Houzz Stat: Where does your market stack up?

“Backlog” refers to the delay or wait time an average firm faces before starting a new midsize project due to its current project commitments.

Wait times to hire a professional vary greatly by location. Right now general contractors and remodelers and design-build firms are most backed up in the Boston metro area, at 13.9 weeks, with greater Seattle and Portland, Oregon, not far behind. Wait times for these renovation professionals are shortest in the Houston area, averaging 2.9 weeks. (Note: research predates Hurricane Harvey devastation in Houston.)

Firms in the West have the longest backlog, according to the Houzz Renovation Barometer Backlog Index. Design-build companies in the western United States report the biggest backlog among all the industry groups in the nation, an average of 8.3 weeks.