How do customers shopping for hardware behave, and what kind of projects do they undertake? What are their top product preferences? And, how does the state of the economy affect the hardware industry?
By diving deep into home improvement research, professionals in the hardware industry can learn more about the effectiveness of their current marketing strategies, make better decisions about how to market and sell their products, and ultimately bring increased sales and revenue to their organization.
From the rise of smart technology to the increasing demand for durable lock and gate hardware products, we will explore the key drivers behind the hardware market's growth and predict how it will shape up in the years to come.
The hardware industry has seen steady growth in recent years, both globally and within the United States. Based on data from HIRI’s March 2026 U.S. Home Improvement Products Market Forecast, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for hardware in the home improvement market was 3.9% from 2020 to 2025.The consumer segment of the hardware market saw a modest CAGR of 3.3% from 2020 to 2025, growing to $19.876 billion. The professional segment, on the hand, expanded by 8.9% and was approximately $2.538 billion in 2025.
As of HIRI's March 2026 Size of Market Forecast, the total market for hardware is projected to grow by 2.9% from 2026 to 2030, down slightly from the CAGR of the past couple of years but not by much. The consumer market for hardware in the U.S. is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2026 and about 2.8% from 2026 to 2030, peaking at $22.943 billion. In a notable change from the previous period, the professional market is anticipated to grow 0.6% in 2026 and 2.6% from 2026 to 2030, when the projected value will be $2.881.
This presents a positive outlook for hardware manufacturers and retailers as the demand for these products continues. Hardware manufacturers and retailers should be prepared to compete for shares of the market and capitalize on the growth opportunities that exist by staying on top of burgeoning trends.
Hardware is used widely in the home improvement industry for both interior and exterior projects. As a product category, hardware includes:
Based on the most recent data from HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study for Interior Finish. The most purchased type of interior hardware among homeowners is for doors. Among those who purchased hardware, here is what they are selecting:
For the most purchased types of cabinet hardware, here is what the research shows:
Based on findings in HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study for Exterior Envelope, the types of exterior door hardware being purchased include:
Contractors also frequently purchase hardware for projects. HIRI’s Contractor Product Purchase Incidence Report revealed that for exterior envelopes, 55% of professionals bought hardware. For interior finishing, 37% also purchased interior hardware. Generalists are purchasing at a higher rate than specialists across most categories. The top products purchased in the exterior hardware category include:
The top products purchased in the interior hardware category include:
The future performance of the home improvement hardware market is difficult to predict, as it will be influenced by many factors, including economic conditions, consumer behavior and technological advancements. However, recent research has pointed to a rise in demand in the smart-apartment market, which could expedite the development of connected technology such as smart locks and touch-less hardware.
A majority of customers still prefer the traditional keyed lock, but there is a growing interest in keyless and smart-lock features, as well as biometric options. About 12% of homeowners who purchased door hardware chose smart home devices for a doorknob or lockset. Additionally, about one-fifth of homeowners wanted a dead bolt lock that could be connected to a smart home device, based on HIRI’s most recent Product Purchase Tracking Study.
Hardware manufacturers and retailers should take note of this trend and consider the rising popularity of connected features to meet changing consumer demands.If you are hoping to penetrate the smart-hardware market, it may be best to approach this through a partnership with other smart-home brands who can help integrate your technology into a more full-service platform. The smart-home and smart-apartment industry will be much larger than hardware, and brands that offer a full package with the least technological headache will be the most successful.
Based on HIRI’s Annual U.S. Homeowner Project Activity Tracker for 2025, there is a steady demand for home improvement projects to maintain and update both the interior and exterior of residential living spaces. Homeowners are especially optimistic about doing smaller projects (in the $5k and under range), which can often include tasks like replacing hardware. Staying consistent with previous years, the main reasons driving homeowners to pursue home improvement activity in 2025 included:
Among those who pursued these, and other, projects in their homes, about 12% reported having purchased interior hardware in the past 90 days, and about 20% had purchased exterior hardware. Looking ahead toward the types of home improvements that individuals are planning for the next year, these include:
For those planned projects, about 8% intend to purchase interior hardware and 9% intend to purchase exterior hardware.
HIRI’s 2025 Project Decision Study for mid-to-large project adds further insight, showing that hardware purchases are fairly steady across project type (exterior, interior, yard and systems). For major renovations, however, about 34% of homeowners purchased hardware to complete their project.
