Homewood, United States – Sept 11, 2026 – Four times since April, when the National Association of Home Builders published something about the state of American remodeling, the person speaking for the industry has been a contractor from Homewood.
In April, alongside the first-quarter Remodeling Market Index, Elliott Pike described remodelers as still working to manage customers’ cost expectations, while noting that only a small share of homeowners were putting projects on hold over economic and political uncertainty. In May, fronting NAHB’s National Home Remodeling Month campaign, Pike made the case that remodeling companies are less exposed to mortgage rate swings than home building companies, which is why the sector kept growing through a series of Federal Reserve rate increases.
“The first half of the year has been a whirlwind but I’ve been honored to have the opportunity to represent the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers. I’ve presented to professional remodelers from state and local associations across the country, including a presentation last week in Albuquerque!” – Elliott Pike
NAHB also featured Pike in May as the remodeling voice for the Industry Pulse Check, a survey the association described as the biggest learning and listening initiative in its recent history, gathering input ahead of a 100th anniversary. Pike characterized the effort as the largest in the industry to collect insights from members and non-members alike, and reported completing the questionnaire in ten minutes. The survey closed June 15.
In July, with the second-quarter index, Pike named the three headwinds holding the market back: rising costs, political and economic uncertainty, and difficulty obtaining financing at favorable interest rates for larger projects.
Cost runs through all four.
New data on who absorbs it
Late last week gave that theme a number. More than 80 percent of home building companies surveyed by NAHB reported higher material costs in July than a year earlier, at a median increase of 6.7 percent. Sorted by company size, the finding sharpens considerably. Firms starting five homes a year or fewer absorbed a median increase of 9.1 percent. Firms starting more than 100 units absorbed 1.8 percent, below the current inflation rate.
Paul Emrath, NAHB’s vice president for survey and housing policy research, credited the gap to advantages that come with volume: capacity to stockpile ahead of increases, long-standing supplier relationships, and long-term contracts that lock in prices.
Ten years of getting to the chair
The chairmanship did not arrive from nowhere. Pike chaired the Remodelers Council for the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders in 2016, then the same council at the state level for the Home Builders Association of Alabama in 2017. A seat on the NAHB Remodelers Board of Directors followed in 2019, and the presidency of the Greater Birmingham association in 2020.
Four consecutive years on the Alabama executive committee came next, covering affordable housing, public relations, and membership. NAHB named Pike Remodeler of the Month in January 2016 and Remodeler of the Year in 2023. Alabama named the same person Builder of the Year in 2024.
That progression matters to the current job, because a council chair spends the year representing companies at the small end of the scale gradient the August survey just measured.
What the year has looked like in practice
Much of the work has been education rather than advocacy. At the 2026 International Builders’ Show, Pike led a session called “Tools on the Truck: What Tech Are You Using?”, run as an open forum where remodelers compared the software and workflows actually in use for estimating, scheduling, site documentation, and client communication, including which platforms integrate cleanly and which disappoint.
A second session, “Ask Me Anything: How to Get Involved with the NAHB Remodelers Council,” covered how association participation converts into referrals, connections, and leadership access.
Purchasing power cannot be acquired quickly by a small company. Information can.
Where demand is going
The council’s survey also tracks the fastest-moving segment. Among remodelers surveyed, 56 percent perform aging-in-place work, 73 percent report increased requests over five years, and 96 percent said most or some clients already know the term. Pike holds the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation from NAHB, along with Certified Graduate Remodeler and Master Remodeler credentials.
The local case is straightforward. The typical American home aged from 31 years in 2006 to 41 years in 2023, and much of Homewood predates that median by decades, including the Hollywood district, listed on the National Register in 2002 for Mission Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival houses of the 1920s and 1930s.
Registration for the 2027 International Builders’ Show opens September 1, with the show running February 2 through 4 in Las Vegas.
About ELM Construction
ELM Construction LLC is a design/build remodeling company based in Homewood, Alabama, serving Homewood, Hoover, and the Birmingham metro area. Founded in 2008 by Elliott Pike, the company is licensed by the State of Alabama as a Residential Home Builder and Remodeler, license number 21942.
Contact ELM Construction online.
Media ContactCompany Name: ELM Construction LLCContact Person: Elliott PikeEmail: Send EmailPhone: 205-273-2773Address:219 Oxmoor Cir., Suite #129, Homewood, AL 35209 City: HomewoodCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://elmbuilds.com
