What marketing works for remodeling contractors?
Remodeling is a slow, expensive decision, so the marketing has to last as long as the decision does. That means two jobs:
- Catch the homeowners who are ready now with Google search ads and a strong Google Business Profile.
- Stay in front of everyone still deciding with retargeting, streaming TV, social ads and email, for months.
Most remodelers only do the first. That works for repairs. It doesn't work for a five-figure kitchen, where the homeowner may visit your site in January and sign with someone in September. For the wider picture of channels and costs, see what a full marketing setup includes for a small business.
How long do homeowners take to decide?
Longer than most contractors plan for. The 2026 Houzz & Home Study, a survey of more than 20,000 US homeowners, found:
| Project | Average planning time | Average build time |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | 9.5 months | 5.8 months |
| Closet | 6.6 months | 4.3 months |
| Home office | 6.1 months | 3.4 months |
Planning takes longer than building. The same study found the median renovation spend was $20,000 in 2025, and 91% of renovating homeowners hired a professional.
It's a big market, too: Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies projects US homeowners will spend about $522 billion on improvements and repairs in 2026.
So the contractor who's still in front of the homeowner in month eight has a real advantage over the one they found in month one and forgot.
Step 1: Be found when they're ready to talk
- Search ads for project terms with intent: "kitchen remodel contractor near me", "bathroom remodeling [your town]", "basement finishing cost". Split them by project, because a kitchen and a bathroom are worth very different amounts.
- Google Business Profile with real project photos, updated often, and steady reviews. Remodel buyers read reviews closely. See why your reviews do more of the selling than your ads.
- A page for each main project type that shows finished work, a rough timeline and how a consultation works.
Step 2: Give them a reason to raise their hand early
Most people planning a remodel aren't ready to book a consultation. Give them something smaller to say yes to:
- A kitchen or bath planning guide they can download.
- A cost guide for your area with honest ranges.
- A design ideas email series from real projects you've done.
Each one turns an anonymous visitor into someone you can follow up with by email.
Step 3: Stay in front of them for months
This is where most remodelers lose jobs they never knew they were in the running for.
Retargeting. Show your finished projects, reviews and a consultation offer to people who visited your site, for 60 to 180 days. Change the ads every few weeks so they don't go stale.
Streaming TV. Ads on streaming services, targeted to the ZIP codes or radius you serve, build your name with homeowners long before they search. It works best with a budget that can run steadily for a few months. Our guide to what streaming TV advertising costs has the numbers.
Social ads. Before-and-after photos and short project videos on Facebook and Instagram, shown to homeowners in your area.
Email follow-up. A simple monthly email (a finished project, a planning tip, a seasonal note) keeps you in mind for every guide download and past quote. It's the cheapest channel you'll run. See why email still pays.
Step 4: Measure booked consultations, not clicks
Clicks are cheap to count and easy to misread. For a remodeler, the numbers that matter are:
| Measure | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Booked consultations | The first real sign of a project |
| Signed projects | What actually pays |
| Cost per signed project | Total marketing spend ÷ signed projects |
| Lead source, first and last | Which channel found them, and which one closed them |
Two things make this work:
- Record the first source of every lead, not just the last. A homeowner who first saw you on streaming TV and later searched your name should credit both. Otherwise, slow awareness channels look worthless and get cut.
- Review on a longer cycle. A remodel lead can take three to nine months to sign. Judge awareness channels on a quarter or two, not a week.
A simple monthly budget shape
Every business is different, but a common starting shape for a remodeler looks like this:
- 40–50% on search ads and Local Services Ads, to catch people ready to talk.
- 25–35% on retargeting and social ads, to stay in front of visitors.
- The rest on streaming TV in your best ZIP codes, once search and retargeting are running well.
- Email costs very little, so run it from day one.
Our free one-page marketing plan template has a box to write this split down and a date to review it.
Where Deep Thought fits
Deep Thought runs marketing for remodeling contractors and other trades, all in one place: search, retargeting, social, streaming TV and reporting on booked consultations, planned and managed by our team at a fraction of what an agency charges. Want a starting plan? Our free digital media plan builder suggests channels and a budget split in a few minutes.
Sources
- Houzz, 2026 US Houzz & Home Study, as reported by Woodworking Network: planning and build times, median spend, share hiring professionals.
- Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity, as reported by Pro Remodeler: homeowner improvement spending projected at $522 billion in 2026.
What is the best way to market a remodeling company?
Combine search ads for homeowners ready to talk now with retargeting, streaming TV, social ads and email to stay in front of the much larger group still planning. Back it with a strong Google Business Profile, real project photos and reviews, and judge it on booked consultations and signed projects.
How long does it take a homeowner to choose a remodeling contractor?
Often months. The 2026 Houzz & Home Study found homeowners spend about 9.5 months planning a kitchen remodel and about 6 months on a home office. Your marketing needs to stay in front of them for that whole time, not just the day they first search.
Is retargeting worth it for remodelers?
Usually, yes. Most visitors to a remodeler's website aren't ready to book on their first visit. Retargeting shows them your project photos, reviews and offers for weeks or months afterward, for a fraction of what it cost to get them to the site.
Should remodeling contractors advertise on streaming TV?
It can work well for remodelers with a large enough budget, because it builds name recognition with homeowners in a chosen area long before they search. Target by ZIP code or radius, show real finished projects, and measure whether branded searches and consultation requests rise in those areas.
What should remodelers measure instead of clicks?
Booked consultations, signed projects and cost per signed project. Clicks and leads are early signals, but remodel leads vary hugely in quality and take months to close, so track each lead to the job it becomes.