CertainTeed launches U.S. Industry Trend Report at the 2024 International Builders’ Show

The comprehensive report covers home construction priorities for both consumers and professionals.

Today, CertainTeed, a leading North American manufacturer of light and sustainable interior and exterior building solutions, launched its U.S. Industry Trend Report at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, Nevada (February 27 - 29, 2024).

To inform its findings, CertainTeed partnered with industry-leading market research firm Ipsos to survey industry professionals and homeowners across the country on home construction priorities from the inside, out. Leading voices from the building industry were also consulted, including TV host and licensed contractor Josh Temple; Joe Christensen, founder and owner of Cardinal Crest; Tyler Grace, owner of TRG Home Concepts; and members of CertainTeed’s executive leadership. The result: A comprehensive look into data surrounding home building and renovation trends from building for extreme weather, investing in curb appeal, increasing the return on investment, sustainability and more.

The report is comprised of data generated from a survey completed by 702 U.S. adults ages 25 and older – 201 of which are professionals including residential builders and contractors, and 501 are prospective home buyers and homeowners who have made home renovations in the past 5 years and/or intend to do so in the next 1-2 years.

"We’re so pleased to be able to share our 2024 U.S. Industry Trend Report, which offers consumers and professionals direct access to valuable insights that are shaping the home building and renovation industry today,” said Mark Rayfield, CEO, CertainTeed LLC and Saint-Gobain North America. “At CertainTeed, we are on the cutting edge of transforming how the industry builds by focusing on offering dependable, sustainable and innovative solutions. By better understanding the priorities and needs of our customers, we will increasingly be able to deliver products that outperform expectations over time.”

The CertainTeed U.S. Industry Trend Report provides a comprehensive look into upcoming trends in home building and renovation. The key trends and findings according to the report include:

Building for extreme weather

• The shift in extreme weather is real. Most surveyed homeowners (70%) and professionals (86%) have noticed a change in the past two years — an unsettling reality, as fewer than half (48%) of these consumers who have noticed weather changes are very confident in their home's ability to endure extreme weather.
• While priorities vary regionally, when selecting building materials with extreme weather in mind, durability is top of mind for both consumers (58%) and professionals (58%).

Building for wellness where it matters most

Healthy homes start with how we build — from drywall, insulations and siding — these solutions work together to become a barrier between people and the environment. Now more than ever, it must stand up to tremendous environmental pressures.

• Of those surveyed, nearly 6 out of 10 residential builders and contractors and nearly half of consumers agree that their home contributes to their health and well-being.
• Additionally, consumers view products using non-toxic materials as a priority when renovating or building their home’s exterior at 40%, along with 46% of professionals.

Behind the renovation – Priorities from the inside, out

• When it comes to top priorities when renovating, 72% of professionals and 67% of consumers surveyed agreed roofing tops the list, followed by insulation and siding, as well as products that are durable and built to last.
• Notably, Millennials surveyed are far more likely to prioritize factors others do not, such as increased comfort, ease of installation and sustainability of manufactured materials.

Prioritizing upgrades for a stronger ROI

• Surveyed consumers and trade professionals agree that building insulation, roofing, and siding have the greatest perceived return on investment. In fact, the home updates that are top of mind for consumers when it comes to increasing the ROI of their home are roofing (34%), solar roofing systems (21%), building insulation (20%), siding (14%) and exterior trim (10%).

The art of curb appeal

• With only 38% of homeowners surveyed reporting they are "very satisfied" with the current curb appeal of their home, many will prioritize upgrades to fall in love again with their existing homes.
• When it comes to the exterior color palette of their homes, consumers in our survey are loving light gray (30%), hues Inspired by nature (27%), warm hues/the return of brown (23%), neutrals on neutrals (22%) and more color options.
• Millennials in this survey are more drawn to Modern Farmhouse style, while Gen X and Boomers favor the Classic Traditional style.

Embracing sustainability — For today and tomorrow

• Millennial respondents are a driving force for a sustainable future. They are more likely to view sustainability factors as high priorities compared to older respondents, such as products that are made with materials that are responsibly sourced (44% of Millennials compared to 28% of Gen X and 19% of Boomers).
• When considering a brand of building materials, 54% of professionals and 40% of consumers agree sustainability is an important quality.
• Sustainability has influence over purchase decisions for residential builders and contractors, with 49% preferring to buy from companies that sell sustainable products.

The future is solar

Integrating solar power into our homes is essential in the movement toward clean, renewable energy usage. Energy cost savings is the top perceived benefit according to consumers in our survey, however, the top barriers to solar roofing include concerns of system durability in extreme weather, up-front costs and maintenance/cleaning requirements.

• While those surveyed identify similar benefits and barriers, 47% of residential builders and contractors are very likely to consider solar roofing systems, compared to only 27% of consumers.
• The data varies regionally as well, with consumers surveyed in the South (37%) and West (30%) more likely to consider solar roofing than those in the Midwest (24%) and Northeast (14%).

To view the full report and its findings, please visit the CertainTeed website here.

About CertainTeed

Through innovative and sustainable building solutions made possible through its comprehensive offering of interior and exterior products, CertainTeed, founded in 1904 and headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, is at the forefront of industry advancements that are making the world a better home. With building science as its foundation, CertainTeed is transforming how the industry builds – making it easier than ever to create high-performance, energy-efficient solutions for where we live, work and play.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world's largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed has more than 6,900 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The group had total sales of approximately $5.6 billion in 2021. www.certainteed.com.