Where can a home renovation or remodeling project cause less of a headache?
To mark May as National Home Improvement Month, Lawn Love ranked 2023’s Best Cities for Tackling Home Improvements.
We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on three categories. We looked at the average age of homes, access to designers and contractors, and average costs, among 32 total metrics.
Explore our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.
In this article
- City rankings + infographic
- Top 5 close up
- Key insights
- Expert take
- Behind the ranking
- Invest in your landscape
City rankings + infographic
See how each city fared in our ranking:
Top 5 close up
Check out the slideshow below for highlights and lowlights on each of our top five cities.
Builder and Supplier Access: 1
Designer and Engineer Access: 54
Costs and Cost Inflators: 48
Photo credit: Tory Brown | Pexels | Pexels License
Builder and Supplier Access: 2
Designer and Engineer Access: 39
Costs and Cost Inflators: 124
Photo credit: Dave Herring | Unsplash | Unsplash License
Builder and Supplier Access: 6
Designer and Engineer Access: 20
Costs and Cost Inflators: 24
Photo Credit: ALXCHO | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0
Builder and Supplier Access: 41
Designer and Engineer Access: 1
Costs and Cost Inflators: 66
Photo credit: David Jones | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 2.0
Builder and Supplier Access: 8
Designer and Engineer Access: 12
Costs and Cost Inflators: 86
Photo credit: Doug Kerr | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
Key insights
The gist
Plenty of resources are available for Florida homeowners planning home improvement projects, especially for repairs from — or increased resistance against — the annual hurricane season. Ten out of 13 Florida cities place in the top half of our ranking, with three — Miami (No. 1), Orlando (No. 8), and Fort Lauderdale (No. 10) — finishing in the top 10.
Other top states for home improvement include Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. Their cities hammer their way into the better half of our ranking, with high scores across most metrics.
On the flip side, cities across Alabama and New York land in the bottom half. Alabama cities fare poorly across all categories, while cost and access to designers and engineers weighed down most of the Empire State cities.
Standout stats
- Magical makeovers: First place overall goes to Miami, also leading the way in Builder and Supplier Access. Magic City boasts the most construction suppliers, hardware stores, paint stores, and flooring suppliers per square mile. Miami also has the best access to roofing suppliers and roofers.
- Evergreen enhancements: Renovation resources are plentiful for Washington state residents. Vancouver (No. 2) takes second place in Builder and Supplier Access, followed by Spokane (No. 9) and Tacoma (No. 17). For outdoor upgrades, Vancouver also has the highest number of deck and porch contractors.
- Mountain-high costs: Unfortunately, having the best access to supplies and home improvement professionals isn’t cheap. Washington state cities Vancouver (No. 2), Tacoma (No. 17), and Bellevue (No. 27) fall behind with low scores in Costs and Cost Inflators.
- Designer districts: Sunny California cities Ontario (No. 29), Orange (No. 6), Glendale (No. 37), and Garden Grove (No. 51) boast top access to residential landscape architects and designers. On the East Coast, Jersey City, New Jersey (No. 4), has the most residential architects and interior designers per 10,000 households, followed closely by Newark, New Jersey (No. 21).
- Old Dominion dwellings: There are many old homes in historic Virginia cities Alexandria (No. 3) and Richmond (No. 7). Thankfully, these cities take sixth and seventh places, respectively, in Builder and Supplier Access. Richmond and Alexandria each land within the top 20 cities for residential remodeling and home addition contractors per 10,000 homes.
- Building the Buckeye State: Only one Ohio city — Cincinnati (No. 61) — finishes in the top half of our ranking, with the highest Builder and Supplier Access among them. Akron (No. 195), Toledo (No. 197), and Cleveland (No. 198) land in the bottom 10 with low scores across categories. Columbus (No. 122) scores well in Costs, while Dayton (No. 188) ranks decently in Builder and Supplier Access.
- Fixer-upper finances: Home rejuvenation projects are most affordable for residents in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (No. 73), which claims first place in Costs and Cost Inflators, followed by Laredo, Texas (No. 82), and Durham, North Carolina (No. 60). Conversely, the least affordable cities for home improvement are Detroit (No. 200), Cleveland (No. 198), and Rockford, Illinois (No. 199).
- Keystone construction: Two Pennsylvania cities rank opposite each other: Pittsburgh at No. 16 and Philadelphia at No. 179. Pittsburgh impresses at No. 11 in Builder and Supplier Access, with high access to construction suppliers, hardware stores, plumbers, and landscaping contractors. Meanwhile, renovation is costly in Philly, and the city lacks access to residential designers and contractors.
Expert take
We turned to a panel of home improvement experts for some tips and insights. Read their advice below before planning your next project.
- What are the top three questions to ask before committing to a contractor?
- What are three signs a homeowner should consider hiring a professional for their home improvement project?
- What are three of the most common home improvements? Why are they so popular?
- Which home improvements yield the most significant return on investment?
- What is one home improvement project that might cost a homeowner more than it’s worth in the long run?
- What is one less obvious factor to consider when putting together a budget for a renovation project?
