Houzz, a platform for home remodeling and design, released the Q4 2019 Houzz Renovation Barometer, which tracks residential renovation market expectations, project backlogs and recent activity among businesses in the construction sector, and the architectural and design services sector, in the United States. The Barometer points to strong expectations for home renovation market activity in the fourth quarter of the year.

“It is promising that expectations in the construction sector bounced back up from some of the lowest that we’ve seen last quarter. The architectural and design sector outlook also remains strong despite a mild quarter-over-quarter dip,” said Nino Sitchinava, Houzz principal economist. “That said, project backlogs in both sectors remain significantly below year-over-year levels, indicating that the renovation activity in the last three months was not strong enough to offset the lackluster first half of the year. Businesses report that labor shortages, a shortened renovation season and continued weather disruptions, in addition to rising product costs and economic uncertainty, are contributing to project delays and a shift toward smaller projects.”