As new Trump-era tariffs loom, American homeowners planning renovations may be in for serious sticker shock. From drywall and concrete to cabinets and appliances, the costs of many remodeling essentials are poised to skyrocket—especially materials imported from Mexico, China, and Canada.
Renovation expert Paul Dashevsky, Co-CEO of GreatBuildz.com and MaxableSpace.com, can explain the real-world financial impact of these changes on homeowners, which projects to prioritize before prices rise, how to budget smartly in the current remodeling climate, which home upgrades will be hardest hit—and which remain relatively tariff-proof and more.
Drywall prices will surge due to Mexico supplying over 70% of U.S. stock—with no easy domestic substitute.
Concrete and cement—central to pool builds, driveways, and flatwork—face major hikes from Canadian and Mexican tariffs.
Tariff-resistant projects include painting, tile, landscaping, and most domestic window and door replacements—offering more cost stability.
Imported finishes from China such as flooring, cabinets, countertops, and fixtures could jump as much as 50%.
A $20K set of prefab kitchen cabinets may now cost $30K.
Imported flooring at $10/sf could increase to $15/sf.
Primary kitchen appliance packages may rise from $10K to $15K.
“Many home remodeling projects can expect to be hit with higher costs from the new Trump tariffs,” Dashevsky notes.
“The tariff on aluminum would translate to increase building costs through materials such as aluminum windows, doors, gutters, exterior trim and components in appliances.
This increase on windows could be reasonably minor because things like aluminum windows have substitutes like vinyl windows, etc. Because Mexico supplies over 70% of American drywall, a tariff on this material would translate directly to increased remodeling costs as this material is generally standard practice in todays construction and doesn’t have a simple substitute.
Over 25% of cement and concrete are imported from Canada and Mexico, so a tariff on these products would directly effect the cost of any concrete/flatwork such as walkways, driveways, and any pool construction. Miscellaneous other items largely imported from China are expected to have price increases: plywood, flooring materials, kitchen cabinets, countertops, lighting and plumbing fixtures.
Projects that are mostly tariff proof include: Painting since most paints are manufactured in the U.S.; tile manufactured in the US and places like Spain or Italy; windows and doors largely manufactured in the U.S. and landscaping, which mostly sources materials locally.”
Relative to China tariffs, Dashevsky continues, “It may be too early to tell exactly how the final prices of goods are affected, but the tariff on Chinese imports is likely to make the biggest impact: If imported pre-fab kitchen cabinet materials were previously $20K per house, they could jump to $30K; China imported Flooring material like hardwood that sold for $10/sf could jump to $15/sf; and a set of appliances like the fridge, dishwasher, range and microwave might have cost $10K, but could jump to $15K.”
About the expert
With several decades of experience in the construction and renovation business, Paul Dashevsky is Co-CEO of GreatBuildz.com—a FREE service that matches homeowners with reliable, pre-screened general contractors.
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