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The Home Improvement Research Institute’s 2026 Home Improvement Insights Summit, held Sept. 29-30 in Minneapolis, focused on economic conditions, customer behavior, research, project spending and sales channels. Speakers discussed AI use in renovation and contractor confidence, while HIRI forecast that the home improvement products market would grow 2.5% in current dollars in 2026 but shrink 1.5% after inflation.
The Home Improvement Research Institute’s 2026 Home Improvement Insights Summit brought home improvement professionals to Minneapolis on Sept. 29-30 to review market trends, artificial intelligence and economic pressures affecting the sector. HIRI’s forecast presented at the event projects 2.5% growth in current dollars in 2026, but a 1.5% decline after inflation, underscoring the difference between nominal sales growth and the market’s purchasing-power-adjusted performance.
The summit organized its sessions around five themes: macroeconomics, the customer journey, data and market research, project spending, and sales channels. The opening session featured Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis at the National Association of Home Builders, discussing inflation and other economic forces shaping homebuilding and homebuying. She noted that the median age of a first-time homebuyer is now 40, compared with 29 in 1981.
Other speakers examined how home affordability, mortgage rates and income affect buyers. HIRI’s Dave King joined Ralph McLaughlin, chief economist at OpenBrand, and Michael Zdinak, director at S&P Global, for a discussion of those factors. The source report does not provide additional figures from that session, but identifies affordability and financing as central issues in current purchase decisions.
Sessions on the customer journey addressed the roles of professionals and AI in influencing recommendations and preferences. Liza Hausman, senior vice president of marketing at Houzz, presented research showing that 22% of homeowners use AI for renovation and that 25% of renovation dollars are in households that use AI to help. The report does not specify the research sample or define how AI assistance was measured.
Inflation Changes the Market Picture
The forecast’s two figures describe different conditions. Growth of 2.5% in current dollars reflects market value before adjusting for rising prices; the projected 1.5% contraction after inflation indicates that nominal growth does not necessarily translate into more real activity or purchasing power. For retailers and manufacturers, that distinction matters when planning sales, inventory and investment.
The summit also connected industry prospects to the decisions of homeowners and contractors. A first-time buyer median age of 40, as reported at the event, points to a changing buyer profile, while affordability and financing costs can shape whether households buy, renovate or defer projects. At the same time, Houzz’s figures suggest AI is already part of some renovation planning, though they do not establish that AI use causes higher spending or better project outcomes.
King’s closing message to manufacturers was to reduce uncertainty in customers’ decisions in the coming quarter. That advice reflects a market where price pressures, housing costs and evolving information sources may complicate choices about whether and how to undertake home improvement work.
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Five Themes Framed the Summit
The event brought together home improvement leaders and industry professionals for sessions drawing on market data and research. The program covered the economy, customer behavior, research, project spending and channels, rather than focusing on a single product category or business issue.
Grant Farnsworth, president of The Farnsworth Group, presented results from the Q2 2026 Quarterly Contractor Business Sentiment Tracker alongside the Farnsworth Contractor Index for Q3 2026. The report says contractor confidence in getting business over the next six months scored 8.2 out of 10 on the index. It does not provide the index’s full methodology or a comparison with earlier readings, so the figure should be read as a reported score rather than evidence of a specific increase.
Kevin O’Connor, host of This Old House, discussed how the brand seeks to remain relevant by educating audiences first and earning trust. The summit recap also cites HIRI’s Q3 2026 Size of the Home Improvement Products Market Report and Forecast as the basis for the 2026 market outlook.
““Take uncertainty out of the customer’s decision in the coming quarter.””
— Dave King, HIRI
Research Details Still Limited
The summit recap reports headline findings but leaves several details unspecified. It does not describe the sample sizes, survey methods or definitions behind Houzz’s AI-use figures, nor does it explain how the 25% share of renovation dollars was calculated. Those numbers show reported use and spending distribution; they do not, by themselves, establish that AI increases renovation spending.
The contractor confidence score is also presented without a historical comparison or detailed methodology. The market forecast is attributed to HIRI’s Q3 2026 report, but the recap does not break down projected performance by product category, channel or region. The available information therefore does not show which parts of the market may grow or contract most sharply.
The source describes the events and findings but does not include responses from attendees, a full transcript or detailed explanations from every speaker. Those materials would be needed to assess how participants interpreted the figures or whether the findings prompted specific business decisions.
Manufacturers Face 2027 Planning
The summit report identifies the coming quarter as the immediate planning horizon for King’s recommendation to manufacturers. Businesses will be able to compare the discussion’s outlook with subsequent market data and customer demand as the year progresses. The source does not announce a specific policy, product or industry action arising from the summit.
For readers tracking the sector, the next useful indicators are updated market forecasts, later contractor sentiment readings and further research on how households use AI in renovation planning. Those releases could clarify whether the reported patterns persist and how they vary across customer groups and project types.
Key Questions
What was the main news from HIRI’s 2026 summit?
The summit reviewed economic and customer trends affecting home improvement. HIRI’s forecast presented there projected 2.5% market growth in current dollars in 2026 and a 1.5% decline after inflation.
What did the summit report about AI and renovation?
Houzz’s Liza Hausman reported that 22% of homeowners use AI for renovation and that 25% of renovation dollars are in households using AI to help. The recap does not provide the research methods or show that AI use causes higher spending.
How confident were contractors about future business?
The Q3 2026 Farnsworth Contractor Index gave confidence in getting business during the next six months a score of 8.2 out of 10. The summit recap does not include a comparison with previous scores.
What economic factors were discussed?
Speakers addressed inflation, affordability, mortgage rates and income as factors affecting homebuilding, homebuying and renovation decisions. The recap also reported a median first-time homebuyer age of 40, up from 29 in 1981.
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