Homeowners are choosing fast fixes or full resets, and skipping everything in between
(PRUnderground) February 12th, 2026
The remodeling industry has entered a new phase. According to Contracting Empire, a contractor marketing firm focused on sustainable lead growth, contractors across multiple markets are reporting the same pattern: mid-sized projects have become rare. Instead, homeowners are gravitating toward two extremes.
At one end, they’re requesting small, focused improvements, a tub-to-shower conversion, a single bathroom update, or targeted accessibility work. At the other end, they’re committing to large-scale remodels that reset entire homes, often with budgets exceeding $200,000.
The shift appears structural rather than seasonal.
What Contractors Are Seeing
One contractor seeing this firsthand is Steven Gill, owner of Gill Construction in Texas. He has watched this split take shape over the past year, and his recent project queue reflects the trend clearly.
“We’re either doing something very specific, like converting a bathtub to a walk-in shower, or we’re doing a whole-house remodel,” Gill said. “The projects in the middle just aren’t coming through like they used to.”
One of his largest recent jobs, a $300,000 whole-house renovation in Morgan’s Point, involved gutting an older home to the studs, removing an exterior wall to expand the kitchen and living area, and building around highly personalized client preferences. The homeowners chose soapstone countertops and a large purple island. They knew what they wanted and pursued it without compromise.
On the smaller end, Gill’s team recently completed a bathroom conversion for aging-in-place clients. They removed a jetted garden tub and a cramped shower, then installed a low-profile shower pan with bench seating, grab bars, and a seated faucet setup. The old shower footprint became accessible storage.
Both projects made sense to the homeowners. The decisions in between, partial updates, phased work, and moderate budgets have become less common.
Why the Middle Has Shrunk
Homeowners appear to be making different calculations now. Disruption tolerance plays a role. Remodeling a kitchen while living in the house requires significant adjustment. Gill described the reality plainly.
“You’re doing open heart surgery in the middle of their home,” he said. “Even with dust protection and systems in place, life gets harder for a while.”
If homeowners are going to endure that level of disruption, they increasingly want the result to be transformative. Partial updates don’t justify the upheaval.
At the same time, homeowners who need a specific problem solved, accessibility, safety, and functionality are choosing targeted solutions instead of waiting to bundle those fixes into a larger project. They want the improvement now, not later.
Budget behavior has shifted as well. Homeowners with significant equity in paid-off homes are choosing to invest heavily in remodels rather than move. Others are addressing immediate needs without overcommitting. The broad middle ground, where homeowners might have once upgraded several spaces moderately, has contracted.
What This Means for Contractors
Contractors who can handle both extremes are finding steady work. Gill Construction has responded by expanding its service offerings, including outdoor living projects, while also adopting newer materials that make tub-to-shower conversions more accessible and cost-effective.
“Nobody wants their family having to help them take a shower, or having some stranger help take a shower,” Gill said. “These conversions give people independence.”
For larger projects, the design-build model has become a safeguard. Gill emphasized that once contracts are finalized, pricing remains fixed unless the homeowner changes scope, hidden damage emerges, or code issues arise.
“We’re not going to change the price unless the scope changes,” Gill said. “We’ve seen too many projects where someone took a cheap bid, the work fell apart, and we had to come in and redo everything. Now they’re spending $60,000 on something that could have cost $40,000.”
The Pattern Holds Across Markets
Contracting Empire has observed this split appearing in conversations with remodelers in different regions. The consistency suggests a deeper change in how homeowners approach home improvement spending.
Homeowners who want transformation are willing to invest heavily. Those who need functionality improvements want them solved directly. The middle tier, moderate budgets, incremental upgrades, and partial remodels have become less common.
Contractors who recognize this shift can position their services accordingly. The work is still there. The shape of it has changed.
About Contracting Empire
Contracting Empire is a contractor-specialized marketing company that helps contractors generate consistent leads through SEO, paid advertising, and high-converting website systems. With over 15 years of experience, the team builds integrated marketing strategies designed to help contractors rank on Google, attract better clients, and scale sustainably. Contracting Empire has helped its clients generate over $100M in revenue and thousands of high-quality leads across the U.S.
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Original Press Release.
