Real Estate/News
US remodellers' index holds at 62 in the third quarter, NAHB says - and the builders' trade body names data-centre construction, with immigration enforcement, as what is stretching their labour
The Remodeling Market Index has sat between 59 and 70 for four years; current conditions 70, future indicators 54. NAHB's own line on why jobs take longer is the detail to read.
By Daily Aletheia · Checked against the primary source · 9 October 2026 · 2 min read
The National Association of Home Builders reports that in the third quarter of 2026 its Remodeling Market Index "posted a reading of 62, up one point compared to the previous quarter", and that "The RMI has remained within a narrow band between 59 and 70 for the past four years". On its own scale, "An index number above 50 indicates a higher proportion of respondents view conditions as good rather than poor". NAHB calls remodelling "the standout sector within the housing industry, when compared to its single-family and multifamily counterparts".
The reason the stable number is worth a minute is the paragraph under it. Remodellers "report that economic uncertainty is making some potential customers hesitant to move forward with projects", and, in NAHB's words, "Labor shortages, exacerbated by immigration enforcement and competition from data center construction, are extending the time it takes to complete projects". That is the home-building trade body putting the AI build-out and immigration policy on the same line as the thing slowing kitchen and bathroom jobs. Remodelling, it adds, "is gaining share in the overall construction market, as it is somewhat less sensitive than new construction to the current elevated interest rates", and NAHB expects activity to "remain stable in 2026 and grow slightly in 2027".
The components: the Current Conditions Index "averaged 70, which remained unchanged for the third consecutive quarter" - large projects ($50,000 or more) up two points to 66, moderately-sized ($20,000 to $49,999) down two to 71, small (under $20,000) down one to 73. The Future Indicators Index "averaged 54, up two points from the previous quarter", with backlog at 56 and the rate of leads and inquiries at 53. The index is a survey of remodellers rating the market "good", "fair" or "poor"; the chart above is NAHB's own, seasonally adjusted, from 47 in the first quarter of 2020 to 62 now.