As homeowners continue investing in mid-to-large exterior projects, these projects are frequently completed alongside other exterior work rather than in isolation, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) 2025 Project Decision Study. That bundling behavior by consumers creates meaningful cross-category opportunities for retailers, particularly with exterior paint, trim and adjacent exterior façade upgrades.
Homeowners taking on foundation and waterproofing, porch and balcony and siding projects are most likely to also overlap those projects with exterior paint and stain projects, opening up new audiences for paint and decorating retailers to tap into.
Contractor-Led, Experience Driven
Exterior paint and stain projects skew heavily contractor-led, similar to roofing and siding. Homeowners in the study cite work quality and ease and convenience as primary reasons for hiring professionals. In addition, homeowners typically solicit two to three bids and often select the middle-priced option, a signal that value positioning matters more than lowest price. For retailers, this reinforces the importance of strong pro relationships. Contractors are not only executing projects, they are influencing functional product decisions. At the same time, homeowners remain highly involved in design and material choices, particularly when selecting style, color and visible finishes.
Maintenance and Aesthetics Drive Demand
Exterior paint and stain projects are primarily maintenance-driven and completed to improve aesthetics and style and increase a home’s value. In the 2025 Project Decision Study, HIRI asked how outcomes of the project compared to the homeowners’ initial expectations. Across exterior categories, outcomes met or exceeded expectations, with strong satisfaction ratings for quality and execution. With contractor performance closely mirroring strong overall outcome satisfaction. Most exterior projects began on schedule, with delays relatively uncommon where a sufficient sample allows assessment, according to study.
A Distinct Customer Profile
Home improvement customers with larger homes skew more heavily toward windows, decks and paint projects, indicating overlap between aesthetic reinvestment and envelope performance upgrades. For independent paint and decorating retailers, this convergence is a strategic opening. The homeowner taking on exterior projects like replacing windows is often simultaneously re-evaluating exterior color, trim and overall façade cohesion and can be a core audience to capture to expand customer counts. According to the HIRI 2025 Project Decision Study, exterior project decisions concentrate in late spring, peaking in May and generally declining the remainder of the year, giving retailers windows in which to promote exterior paint and stain projects.
