REMODELER’S BRIEF

National news and practical ideas for residential remodeling owners.

Coverage: week of August 6, 2026. Reporting cited below was available by this date.

By Darren Slaughter, a construction marketing pro with 30 years of experience.

Heading into August, the April 22 Houzz & Home Study offered useful context: median renovation spending in 2025 was $20,000, while spending at the 90th percentile reached $150,000. The study surveyed Houzz users and covered many project types. Neither figure is a price guide for a particular kitchen, bath or addition. Read the study.

Our take: When a homeowner gives you a budget, find out what they think it includes. Design, installation, fixtures, delivery and temporary living arrangements may all be in the conversation, even when only some belong in your scope. A price without its assumptions can leave both parties believing they agreed to something different.

Use a comparable completed project to explain the choices. Describe the work included, what stayed in place and which selections moved the cost. Avoid offering a low starting figure that depends on choices the homeowner has not made.

For an illustrative kitchen discussion, separate a layout that retains utilities from one that relocates them. Explain how the work differs before debating cabinet finishes. A clear comparison gives the customer a decision they can actually make.

The share of homeowners with initial budgets who exceeded them in the Houzz study. The findings cover surveyed renovation projects from 2025, not a prediction of overruns on your next job.

Sales: Ask which outcome matters most if every desired feature cannot fit. Document that priority so later options solve the same problem.

Estimating: Put allowances in plain language. Show what each covers, what it excludes and when a selection needs to be made. Use actual available products to make the discussion tangible.

Production: Work backward from installation. Give selection decisions dates based on confirmed lead times and review them when the schedule changes.

Marketing: Create a short explanation of three choices that affect the cost of your most common project. Use your own verified examples rather than national averages dressed up as local prices.

For an upcoming consultation, prepare a sheet with four headings: essential outcome, preferred upgrades, unresolved choices and next decision. Fill it out with the homeowner and send a copy afterward.

At the next meeting, check whether the agreed priority still holds. The goal is shared understanding, not steering everyone into a larger project.

A useful budget discussion reduces ambiguity. The homeowner should leave knowing what the next decision changes—and what it does not.

Know the market. Run a better remodeling company.

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