More than half of U.S. homeowners renovated last year, and they spent about the same as the year before. That is the headline from the 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study, published in April 2026 and based on responses from more than 20,000 Houzz users, including 10,176 U.S. homeowners who renovated in 2025.

Table of Contents

Spending held steady

Fifty-four percent of homeowners renovated in 2025. The median spend was $20,000, unchanged from the previous year and below the $24,000 peak recorded in 2023. At the top end, spending rose: the 90th percentile climbed 7% to $150,000.

Plans for 2026 are more modest

Half of homeowners plan to renovate in 2026, down slightly from 52%, and the median planned budget is $15,000, down from $20,000. The most common triggers were finally having the time (40%) and feeling financially ready (36%).

How homeowners pay — and where budgets slip

Savings remain the main source of funding, used by 84% of renovators, while credit card use rose five points to 34%. For projects over $50,000, homeowners were more likely to use home equity loans (23%) or cash from a home sale (20%). Budgets are hard to hold: 75% set one at the start, but 37% went over it, 35% chose higher-end materials than planned and 31% expanded the scope mid-project.

Younger renovators are arriving

Gen Z still makes up a small share of renovators, but it is growing, and 61% of Gen Z renovators started work after buying a home — a far higher share than older generations.

What to take from it

Set a budget with a contingency of 10–20% and decide in advance where you will and won’t upgrade materials, because scope creep is the most common reason projects run over. Our guide to preparing for a major remodel walks through the planning.

Source: 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study: Renovation Trends, Houzz Research. Figures in this article come from that source.