
Who Drives Remodeling Spending?
Residential remodeling is an important and growing sector of the housing market, particularly as elevated mortgage rates and limited housing inventory encourage many homeowners to improve their existing homes rather

Residential remodeling is an important and growing sector of the housing market, particularly as elevated mortgage rates and limited housing inventory encourage many homeowners to improve their existing homes rather

Builder confidence posted a modest gain in May even as buyers grapple with rising mortgage rates and economic uncertainty while builders continue to contend with elevated land, labor and construction

Residential construction permitting activity presented a mixed picture through the first quarter of 2026, as weakness in the single-family market contrasted with continued strength in multifamily development. Elevated financing costs,

Private residential construction spending was up 1.7% in March 2026, following two straight months of declines. The increase was broad-based, with gains in single-family, multifamily construction, and home improvement spending.

Overall confidence in the market for new multifamily housing held steady year-over-year in the first quarter, according to the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) by the National Association of Home Builders

Remodeling has become increasingly important in the housing sector due to the aging housing stock, the trend of aging-in-place improvements, and more home owners choosing to stay put because of

Private fixed investment in student dormitories edged up 0.1% in the first quarter of 2026, holding at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $3.9 billion. This modest gain marked

Housing construction activity strengthened in March, with a notable rebound in both single-family and multifamily starts, signaling improved builder activity despite ongoing headwinds from financing costs and affordability constraints. While

U.S. population growth slowed notably in the latest Vintage 2025 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, with the nation expanding by just 0.5% in 20251, roughly half the pace

Economic uncertainty coupled with rising building material costs and interest rates resulted in a sharp decline in builder sentiment in April as the housing market enters into the heart of

Residential construction activity began 2026 on a mixed note, with single-family permitting weakening significantly while multifamily activity remained relatively stable. Higher borrowing costs and affordability constraints continue to weigh on

In the first quarter of 2026, the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, down two points compared to the previous quarter. Despite this decline, the overall reading

Profitability for residential remodelers reached its highest level in more than two decades in 2024. Industry-wide profit benchmarks are important because they allow companies to evaluate their financial performance in

Private residential construction spending declined 0.8% in January 2026, following two months of gains. This decline was driven by lower spending across single-family, multifamily construction, and home improvement. Despite the

Single-family construction declined further in the fourth quarter in all but sparsely populated micro counties, according to the NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI). Meanwhile, multifamily construction showed growth in

Residential demolition activity in 2025 declined 0.1% year-over-year but remained above pre-pandemic levels. According to NAHB analysis of data from Construction Monitor, permits pulled for residential demolition have been increasing

According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the count of multifamily, for-rent housing starts increased year-over-year during the fourth quarter of 2025. For the quarter, 96,000 multifamily residences started

While not a huge jump, 2025 featured the highest construction volume for multifamily missing middle housing starts. The missing middle construction sector includes development of medium-density housing, such as townhouses, duplexes and