A whimsical house standing on its corner, appearing to balance on a twisted bent pole anchored to the ground. It's surrounded by neatly landscaped lawns and flanked by other traditional houses under a sunny sky.

An illustration of a house tilted at an angle, with its foundation lifted from the ground. A tree stump and severed power lines are visible nearby. The sky is clear, and neighboring houses are seen in the background surrounded by trees.

The Drill Down

Home Improvement news, improved.

Welcome to The Drill Down, a fast, fun, monthly summary of home improvement news with our marketing POV.

FRESH READ

A group of modern construction workers and suited figures row a wooden boat through icy waters, carrying blueprints and tools—navigating a choppy economy. The Tyvek sail hints at challenges within the housing ecosystem, all in a historical painting style.

In this Drill Down: How housing heroes navigate our choppy economy

Remodelers, builders, insurers, and owners all face their own headwinds. The good news? Each segment is finding ways to survive, and eventually thrive...

by The Drill Down Team on March 25, 2026

RECENT DRILL DOWNS

An illustrated man in work clothes and a tool belt uses a shovel to break up the "Tariffs" section of a 3D pie chart, symbolizing tariff relief among Labor, Materials, Design Fees, and Permits, all within a bustling workshop setting.

In this Drill Down: Tariff relief, wildfire anxiety, and AI’s role in… ethics?

by The Drill Down Team

For better or worse, the home & building industry has never been more intertwined with the news of the day.

A robot wearing an orange safety vest and hard hat carries building materials on its shoulder at a construction site, assisting to build houses while another figure works in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

In this Drill Down: Our fearless Hot-Not Forecast for 2026

by The Drill Down Team

In a sea of change, information is your lifeboat. The Drill Down kicks off ‘26 by tracking what’s trending in the home & building world.

Santa Claus wearing a construction helmet and safety vest flies a sleigh filled with good tidings and construction tools, pulled by reindeer, soaring through a cloudy sky.

We bring good tidings and coal for all who have it coming

by The Drill Down Team

Like any industry, home improvement and construction has its share of sinners and saints. This month, we offer a shortlist of each.

A construction worker in a hard hat faces a house, surrounded by many red hard hats on the ground, symbolizing action and reaction at a busy work site filled with vehicles and equipment.

Sometimes an action can have an opposite and not-completely-equal reaction

by The Drill Down Team

Government actions, technological breakthroughs, market forces — and the human cost they each extract.

A person in overalls and a cap stands in tall grass, holding a red toolbox and a drill, looking toward factories emitting large plumes of smoke, with an American flag on their back—symbolizing lifestyle changes and people on the move.

There are some things only makers can do

by The Drill Down Team

When warfare, climate change and government policy create need, this industry fills the void.

A worker in a hard hat watches as a drone lifts a large stack of lumber labeled "OpenAI" at a moving wooden house construction site, with mountains and dramatic clouds setting the scene for this industry moment.

Everybody’s on the move but not in the way you think

by The Drill Down Team

If people aren’t moving to new homes, the home improvement and building industry can come to them.

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The Drill Down is a fast, fun, monthly summary of home improvement news with our marketing POV.

HOW WE IMPROVE

We are committed to diversification. Jopwell is our guide. As a leader in diversity and inclusion in the workforce, Jopwell represents and advances careers for Black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals.

FRESH READ

In this Drill Down: How housing heroes navigate our choppy economy

RECENT DRILL DOWNS

In this Drill Down: Tariff relief, wildfire anxiety, and AI’s role in… ethics?

In this Drill Down: Our fearless Hot-Not Forecast for 2026

We bring good tidings and coal for all who have it coming

Sometimes an action can have an opposite and not-completely-equal reaction

There are some things only makers can do

Everybody’s on the move but not in the way you think

HOW WE IMPROVE

Questions? Thoughts?

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