The Remodeling Boom Is Not Temporary: Why Countertop Fabricators Need a Strategic Growth Plan Now
For decades, the American dream often included moving somewhere new. In the 1950s, roughly 20% of Americans moved every year. People chased factory jobs, relocated for opportunity, and often started over in entirely different communities. In my career, I have moved over 10 times for new jobs. This is not the trend today. When we help business owners write or tune up their strategic business plans, we review insights from voice-of-customer research, assess the leadership team and salespeople, review transaction data, and identify market trends. Then we work for often two to two and a half days writing their plan. Countertop Fabricators must write their strategic growth plan to include current market trend data showing that consumer movement is not increasing and that remodel growth is increasing.
By 2019, that number had fallen dramatically to just 11%. That’s a big market trend shift we need to be aware of.
Even more important? Nearly 60% of those moves happened within the same county.
Research shows that residential remodeling spending is normalizing but remains high at over $518 billion, driven by an aging housing stock, “rate-locked” homeowners choosing to renovate rather than move, and climate resilience projects.
The US remodeling market soared above $600 billion in the wake of the pandemic and, despite recent softening, remains 50 percent above pre-pandemic levels. However, industry fragmentation, inflation, and a shortage of skilled trade labor jeopardize the industry’s ability to fully meet demand. According to Think about what that means strategically for home improvement and countertop fabrication companies. We have discussed the importance of customer satisfaction at several fabrication and stone conference workshops, and now the data helps us see why repeat business is critical.
Americans are no longer constantly relocating. They are staying put. They are emotionally and financially investing in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, and communities. Younger generations are even more likely than previous generations to remain rooted in the same local area for life.
That changes everything for the remodeling industry. That changes everything for fabrication shop owners who plan to scale by diversifying their customer portfolio to include remodelers and retail consumer sales.
This is not simply a housing trend. It is a long-term behavioral shift fabricators must understand.
Countertop fabricators who recognize it early can build highly profitable growth strategies around it.
Some countertop fabricators focus on B2B, selling to remodelers, designers, and so on, while others strategically want to scale direct-to-consumer.
The top-producing companies will decide which market segments they want to scale, develop strategic growth plans to support their growth vision, and design their business and activities to support those plans.
I have also read studies predicting the remodel market to decline. Even if it does, remodeling $600 billion in revenue is large, and if that’s where you plan to scale, your strategy will need to shift as new trends emerge. If the remodel market slows down, you will want to adapt your strategy and possibly place greater focus on expanding the number of remodelers, K&B, designers, and so on that you sell to. You may want to develop marketing lead-gen activities that drive consumers through your partners. While your competitors button up the hatches for a market decline and weather the downturn, you will likely invest in systems and project management processes to make your shop the easiest to work with for your targeted customers.
We help shop owners think about their 3-5 year goals and how they plan to achieve them strategically.
The 3-5 year goal for your business, your BHAG, does not change, but the strategy, the how, will need to adapt.
Homeowners Are No Longer Buying Their “Next House”… They Are Upgrading the One They Already Have.
When families stay in the same home longer, several things happen:
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Kitchens get remodeled multiple times
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Outdoor living spaces expand
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Bathrooms become luxury investments
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Aging homes require modernization
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Homeowners prioritize personalization over resale value
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Equity gets reinvested into renovations
For countertop fabricators, this creates a massive opportunity.
Stone surfaces are no longer viewed as luxury upgrades for high-end homes only. Quartz, granite, porcelain, and solid surfaces have become lifestyle investments that are directly tied to how people experience their homes every day.
The fabricators who grow over the next decade will not be the ones who simply cut stone better.
They will be the companies that strategically position themselves around this permanent shift in homeowner behavior.
They will scale profitably, while local competitors wait for new-home interest rates to drop.
Most Fabricators Still Operate Transactionally Not Strategicvally…Let Me Explain
This is the problem.
Many countertop fabrication companies still operate like job shops:
- Wait for builder referrals
- Quote jobs
- Compete on price and timeline
- Rush production often adds overtime expense
- Hope referrals continue
That model worked when demand was easy, and competitors were fewer, say 10 years ago.
One fabricator we have helped has 12 competitors in their local market within 100 miles, and this is not unusual today.
Today, margins are tighter. Customer expectations are higher. Digital competition is everywhere. Labor is harder to find. And homeowners expect an experience, not just an installation.
Companies without a strategic growth plan often end up trapped:
- Revenue plateaus
- Margins erode
- Operations become reactive
- Sales become dependent on a few relationships
- Owners spend their lives firefighting and working 12-14-hour days and weekends
The companies that scale profitably approach the market differently.
Strategic Opportunities Smart Fabricators Should Build Their Growth Plan Around
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Become a Lifestyle Brand, Not Just a Fabricator
Homeowners staying longer in their homes make emotional buying decisions.
That means your marketing cannot sound like everyone else’s.
Your marketing must take an omnichannel approach, and you must be found where your customers go to search and learn.
Top-performing fabricators know what sets them apart, and they use that in their value messaging.
Unfortunately, most fabricators talk about:
- Fast turnaround
- Competitive pricing
- Large inventory
- Quality craftsmanship
To me, that sounds like an old Charlie Brown cartoon..wan, wan, wan.
Customers assume all of that already. Those are table stakes today.
If what you are saying sounds like the other 10 competitors, you are now selling a commodity and winning based on price.
Instead, the fastest-growing and most profitable companies position themselves around outcomes:
- Helping families love their homes longer
- Designing kitchens for entertaining
- Creating low-maintenance luxury
- Increasing functional living space
- Improving everyday life
People are not buying countertops.
They are buying pride, comfort, identity, and lifestyle improvement.
