How to Land More $40K+ Remodeling Jobs in 2027

A homeowner calls about a cracked tile in her shower. You could replace the tile, collect a few hundred dollars, and be gone by lunch. Or you could find out why it cracked.

That second choice is where a lot of bigger projects start. The remodeling market won’t grow much on its own in 2027: Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies projects homeowner remodeling spending will stay nearly flat through mid-2027, with annual growth slowing to 0.5%. But large projects haven’t gone anywhere. In Houzz’s 2026 survey of its users, 31% of renovating homeowners took on projects of $50,000 or more. Winning more of that work comes down to what happens once you’re in the door.

Dominique Gabriel of Designs by D&J grew her business from bedrooms and small bathrooms to full-gut renovations. Here’s how she started turning everyday jobs into larger, higher-value projects.

Treat every job as your portfolio, whatever the size

Contractors don’t have a showroom, Gabriel points out. Their finished work lives in homes around town. “And so you want that to be your museum,” she says. “So do it well. Make sure that whatever it is and whatever the job size is, you’re executing it well, because that is what is going to be your ultimate multiplier.”

That’s why her advice for contractors chasing bigger projects starts with the ones they already have. “Don’t focus on the project size. That’s less important,” she says. “Focus on the projects that are being presented to you right now.”

She has two main tips for making the most of them: “One, make sure they’re profitable, you’re able to hit your target margins. Two, make sure you’re executing flawlessly, because that is a direct representation of your work.”

Your move: Check every small job you bid this month against your target margin, and photograph each finished project like it’s going in your portfolio.

Turn small calls into complete projects by digging deeper

Many large projects begin as small service calls. Gabriel’s team treats each one as a chance to diagnose the real problem. “A client may call because they have a cracked tile or a leak and think it’s an isolated repair,” she says. “But once we investigate, there may be an underlying issue with the substrate, waterproofing, or surrounding wet area. Sometimes repairing only the visible damage doesn’t address the actual problem.”

From there, the job is education. “They may think they need one thing and then you’re able to educate them and tell them, ‘Hey, this is actually what’s happening and this is what you need to do,’” Gabriel says. “So you don’t have to call another company a few months from now to do the same thing again.”

Homeowners often expand a project once they understand it. Among Houzz users who went over budget in 2025, 35% chose more expensive materials than planned and 31% changed the project’s scope or design. Recommend more work only when the problem is real, and explain why. That honesty builds trust, and it’s what makes the bigger scope an easy yes.

Win the consultation by showing homeowners what they’re buying

Gabriel doesn’t credit any particular lead source for her larger projects. “A lead source alone isn’t necessarily going to get you larger projects,” she says. “What has made the biggest difference for us is demonstrating our expertise and the experience we provide once we’re in front of the client.”

That starts with listening. “When you’re in front of a client and can clearly articulate what they’re asking for—and demonstrate that you understand the project—that goes a long way toward earning their trust and ultimately winning the work,” she says.

Big projects also carry a problem small ones don’t: the homeowner can’t see what they’re buying. “When you go to a store, you’re buying a shirt, you see it, you’re paying for it,” Gabriel says. “Whereas with construction, you want this kitchen, but you don’t know exactly what the kitchen’s going to look like.” Visual tools like 3D renderings let homeowners see the finished space before they commit.

What to do: For your next bid over $25,000, show the homeowner a rendering, a mood board, or photos of a similar finished job before you present the price.

Build the design around the budget from the first conversation

Large projects fall apart when the design outruns the budget, and overruns are common: 37% of the renovating homeowners in Houzz’s survey went over budget in 2025. “Design, scope, and budget have to move together,” Gabriel says. “It’s counterproductive to design something that falls outside of what the client is prepared to invest. That’s why clear budget conversations upfront are so important—they allow you to develop a design and scope that are actually aligned with the client’s goals.”

Plenty of homeowners are planning for larger numbers. One in five homeowners who bought during the low-rate years plan to spend $50,000 or more on improvements in the next year, according to Acorn Finance’s Stay-and-Renovate report. When the right scope lands above what a homeowner planned to pay upfront, offering financing through Acorn Finance lets them compare loan offers and see the project as a manageable monthly payment.

Stay useful through long decisions

Large projects take time to decide on. Houzz users who renovated kitchens in 2025 spent an average of 9.5 months planning before construction started.

James Charles, CEO of E-Impact Marketing, says email can make a real difference during that long stretch for large-ticket work. “There’s going to be a ton of questions. And if you can be the company that answers those questions, even some of them before they’re asked, you’re providing the most helpful information,” he says. A few useful emails raise your odds of closing compared with a contractor who took the call, sent a quote, and made one follow-up call.

Your move: List the five questions homeowners ask most during your estimates, and turn each one into a short follow-up email to send after the quote.

Decide which projects you want to be known for

Most contractors start by taking whatever comes in. “When you’re first starting, you’re often taking every opportunity: a bedroom, a small bathroom, whatever helps you build your portfolio and experience,” Gabriel says. “Over time, each successful project gives you the experience and confidence to take on increasingly complex work.”

At some point, taking every job that comes in gives way to choosing the ones you want. “Growth is iterative,” Gabriel says. “Eventually you reach an inflection point where you have to decide what types of projects you’re best positioned to serve.” Her firm now focuses increasingly on full-gut renovations and larger, more complex projects.

Make the shift gradually. In NAHB’s second-quarter 2026 Remodeling Market Index, remodelers rated the market for large projects ($50,000 or more) at 64, below moderate projects (73) and small projects (74), though all three stayed positive. Smaller jobs can keep your schedule full while each one builds toward the work you want. “Referrals are a byproduct of the experience you deliver,” Gabriel says. “The quality of the work and the experience become the referral engine.”

Your $40K+ job action plan

This week: Review your last five jobs. Note which hit your target margin and which led to follow-up work or referrals.

This month: On every small call, look for the underlying cause and explain the options. Start the budget conversation in the first meeting.

This quarter: Add a visual step to bids over $25,000, set up a short educational follow-up sequence, and decide which project types you want more of.

The bottom line

In a flat market, more $40K+ jobs come from doing more with the work already in front of you: executing well, finding the real problem, and helping homeowners see and afford the right scope. Do that consistently, and your next $40,000 project may start with a cracked tile.

Bigger projects mean bigger decisions. Make them easier. Acorn Finance lets your customers compare loan offers in minutes, turning a $40,000 remodel into a monthly payment of about $644. Offer financing through Acorn Finance.