Corporate Support Business Category Trends: Home Improvement
Corporate support is an ever-evolving field, and staying current with industry trends is crucial for success. One of the most dynamic areas we’ve seen emerge is the home improvement category. Across the nation there has been quite an increase in marketing from home improvement services such as landscapers, roofers, remodelers, builders, patio and sunroom builders, and painters. These home improvement services have discovered that aligning with public media connects them with the perfect audience of listeners with resources, larger homes, and credit. Marketing with public media also provides a “halo effect” in a trusted listening environment.
To help you stay ahead of the curve, here are the top trends and key takeaways from Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI)’s Contractor Business Sentiment Q2 2025 Tracker. This is great information to know before meeting or renewing a home improvement service provider.
Contractor activity remained stable across most project types during the second quarter of this year, with enhancement projects and remodels leading contractor activities.
High-value projects — or those valued at $100K or more — fell to a five-quarter low, demonstrating a possible shift in homeowner spending confidence when it comes to how they invest in their properties. Meanwhile, small jobs of $1K to $5K gained share during the second quarter, and projects valued at under $1K held steady. Use this information to position the strengths of the NPR audience. Not only are NPR listeners more likely to have used contractors in the last 12 months, but they tend to have a higher HH income, potentially making them a good target for messaging about a full range of home improvement projects.
NPR audiences engaged in home remodeling are 33% more likely to have undertaken a major renovation in the past year and 23% more likely to be planning one in the next 12 months.
The study shows that only about half of contractors anticipate market growth in the next 12 months, which is down from Q1 and notably lower than 2024 levels. But, the overall market is still strong.
After a year of heightened competitive tension, market dynamics may be stabilizing. Only 52% of contractors believe there is now more competition, compared with 60% in the same quarter last year. However, the idea of competition is still strong and marketing is needed to thrive.
Labor availability continues to be a top challenge for contractors. This is good to know because they may want messages about recruitment.
Tariffs and material costs create uncertainty. Material costs and tariffs remain key macroeconomic concerns among industry professionals and have been a source of pressure. It’s good to watch how tariffs change to see how it may affect home improvement.
Energy efficiency and tech integration are seen as growth opportunities. This is good to know and presents a good place to prospect, especially when you consider the following about the NPR audience
NPR listeners, especially eco-conscious homeowners, are 40% more likely to use environmentally friendly products in home improvements and 29% more likely to have purchased solar panels in the last year.
- Outdoor materials and supplies are seeing a seasonal increase especially in a shift toward exterior project investments which offers another growth opportunity.
- Competitive bids are a growing challenge for home improvement services.
Good marketing can really help win bids, and on public media “be known before you’re needed.” - Product availability, delayed payments, and indecision are key pain points for home improvement contractors according to the study. Quality leads would offer key relief here.
Understanding these trends from the HIRI report can give you a significant advantage. The home improvement market is strong but also shifting, with a new focus on smaller projects, cost-consciousness, and specialized areas like energy efficiency. By using this data, you can tailor your messaging to address contractors’ biggest challenges, such as recruiting, winning bids, and finding quality leads. This will help you position public media as a crucial partner for growth, not just an advertising platform.
For more in-depth resources and to create a winning proposal, make sure to explore the resources linked in this post, including our Corporate Support Proposal Assets Library and Sales Proposal Central. You can also find industry backgrounders for other business categories as part of our Sponsorship Category Trends and Insights listings.
Contributors to this blog post
Author
