Homeowners to Spend Less on Home Improvement in Last Half of 2026, HIRI Finds

The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) recently released the Home Improvement Project Activity Tracker for the second quarter of 2026, revealing insights into homeowners’ attitudes and motivations driving home improvement decisions, analyzing channel behaviors and predictions for future home improvement intentions.

As the second half of 2026 approaches, see five fast facts from the study and discover where homeowners are spending their dollars.

1. Homeowners plan to spend less on home improvement. 30% of homeowners now plan to spend less on home improvement over the next 12 months, the first time spending has turned negative in five quarters. Only 27% plan to spend more, representing a reversal from Q1’s split.
2. Average home improvement spend doubled, even as fewer homeowners took on projects. In the last 90 days, only 38% of homeowners completed a home improvement project, the lowest percentage in five quarters. At the same time, average spend among those households doubled in Q2.
3. Homeowners were more cautious across all product categories in Q2. For projects under $5,000, more homeowners thought it a bad time to start than a good time for the first time in five quarters, 34% versus 32%. Homeowners in the $5,000 to $25,000 bracket also saw an increase in negative sentiment.
4. 27% of homeowners have now received a quote for a project that has not started yet. While fewer homeowners are starting new projects this quarter, more pushed further into the planning pipeline as quote requests jumped from 17% to 20%.
5. 28% of homeowners now have no home improvement project planned for the next year. The number of homeowners planning no project of $5,000 or more over the next year increased 4 percentage points to the highest level in five quarters.

To read the full study, become a HIRI member here.