Customer behavior varies, and manufacturers and retailers need to understand their customers' attitudes at any given time. In general, the top factors for selecting home improvement products in 2025 included:
Because customers seem to value products that are long-lasting, marketing messaging should focus on a product's ability to save homeowners from routine maintenance. However, many homeowners are also seeking to do hardware replacements on their own, so ease of installation is an important factor, as well.
Based on product purchase rates by both professionals and DIY homeowners, the types of hardware that are most commonly replaced during home renovations are door hardware and cabinet hardware. These include things like locks, knobs, handles and hinges. To a lesser extent, customers are replacing or installing home numbers, kick plates, and mailboxes.
Brand is not heavily weighed as a purchasing consideration, based on data from HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study. For interior hardware, 15% of homeowners factored in brand when purchasing door hardware, and for cabinet hardware, it was 13%. For exterior door hardware, about 19% factored in brand. Where there is a significant shift is for dead bolt locks, with about one-third weighing brand into their purchase selection.
HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study found that among purchasers of hardware products, in-store shopping remains the dominant method, followed by local hardware stores, for the consumer segment. Among homeowners, the most common channels for purchasing hardware for interior projects was:
Among homeowners, the most common channels for purchasing hardware for exterior projects was:
For the professional segment, the suppliers used for exterior envelope hardware include:
The suppliers used most frequently for interior hardware purchases include:
Because of the relative simplicity of hardware replacement, homeowners are more likely to complete this activity DIY, rather than hiring professionals. For interior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are:
For exterior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are:
With many basic hardware installations completed DIY, it’s important to cultivate messaging that resonates directly with homeowners, so they’re motivated to purchase your products for their projects. However, while contractors aren’t generally being hired for hardware replacements, they purchase both interior and exterior hardware products at a greater frequency than DIY customers, using these products regularly for renovations and new construction. For manufacturers and suppliers, that means cultivating strong relationships among both segments.
HIRI works day in and out to provide the most current market forecasts to help industry professionals make informed decisions. Every full report and raw data file listed in this article is accessible to HIRI members.
Need to stay up to date on the market forces impacting the hardware category and other home improvement product segments? Join HIRI as a member for instant access to new research.
In 2025, the consumer segment was valued at approximately $19.876 billion and the professional market was valued at approximately $2.538 billion in 2025. Based on data from the Home Improvement Research Institute’s March 2026 U.S. Home Improvement Products Market Forecast, the total market for hardware is projected to grow by 2.9% from 2026 to 2030. The consumer market for hardware in the U.S. is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2026 and about 2.8% from 2026 to 2030, peaking at $22.943 billion. In a notable change from the previous period, the professional market is anticipated to grow 0.6% in 2026 and 2.6% from 2026 to 2030, when the projected value will be $2.881.
Because of the relative simplicity of hardware replacement, homeowners are more likely to complete this activity DIY, rather than hiring professionals. For interior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are DIY and/or family/friends (74%); both DIY and contractor (11%); and contractor only (15%), based on research from the Home Improvement Research Institute’s Product Purchase Tracking Study. For exterior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are DIY and/or family/friends (71%); both DIY and contractor (11%); and contractor (18%). While contractors aren’t generally being hired for hardware replacements, they purchase both interior and exterior hardware products at a high rate, using these products regularly for renovations and new construction.
Based on product purchase rates by both professionals and DIY homeowners, the types of hardware that are most commonly replaced during home renovations are door hardware and cabinet hardware. These include things like locks, knobs, handles and hinges. To a lesser extent, customers are replacing or installing home numbers, kick plates, and mailboxes. The Home Improvement Research Institute offers both a biennial Contractor Product Purchase Incidence Study and biennial Home Improvement Product Purchase Tracking Study for U.S. homeowners. Both provide detailed insight into the types of hardware products being purchased most frequently by DIYers and professionals. Additionally, HIRI’s Project Decision Study explores the types of home improvement activities homeowners have recently completed or are planning in the near future and gives data about the types of building products purchased for these projects.
Homeowners are motivated to replace the hardware in their homes as part of maintenance and repairs, to increase functionality, and the enhance aesthetics. There is a steady intention among homeowners to pursue improvement projects to maintain and update both the interior and exterior of their residential living spaces, based on the Home Improvement Research Institute’s 2025 U.S. Homeowner Project Activity Tracker. Homeowners are especially optimistic about doing smaller projects (in the $5k and under range), which can often include tasks like replacing hardware.