Industry Research
12 Key Takeaways on AI in Home Design and Construction
The latest Houzz research reveals how pros and homeowners are using AI and where they’re seeing the most value
Artificial intelligence is moving quickly from experimentation to everyday use among construction and design professionals, according to the just-released 2026 U.S. Houzz State of AI in Construction and Design report. Forty-one percent of firms now use AI for business tasks, up 7 percentage points from a year ago, with more than half of those users saving at least three hours a week. Nearly all pros expect AI to transform the industry within the next five years, even as their concerns about the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content have grown.
For the first time, the report also looks at AI use among renovating homeowners and finds that 22% have used AI for their projects, primarily to gather ideas, visualize concepts and compare options. But when it comes to executing those ideas, homeowners continue to rely on professionals, with 80% hiring a pro for their renovation.
Here’s a closer look at how pros and homeowners are using AI, where they’re seeing value and where the technology has room to improve.
For the first time, the report also looks at AI use among renovating homeowners and finds that 22% have used AI for their projects, primarily to gather ideas, visualize concepts and compare options. But when it comes to executing those ideas, homeowners continue to rely on professionals, with 80% hiring a pro for their renovation.
Here’s a closer look at how pros and homeowners are using AI, where they’re seeing value and where the technology has room to improve.
2. Weekly time savings add up to annual gains. Professionals using AI for business tasks are saving meaningful amounts of time. Among AI users, 52% report that they save three or more hours a week, and nearly 1 in 5 (18%) say they save eight or more hours — the equivalent of a full workday each week. That time savings translates to an estimated $134,000 in annual productivity gains per firm, on average.
“Professionals are folding AI into their everyday workflows and seeing significant time and cost savings,” says Alon Cohen, Houzz co-founder and CEO. “We see that impact echoed in Houzz Pro activity, where pros are getting the gains from AI built into the tools they already rely on. For example, estimates are created 60% faster than those created manually, and Houzz AI is used to generate over half of the estimates sent to clients.”
Houzz Pro includes AI-powered features for writing estimates, creating takeoffs, messaging and using visualization tools within its project management and design tools, aiming to support professionals in adopting AI as part of their day-to-day work.
Learn about Houzz Pro AI-powered software
“Professionals are folding AI into their everyday workflows and seeing significant time and cost savings,” says Alon Cohen, Houzz co-founder and CEO. “We see that impact echoed in Houzz Pro activity, where pros are getting the gains from AI built into the tools they already rely on. For example, estimates are created 60% faster than those created manually, and Houzz AI is used to generate over half of the estimates sent to clients.”
Houzz Pro includes AI-powered features for writing estimates, creating takeoffs, messaging and using visualization tools within its project management and design tools, aiming to support professionals in adopting AI as part of their day-to-day work.
Learn about Houzz Pro AI-powered software
3. Worries about reliability and accuracy grow. The more construction and design professionals use AI, the more they expect it to transform their industry. Nearly all pros (97%) believe AI will have some impact on their industry in the next five years. At the same time, concerns about reliability and accuracy are growing, with 37% of pros expressing concern, up from 33% in 2025.
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Construction Firms
4. AI adoption is growing across construction firms. More than half of construction firms (52%) now use AI tools for everyday business tasks, up 20 percentage points from a year ago. An additional 34% are exploring AI solutions, leaving just 14% that aren’t using AI and have no plans to do so.
Among firms that have adopted AI, use is frequent. Four in 5 (80%) use AI daily, 16% use it weekly and just 4% use it rarely.
4. AI adoption is growing across construction firms. More than half of construction firms (52%) now use AI tools for everyday business tasks, up 20 percentage points from a year ago. An additional 34% are exploring AI solutions, leaving just 14% that aren’t using AI and have no plans to do so.
Among firms that have adopted AI, use is frequent. Four in 5 (80%) use AI daily, 16% use it weekly and just 4% use it rarely.
5. AI adoption expands across business functions. Construction firms are using AI across a range of business functions. It is being used for sales and marketing leads (64%), followed by planning and design (61%), project and client management (59%), administrative work (52%) and business operations (45%). Each function grew year over year, with the steepest gains in creative and client-facing work: AI use in sales and marketing nearly doubled, as did use in planning and design.
Within these areas, AI is used most often for formatting and writing (94%), estimates or proposals (87%, up from 80% in 2025), social media content (74%), pre-project visuals (70%, up from 42% in 2025) and contracts or permits (69%, up from 60% in 2025).
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Within these areas, AI is used most often for formatting and writing (94%), estimates or proposals (87%, up from 80% in 2025), social media content (74%), pre-project visuals (70%, up from 42% in 2025) and contracts or permits (69%, up from 60% in 2025).
The Houzz Pro Email Marketing tool lets you create mailing lists from your leads and client contacts in Houzz Pro. It offers email templates, or you can design your own.
See how Houzz Pro can help your business
6. Nearly a third of construction firms save a full workday each week. The returns are substantial. Construction firms using AI save 4.7 hours a week on average, and nearly a third (32%) report saving eight hours or more. Those time savings translate into an estimated $244,000 in annual productivity gains per construction firm, on average. Satisfaction with AI tools has also increased compared with a year ago.
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Design Firms
7. Nearly 2 in 5 designers use AI for business. More than a third of design firms (39%) report using AI for everyday business tasks in 2026, up 8 percentage points from 2025. Nearly a third (31%) are exploring AI solutions, while about the same share (30%) aren’t using AI and have no plans to do so. Among firms that have adopted AI, use is frequent: 53% use AI tools daily, 45% weekly and just 2% rarely.
