If your pipeline feels steady rather than booming, the national numbers agree. Remodelers are reasonably confident, but spending growth is forecast to be close to flat. Here is what the two most-watched sources say, and what it means for a window and door business.
Remodeler sentiment: steady
The NAHB Remodeling Market Index for the third quarter of 2026, published on October 8, came in at 62, up one point on the quarter. Current market conditions held at 70 for the third quarter in a row, and the future indicators index rose two points to 54.
NAHB names two drags. Labor shortages, which it says are made worse by immigration enforcement and competition from data center construction, are stretching project times. And economic uncertainty is making some customers hesitant to go ahead.
Spending: slower
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, in its May 2026 projection, expects year-on-year growth in home renovation and repair spending to fall to 0.5% by the first quarter of 2027, with spending around $523 billion against $521 billion in the first quarter of 2026. That is below inflation, so a real-terms decline. Earlier releases had projected growth above 2%, so the direction of travel has been downward.
Why people keep remodeling anyway
- Many owners hold mortgages at rates below today’s, so they improve the home they have instead of moving. NAHB links steady remodeler sentiment to exactly this.
- The housing stock is old. HousingWire reports the average age of a US home rising from 31 years in 2006 to 41 in 2023, which keeps replacement work in demand.
What this means for a window business
When the market is flat, the number of enquiries you get matters less than the share you turn into jobs. Three things move that share: how fast the quote lands, how clearly the homeowner can picture the result, and how few steps stand between a yes and a signed contract.
That is the part Unformed is built for: a render and a quote sent as one link, and a contract the customer can sign online. It will not create demand, but it shortens the path from enquiry to signature.