Remodeling Futures

The Remodeling Futures Program of the Joint Center is a comprehensive study of the factors influencing the growth and changing characteristics of housing renovation and repair activity in the United States. The program seeks to produce a better understanding of the home improvement industry and its relationship to the broader residential construction industry.

The Remodeling Futures Program’s steering committee is comprised of executives from leading corporations involved in the housing sector, including homebuilding, building materials manufacturing and distribution, housing finance and mortgage banking, design, construction, and renovation. At semi-annual conferences, committee members review research results and discuss future activities. The Director of the Remodeling Futures Program is Kermit F. Baker. See below for a list of member companies.

The program also releases the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA). The LIRA is designed to estimate national homeowner spending on improvements for the current quarter and subsequent three quarters. The indicator, measured as an annual rate-of-change of its components, provides a short-term outlook of homeowner remodeling activity and is intended to help identify future turning points in the business cycle of the home improvement industry.