The Houzz Renovation Barometer report for the construction sector shows some improvement in Q2, while the report for the architectural and design sector indicates a softer market. The Barometer tracks residential renovation market expectations and recent business activity in the construction and architectural design services industries.
Within the construction sector, in the second quarter Expected Business Activity Indicator grew three points from Q1 to 58, while the Project Backlog Indicator was 5.6 weeks, 0.8 weeks lower than Q2 2025. The Q1 Recent Business Activity Indicator fell three points from Q4 2025 to 48.
The second quarter Expected Business Activity Indicator dipped one point from Q1 to 60 within the architectural and design sectors. The Project Backlog Indicator was 4.0 weeks at the beginning of Q2, a 1.7-week decrease from the year-ago period. The Recent Business Activity Indicator declined six points to 48 in Q1 compared to the prior quarter.
The Houzz Renovation Barometer results are determined by an online quarterly survey of U.S. architects and designers with a Houzz account. Scores over 50 indicate that a greater proportion of firms reported quarter-over-quarter increases than those reporting decreases. See Construction Barometer and Architectural and Design Barometer