- What are three unexpected challenges commonly associated with flipping or restoring an old home?
- What is an easy home improvement project that any homeowner can DIY?
Ask The Experts
What are the top three questions to ask before committing to a contractor?
1. Can you provide references or testimonials and examples or samples of your work?
2. Who will be responsible for obtaining the required building permits? By agreement, the contractor may be willing to pull the permits.
3. Are you licensed and insured?
What are three signs a homeowner should consider hiring a professional for their home improvement project?
The homeowner should consider the overall professionalism and experience of the contractor.
The homeowner should expect the contractor to be completely open and upfront regarding costs, scheduling, etc. Labor and materials costs should be explicit and detailed, and nothing should be left open-ended or subject to interpretation.
The homeowner should establish a clear timeline for the work to be done and how this job fits into the contractor’s schedule of other projects that may be competing for the contractor’s time.
What are three of the most common home improvements? Why are they so popular?
1. Kitchen remodel. Since homeowners spend considerable time in their kitchens, they want them to be both functional and visually appealing.
Not only do homeowners’ needs change over time (for example, seniors may prefer higher countertops and more accessible cabinets), but also homeowners’ tastes and preferences change (different countertop components, cabinet design, faucet design, sink design, etc.). In addition, homeowners’ preferences in appliances may change because of more advanced technology and changes in design, function, and structure.
2. Bathroom remodel. Again, homeowners’ needs and preferences change over time. Seniors may desire or require higher countertops, different tub/shower structures, etc.
Even absent a change in needs, over the years an increase in the number of bathrooms in a home has resulted in changes in homeowner bathroom consumption. It’s no longer “your time’s up, and now it’s my turn.” Bathrooms have been redesigned to make bathroom consumption a more pleasant experience. This is clearly evidenced by the significant increase in the amount of square footage allocated to bathroom space.
It is clear that homeowners today have a preference for separating the shower experience from the tub experience, and have expanded both with garden tubs and more elaborate showers. Bathroom amenities — such as his and her sinks, garden tubs, and combinations of rainfall showers, wall showers, and body sprays — are much more prevalent today.
3. Light fixtures. A simpler and easier (and maybe less expensive than a major remodel) way that a homeowner may update a home is to replace outdated lighting fixtures. Proper lighting can make a room seem larger and better showcase the home.
Which home improvements yield the most significant return on investment?
Bathroom and kitchen remodels or updates are most likely to provide the most significant return on investment. However, care must be taken to not overspend relative to the overall value of the house. For example, spending $80,000 to remodel a kitchen in a $150,000 house is likely not cost-effective.
What is one home improvement project that might cost a homeowner more than it’s worth in the long run?
Windows are critical to a house and can certainly increase both outside and inside appeal, but window costs vary widely. The homeowner should be careful not to overinvest in windows relative to the overall value of the house.
What is one less obvious factor to consider when putting together a budget for a renovation project?
The homeowner should always be aware as a renovation is undertaken that there is always the possibility of unforeseen structural or foundation problems. These can add significant cost to the project.
What are three unexpected challenges commonly associated with flipping or restoring an old home?
1. There is always the possibility of encountering unforeseen structural or foundation problems.
2. Remodeling costs may exceed original estimates due to cost overruns relative to changes in labor and/or materials costs.
3. Market timing or changing market conditions may result in decreased demand and/or increased supply. Both these factors can significantly affect property values and the return to the investor.
What is an easy home improvement project that any homeowner can DIY?
A couple of projects come to mind.
- Flooring. With advances in flooring types and ease of installation (peel and stick, for example) almost anyone that is willing to tackle the project can perform an adequate job. Starting with a solid and prepared subfloor is a must.
- Painting. With a little preparation and careful attention, most people can perform an adequate paint job. However, homeowners should realize that painting can be tedious and time-consuming, so tremendous patience may sometimes be required.
Behind the ranking
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Cities for Tackling Home Improvements. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into three categories: Builder and Supplier Access, Designer and Engineer Access, and Costs and Cost Inflators. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.
For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 200).
Notes:
- The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 200 due to ties.
- “Cost Inflators” include factors likely to increase the price of home improvement projects, such as the size and age of the home as well as natural hazards.
Sources
AreaVibes, BuildZoom, Census Business Builder, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Homes.com, Houzz, Indeed, Investopedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, and Yelp
Invest in your landscape
Don’t stop with rejuvenating the inside of your abode — increasing your outdoor curb appeal can increase the value of your home by up to 12%. Read through our ideas below to help make your outdoor space feel homey.
- Add some mood lighting.
- Cook up a meal on the grill or in an outdoor kitchen.
- Gather round and make smores with an outdoor fireplace or fire pit.
- Add some personality to your patio.
- Make the yard fun for the kids, cats, and dogs.
- Enhance your privacy with some fencing.
- Install a pool.
- Grow a veggie garden.
- Strategically place mosquito-repelling plants around your deck or entertainment area.
Don’t leave out your backyard during your next home makeover. Hire a local Lawn Love pro to give your landscape a facelift.
Media resources
Main Photo Credit: iStock
