How's the home service market doing?
A simple read for owners: demand, competition, costs, labor, customers, and software. Every number comes from public data or our Living Grid.
Last updated Jul 13, 2026 · real numbers from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Census
This is the average rate on a 30-year mortgage.
Lower rates can make moves, remodels, and big home projects easier to justify.
It is down 0.92% to 6.43%, so financing pressure is easing.
30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate
This counts new homes builders have started.
More starts can mean more install work now and future service calls later.
It is down 15.4% to 1,177 thousands of units (SAAR), so new-home demand is slowing.
Housing Starts
This is average hourly pay in construction.
Rising pay means you may need stronger wages, pricing, or productivity to protect margin.
It is up 0.39% to 41.36 $ / hour, so wage pressure is building.
Avg hourly earnings, construction
This tracks diesel fuel prices.
When diesel rises, truck rolls, deliveries, and supplier freight can get more expensive.
It is up 19.9% to 593.72 index, so cost pressure is building.
Diesel fuel
Competition
Who wants the same jobs?
Businesses like yours changed +1.5% over the past year. More shops means a tougher sell. Fewer shops means more room.
This tracks how many businesses are trying to serve the same market.
More businesses can mean more pressure on pricing, reviews, and speed to lead.
It is up 1.5% to 111,207 establishments, so competition is increasing.
Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors
New businesses starting up
New filings show who may join the market next.
This counts new business applications across the country.
More applications can mean more future competitors and subcontractors entering the market.
It is up 3.7% to 523,971 applications, so new-business formation is heating up.
New business applications (all industries)
This counts new construction business applications.
More filings can mean more trade businesses competing for customers soon.
It is up 3.5% to 48,381 applications, so future trade competition is increasing.
New business applications, construction
One-person businesses
Solo shops can still win local jobs.
This counts solo businesses with no employees.
A big solo-operator base can mean lots of small local competitors quoting the same jobs.
It is currently at 2,875,590 solo businesses; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Construction (all)
This counts solo businesses with no employees.
A big solo-operator base can mean lots of small local competitors quoting the same jobs.
It is currently at 1,916,528 solo businesses; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Specialty trade contractors
Demand
Are homeowners spending?
When people build, buy, or fix homes, your phone has a better shot at ringing.
This counts new homes builders have started.
More starts can mean more install work now and future service calls later.
It is down 15.4% to 1,177 thousands of units (SAAR), so new-home demand is slowing.
Housing Starts
This tracks retail sales at building material and garden supply stores.
It is a practical read on homeowners buying supplies for projects.
It is up 0.17% to 41,900 $ millions, so project spending is picking up.
Retail Sales: Building Material & Garden Equipment Dealers
Homes being built, bought, and fixed up
More home activity usually means more work.
This counts building permits for future housing construction.
Permits point to work that may turn into installs, inspections, and service demand later.
It is down 0.91% to 1,410 thousands of units (SAAR), so the future project pipeline is thinning.
Building permits
This counts new homes sold.
New-home sales can create install work and future maintenance relationships.
It is down 7.3% to 580 thousands of units (SAAR), so new-home demand is slowing.
New home sales
This counts existing homes sold.
Home sales often trigger inspections, repairs, upgrades, and move-in projects.
It is up 3.2% to 4,170,000 units (SAAR), so move-related demand is improving.
Existing home sales
This is the median sale price for homes.
Higher home values can support larger repair and upgrade budgets.
It is down 2.2% to $403,200, so home equity support is softening.
Median home sales price
This tracks private residential construction spending.
It shows how much money is flowing into homebuilding and residential projects.
It is up 0.33% to 930,232 $ millions, so residential project spending is rising.
Private residential construction spending
This tracks spending on residential improvements.
More improvement spending usually means more repair, replacement, and remodel work.
It is up 8.1% to 435.38 $ billions, so home improvement demand is strengthening.
Residential improvements spending
This is the share of households that own their home.
Owners are more likely than renters to approve bigger maintenance and upgrade work.
It is down 0.61% to 65.3%, so the owner customer base is shrinking.
Homeownership rate
How much service businesses are earning
A broad read on whether revenue is growing.
This tracks revenue for admin, support, waste, and related service businesses.
It is a broad read on whether service categories near home services are growing.
It is up 1.8% to 355,441 $ millions, so service revenue is growing.
Admin & support / waste mgmt revenue (QSS)
This tracks revenue for administrative and support service businesses.
It helps show whether nearby service categories are expanding or slowing.
It is down 1.4% to 304,585 $ millions, so service revenue is shrinking.
Administrative & support services revenue (QSS)
Pick your trade
Choose a trade to see the numbers we can track.
This tracks the market price for a common job input.
When it rises, your job costs can climb unless pricing and estimates keep up.
It is up 1.2% to 182.6 index, so cost pressure is building.
Producer price index
This tracks how many businesses are trying to serve the same market.
More businesses can mean more pressure on pricing, reviews, and speed to lead.
It is up 1.5% to 111,207 establishments, so competition is increasing.
Business establishments
For building trades, sales are counted every few years. Expenses are not tracked often, so we use supply costs below.
What each trade earns (2022)
The deepest public count of trade revenue.
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 297,609 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
HVAC & Plumbing
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 249,247 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Electrical
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 69,906 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Roofing
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 78,744 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Concrete & foundations
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 115,406 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Landscaping
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 72,611 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Cleaning & janitorial
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 19,896 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Pest control
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 4,157 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Carpet & upholstery cleaning
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 31,314 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Security systems
This is the government census count of yearly revenue for this trade.
It is an older but deeper benchmark for the size of the market you sell into.
It is currently at 65,756 $ millions; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Waste & junk removal
Material costs
What supplies cost now
When materials and fuel rise, jobs cost more to finish.