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Build Relationships with Remodeling Ecosystems
If people remodel rather than move, remodelers become strategic partners.
Fabricators should aggressively develop partnerships with:
- Kitchen and bath designers
- Remodeling contractors
- Cabinet companies
- Flooring businesses
- Interior designers
- Realtors specializing in renovation consulting
- Aging-in-place specialists
The future belongs to companies that own local remodeling ecosystems, not isolated vendors competing on price.
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Invest in Showroom Experience
Homeowners investing heavily in long-term homes want confidence and to avoid risks.
Outdated showrooms hurt trust.
Showroom salespeople who have not received training have low close rates and often damage your brand.
The top fabricators who strategically plan to scale the remodel ecosystem are transforming their facilities into consultative design centers where customers can:
- Visualize complete spaces
- Compare finishes interactively
- Understand maintenance differences
- Experience edge profiles and textures
- See full kitchen applications
I just visited a beautiful showroom at Coastal Countertops that was strategically designed so customers can feel what it would be like to remodel their kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, outdoor grill and eating area and even a laundry room. This fabricator strategically planned to scale retail sales and built a plan and showroom to support that plan. Customers who stay in homes longer are willing to spend more when they feel certain about long-term value.
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Target Aging Housing Stock Strategically
Large portions of America’s housing inventory were built decades ago.
Those homes now need:
- Kitchen modernization
- Accessibility upgrades
- Durable low-maintenance materials
- Functional redesigns
Fabricators should map local housing-age data and align marketing with neighborhoods most likely to renovate.
The countertop fabricators who strategically identify remodelers focused on this market and retail customers by the age of their neighborhoods and the likelihood they will want to remodel will scale. Fabrication shops that wait for retail traffic to visit their showrooms will not see the same growth.
This is where strategic planning beats random acts of marketing.
As I discussed at a recent conference, when a fabricator wins a new kitchen and bath in an older neighborhood, give the homeowner a gift card to fund the food and wine at their next party when they show off their home. (We know they will have the party in the next 30-60 days) Have a modest business flier and several cards ready. I promise you that as guests leave, they will be discussing how they keep up with the Joneses.
One past client gave the homeowners a $250 gift certificate to a local caterer and designed a professional placard and business card holder for parties. They took it a step further; they offered a referral bonus to the homeowner who installed the new kitchen for each of their neighbors who also remodeled in the next 3 months. This fabricator has won the entire neighborhood at high profit margins and low cost per lead, while their competitors waited for retail customers to come to them. ( I have a past client who sells high-end decks that does the same strategy)
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Develop Recurring Referral Systems
Many fabricators rely on accidental referrals.
That is dangerous.
If homeowners remain local for decades, customer lifetime value becomes enormous.
One satisfied customer can generate:
- Future remodel phases
- Family referrals
- Neighbor referrals
- Social media exposure
- Realtor recommendations
- Contractor introductions
The companies that scale build systems to capture this:
- Follow-up processes
- Customer review campaigns
- Referral incentives
- Educational content
- Maintenance programs
- Community engagement
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Stop Competing Primarily on Price
When customers plan to stay in a home for 15-30 years, value matters more than cheap pricing.
This is critical.
As I shared in a talk recently: “ Cheap customers are expensive!”
Companies with weak sales processes and untrained sales teams often race to the bottom on price because they fail to communicate long-term value.
Trained Sales teams help customers understand why they are more expensive and how working with their team reduces risk and improves satisfaction by getting it right the first time.
Our professional no-smoke-and-mirrors sales enablement process changes that.
Customers need help understanding:
- Material durability
- Maintenance costs
- Design longevity
- ROI impact
- Functionality advantages
- Installation quality differences
Customers spend over 70% of the buying process researching on their own. They shop the internet, design sites, and trends. They review websites and use AI. The trouble is, they are overwhelmed by information, and much of it is conflicting or wrong. Top-performing fabrication sales teams have been trained in sense-making skills to guide customers to the right products for them, rather than pitching.
Fabricators that educate effectively protect margins dramatically better than those who simply quote square footage.
- Use Voice-of-Customer Research Before Strategic Planning
One of the biggest mistakes fabrication companies make is assuming they know why customers buy from them.
Most leadership teams are wrong.
If they have strategic planning sessions, they are based on gut and intuition rather than current customer insights.
The result is an echo chamber in which business leaders share their views. ( often hope to be true)
They guess:
- “People buy us because of quality.”
- “People buy us because we’re local.”
- “People buy us because we’re fast.”
Actual customer interviews often reveal completely different buying motivations.
Strategic plans built on assumptions fail to deliver the sales and margins growth leaders desire.
The companies scaling successfully conduct voice-of-customer research first, so they understand:
- Why customers truly buy
- Why prospects choose competitors
- What creates trust
- What homeowners fear
- What remodelers value most
- What differentiates them in the market
That insight becomes the foundation for:
- Marketing strategy
- Sales messaging
- Operational improvements
- Pricing strategy
- Hiring decisions
- Growth planning
The Biggest Opportunity Is Local Market Dominance With a Strategic Growth Plan
Since most Americans are staying within the same communities, local reputation becomes exponentially more valuable.
This is no longer about chasing random leads.
It is about becoming the dominant, trusted brand in your regional market.
The winning countertop fabricators of the next decade will:
- Build recognizable local brands
- Create exceptional customer experiences
- Develop strategic partnerships with remodelers, Kitchen and Bath remodelers, Designers …
- Invest in professional sales systems
- Differentiate beyond price
- Execute strategic growth plans consistently
As I shared at a recent industry conference, Most countertop fabricators( 80%) have a desired future revenue number but not a strategic plan. It is time to not be like most shops.