7. Nearly 2 in 5 designers use AI for business. More than a third of design firms (39%) report using AI for everyday business tasks in 2026, up 8 percentage points from 2025. Nearly a third (31%) are exploring AI solutions, while about the same share (30%) aren’t using AI and have no plans to do so. Among firms that have adopted AI, use is frequent: 53% use AI tools daily, 45% weekly and just 2% rarely.
8. Planning and design are the top AI applications for design firms. Planning and design work has overtaken administrative tasks as the most-used AI application among design firms, doubling to 68%. Administrative work fell to 67%, from 79% in 2025, while sales and marketing declined to 44%, from 59%. Business operations (27%) and project and client management (25%) nearly doubled from last year.
Within those functions, AI use is concentrated on pre-project visuals (82%) and social media content creation (90%). Client communication and creating and tracking tasks (both 82%) are also gaining ground, with task tracking nearly tripling from a year ago. Use dipped for estimates or proposals (53%, down from 70% in 2025) and schedules (41%, down from 50% in 2025).
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Within those functions, AI use is concentrated on pre-project visuals (82%) and social media content creation (90%). Client communication and creating and tracking tasks (both 82%) are also gaining ground, with task tracking nearly tripling from a year ago. Use dipped for estimates or proposals (53%, down from 70% in 2025) and schedules (41%, down from 50% in 2025).
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9. Designers save nearly four hours a week. Design firms using AI report saving 3.6 hours a week on average. Most save between one and three hours (43%) or three to five hours (21%), while roughly a quarter save five hours or more. Notably, 24% of designers say AI saves them more than five hours a week, up from 18% last year. Those time savings translate into an estimated $80,000 in annual productivity gains per design firm, on average.
Satisfaction with AI has also increased, rising to 84% from 70% a year ago, driven almost entirely by designers who previously were undecided. Among firms using stand-alone AI tools, 76% pay for use.
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Satisfaction with AI has also increased, rising to 84% from 70% a year ago, driven almost entirely by designers who previously were undecided. Among firms using stand-alone AI tools, 76% pay for use.
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Homeowners
10. AI adoption varies widely by generation. More than 1 in 5 renovating homeowners (22%) use AI for their projects, while 78% have yet to use it for their home improvement project. Adoption is highest among Millennials (41%), followed by Generation X (27%), Baby Boomers (17%) and Seniors (7%).
AI users move from gathering ideas to breaking ground in about eight months on average, compared with nine months for nonusers. Adoption relies largely on free, general-purpose tools (63%), with the majority using general chatbots (79%). Half of Millennials (50%) use at least one paid tool.
10. AI adoption varies widely by generation. More than 1 in 5 renovating homeowners (22%) use AI for their projects, while 78% have yet to use it for their home improvement project. Adoption is highest among Millennials (41%), followed by Generation X (27%), Baby Boomers (17%) and Seniors (7%).
AI users move from gathering ideas to breaking ground in about eight months on average, compared with nine months for nonusers. Adoption relies largely on free, general-purpose tools (63%), with the majority using general chatbots (79%). Half of Millennials (50%) use at least one paid tool.
11. AI use for homeowners is concentrated in early design stages. Homeowners lean on AI primarily to imagine and design their projects rather than manage their execution. The most common uses are gathering renovation, design or style ideas (64%), creating or visualizing design concepts (58%), comparing layouts, products and finishes (50%) and understanding what is possible for a space (44%).
Once a project moves into budgeting and planning, AI use drops sharply: 24% use it for troubleshooting, 24% for estimating costs, 11% for planning the timeline, 10% for permitting and 6% for understanding contracts.
Once a project moves into budgeting and planning, AI use drops sharply: 24% use it for troubleshooting, 24% for estimating costs, 11% for planning the timeline, 10% for permitting and 6% for understanding contracts.
12. Pros remain valued, and AI can strengthen their role. Four in 5 renovating homeowners (80%) hire a professional for their projects. When pros use AI tools, 76% of homeowners say the technology helps them visualize the project, and 49% say it helps them understand the pro’s ideas. More than a third (35%) say pros who use AI seem better prepared, while 31% see them as more modern.
Among renovating homeowners who don’t use AI themselves, 38% say they prefer professional advice. The findings suggest that AI can complement the expertise homeowners continue to value, rather than replace it.
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Among renovating homeowners who don’t use AI themselves, 38% say they prefer professional advice. The findings suggest that AI can complement the expertise homeowners continue to value, rather than replace it.
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The 2026 U.S. Houzz State of AI in Construction and Design Report is based on two surveys: a survey of 601 U.S. construction and design businesses fielded in June and July 2026, and a companion survey of 3,149 U.S. renovating homeowners fielded in June 2026, both among professionals and homeowners registered on Houzz.
See more results and download the full study
Tell us: How are you using AI tools in your business? Please share in the Comments.
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See more results and download the full study
Tell us: How are you using AI tools in your business? Please share in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Houzz Pro Forum
1. Adoption rates are climbing. Based on a survey of more than 600 U.S. construction and design professionals, the report finds that businesses have moved from curiosity to using AI for everyday business tasks (41%, up 7 percentage points in 2026 from 34% in 2025), with meaningful productivity gains and rising expectations for AI’s impact.
Awareness of AI is growing alongside adoption. This year, 83% of professionals say they’re familiar with AI in general, up sharply from 69% a year ago. Just 7% remain entirely unfamiliar. More professionals are also familiar with AI tools designed specifically for construction and design, with 75% now reporting familiarity, up 16 percentage points from 2025. Together, these shifts suggest AI is becoming a more established part of the industry’s workflow.