Houzz, the website for home remodeling and design that has begun selling guaranteed high-visibility listing space to pros, announced May 13 it has doubled to nearly 60 the number of construction categories that visitors can use to find a contractor.
The new categories include decks & patios, home media, stone & pavers, cabinetry, ironwork, tile, and fireplaces. (See complete list below.) They join more general existing categories such as general contractors, interior designers, architects, and kitchen & bath designers.
With more than 14 million unique visitors per month, 90% of them homeowners, Houzz has become a significant marketing vehicle for remodelers. Historically, all remodelers needed to do to get noticed was sign up, post photos, and take part in conversations. But in January, Houzz launched a pay-for-play service called Houzz Pro+ in which a pro can pay to reserve itself a guaranteed spot on the first page of results when a site visitor searches for pros in a particular category in any of 325 markets across the United States and Canada.
In a related development, Houzz said that of the roughly 1,000 home builders and remodelers who responded to a recent survey by the site and who qualified as "active" pros (by posting at least five photos of their work), roughly 75% said demand for their services is higher than it was a year ago.
The new categories are:
- Wine Cellars
- Upholstery
- Staircases
- Sport Courts
- Outdoor Play Systems
- Outdoor Audio/Visual
- Lawn & Sprinkler Systems
- Ironwork
- Fencing & Gates
- Driveways & Paving
- Carpenters
- Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures
- Cabinets and Cabinetry
- Garage Doors
- Doors
- Siding & Exterior Contractors
- Kitchen & Bath Remodelers
- Stone, Pavers & Concrete
- Home Builders
- Tree Service
- Rubbish Removal
- Roofing & Gutters
- Electrical Contractors
- Plumbing Contractors
- Solar Energy
- Septic Tanks & Installation
- Heating & Air Conditioning
- Environmental Services & Restoration
