%), religious (-1.1%), amusement and recreation (-0.9%), transportation (-0.2%), manufacturing (-2%), and power (0%).
• North American construction and engineering spending is expected to remain flat in 2026 after declining by 1% in 2025, according to FMI’s second-quarter 2026 North American Engineering and Construction Outlook. Within building segments, office construction is projected to grow 6% in 2026, driven by strong data center demand, while health care (+2%) also expands amid large hospital projects. Education, and amusement and recreation are expected to remain stable but notch flat spending growth in 2026. Several segments will decline, including lodging (-4%), commercial (-6%), and public safety (-2%), reflecting financing constraints and uneven demand, while manufacturing construction is also projected to fall (-2%) following a surge in prior years. Residential building activity continues to weaken, with single-family construction forecast to drop 2% due to affordability pressures and elevated mortgage rates. Multifamily spending is projected to be down 1% as high supply levels weigh on rent growth and new development.