This tracks softwood lumber prices.
When it rises, your job costs can climb unless pricing and estimates keep up.
It is up 0.55% to 284.43 index, so cost pressure is building.
Softwood lumber
This tracks copper and copper product prices.
When it rises, your job costs can climb unless pricing and estimates keep up.
It is up 2.8% to 533.24 index, so cost pressure is building.
Copper and copper products
This tracks steel mill product prices.
When it rises, your job costs can climb unless pricing and estimates keep up.
It is up 2.1% to 348.53 index, so cost pressure is building.
Steel mill products
This tracks plastic product prices.
When it rises, your job costs can climb unless pricing and estimates keep up.
It is up 1.8% to 283.89 index, so cost pressure is building.
Plastic products
This tracks diesel fuel prices.
When diesel rises, truck rolls, deliveries, and supplier freight can get more expensive.
It is up 19.9% to 593.72 index, so cost pressure is building.
Diesel fuel
This tracks ready-mix concrete prices.
When it rises, your job costs can climb unless pricing and estimates keep up.
It is up 0.32% to 401.33 index, so cost pressure is building.
Ready-mix concrete
This tracks gypsum product prices like drywall materials.
When it rises, your job costs can climb unless pricing and estimates keep up.
It is essentially flat to 480.37 index, so input costs are holding steady.
Gypsum products
Labor
Can you find a crew?
Pay, hiring, and open jobs show how tight the labor market is.
This counts people employed in construction.
A larger workforce can make hiring a little easier, but also signals active demand.
It is up 0.13% to 8,331 thousands of persons, so the labor pool is expanding.
Construction employment
This is average hourly pay in construction.
Rising pay means you may need stronger wages, pricing, or productivity to protect margin.
It is up 0.39% to 41.36 $ / hour, so wage pressure is building.
Avg hourly earnings, construction
This counts open construction jobs.
More openings mean more employers are competing for the same techs and crews.
It is up 12.0% to 298 thousands, so hiring competition is increasing.
Job openings, construction
This tracks the total cost of construction wages and benefits.
It helps show whether crew costs are rising beyond ordinary hourly pay.
It is down 0.05% to 171.77 index, so total labor cost pressure is easing.
Employment Cost Index, construction wages
Customers
Can people afford the work?
Income, home value, and home age shape how often people say yes.
This is the size of the U.S. population.
Population growth slowly expands the pool of homes and customers to serve.
It is up 0.49% to 334,914,896 people, so the customer base is getting stronger.
U.S. population
This is the typical household income.
Higher income usually makes repairs, replacements, and upgrades easier to afford.
It is up 4.0% to $77,719, so the customer base is getting stronger.
Median household income
This is the typical home value.
Higher home values can support larger project budgets and stronger homeowner equity.
It is up 6.0% to $340,200, so the customer base is getting stronger.
Median home value
This is the share of homes occupied by their owner.
Owner-occupants are more likely to approve bigger maintenance and improvement work.
It is currently at 65.2%; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Owner-occupied share
This is the typical age of the housing stock.
Older homes usually need more repair, maintenance, and replacement work.
It is currently at 1,981 year; no recent comparison is available, so treat it as context.
Median year housing built
Money in people's pockets
Healthy wallets make quotes easier to approve.
This tracks real disposable income after taxes and inflation.
More disposable income makes it easier for homeowners to say yes to work.
It is up 0.25% to 17,984 $ billions (chained 2017), so household buying power is improving.
Real disposable personal income
This tracks overall consumer spending.
When spending is strong, customers are usually less hesitant about approving projects.
It is up 0.71% to 22,060 $ billions, so customers are spending more freely.
Personal consumption expenditures
This is the personal saving rate.
Savings give homeowners a cushion for repairs, replacements, and larger projects.
It is essentially flat to 3%, so household cushions are steady.
Personal saving rate
This tracks total consumer credit outstanding.
More debt can support purchases short term, but it can also make customers more cautious.
It is essentially flat to 5,154,539 $ millions, so credit use is steady.
Total consumer credit outstanding
Economy
What affects every quote
Rates, prices, and confidence can turn a yes into a wait.
This is the average rate on a 30-year mortgage.
Lower rates can make moves, remodels, and big home projects easier to justify.
It is down 0.92% to 6.43%, so financing pressure is easing.
30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate
This is the short-term interest rate set by the Federal Reserve.
It influences borrowing costs for customers and for business lines of credit.
It is essentially flat to 3.63%, so borrowing conditions are steady.
Federal Funds Rate
This is the broad inflation gauge for consumer prices.
When inflation climbs, customers feel squeezed and your own costs often rise too.
It is up 0.47% to 333.98 index (1982-84=100), so inflation pressure is building.
Consumer Price Index (All Urban Consumers)
This is the national unemployment rate.
Higher unemployment can soften demand, while lower unemployment can make hiring harder.
It is down 2.3% to 4.2%, so the job market is tightening.
Unemployment Rate
This measures how confident consumers feel about the economy.
Confident homeowners are more likely to approve non-urgent work.
It is down 10.0% to 44.8 index, so customers may be getting more cautious.
Consumer Sentiment Index
Software
Tools that run the phones
We track 66 software companies for home service teams. 35 tools are on the Living Grid this month.
AI front office
1
Field service platform
52
Answering service
6
AI voice platform
7
What changed this month
AnswerForce slipped this month, answerforce pricing baseline (pricing, 2026-06-20).
Housecall Pro slipped this month.
Jobber slipped this month.
WEX FSM slipped this month, wexfsm pricing other (pricing, 2026-07-06).
Read the State of the Category for the full story.
We are on this map. Here is the pitch.
ServiceAgent is the AI front office built for home service teams. It answers every call, books the job, and keeps your records straight.