Home Service Demand Accelerates in Q1 2026 as New Work Growth Outpaces Prior Year Across Every Major Segment

Jobber's latest Home Service Economic Report finds resilient consumer spending, aging housing stock, and deferred maintenance continue driving momentum across the Home Service economy

TORONTO, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Jobber, the leading provider of software for blue collar businesses, today released its Home Service Economic Report: 2026 Q1, offering a real-time look at the trends shaping one of the most resilient segments of the small business economy.

Drawing on proprietary data aggregated from more than 100,000 home and commercial service businesses and 400,000+ professionals across landscaping, cleaning, contracting, and construction, along with third-party economic indicators, the report shows the Home Service category gaining momentum through the first quarter of 2026. Despite rising inflation and weakening consumer confidence late in the quarter, homeowners continued to invest in their properties, as elevated mortgage rates and limited housing inventory kept many people in place.

Across all four major Home Service segments, January began cautiously, then stabilized in February and accelerated in March as homeowners increasingly moved forward with seasonal and deferred projects. As long-term demand continues building, businesses that invest in operational capacity, customer relationships, and service quality will be best positioned to capitalize on the opportunity.

"What stands out in this quarter's data is the growing confidence across the skilled trades," said Sam Pillar, CEO and co-founder of Jobber. "We're seeing more people start businesses, more workers pursue careers in the trades, and more homeowners prioritize long-term upkeep of their properties. Those trends point to a category that continues to strengthen and modernize over time."

Key insights from the report include:

• New work scheduled in March outpaced 2025 performance across Green, Cleaning, Contracting, and Construction.
• New business formation activity and trade school enrollment continued rising in Q1 2026, reinforcing long-term momentum across the skilled trades.
• Inflation accelerated to 3.3% year-over-year in March while consumer sentiment weakened, yet elevated home equity levels continued supporting home-related spending.
• Mortgage rates above 6% and constrained housing inventory continued driving demand for home maintenance and improvement projects.
• Green and Cleaning businesses benefited from larger invoices and improved demand, while Contracting and Construction rebounded through stronger job volume later in the quarter.
• Digital payments accounted for more than 51% of all Jobber-processed transactions during Q1 2026, up 7% year-over-year as digital payment expectations continue to rise.

Conditions improved throughout Q1 2026, with new work growth accelerating more sharply than the prior year across every major Home Service segment.

• Green: Lawn care, landscaping, and outdoor service businesses delivered the strongest performance of any segment during Q1, with double-digit median revenue growth in most months and a 7% increase in new work scheduled in March.
   
• Cleaning: Residential and commercial cleaning businesses delivered consistent growth throughout the quarter, supported by recurring demand and improving bookings later in Q1.
   
• Contracting: Electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and other skilled trades rebounded sharply in March after a slower start to the year, with new work scheduled rising 8% year-over-year and revenue growing 10%.
   
• Construction: Residential and commercial construction businesses faced softer conditions early in the quarter before recovering in March, when both revenue and new work scheduled increased 7% year-over-year.

"Our outlook in Q4 2025 projected steady improvement in 2026, and Q1 largely delivered," said Abheek Dhawan, Chief Strategy Officer at Jobber. "Consumer caution, housing lock-in, and sustained demand for repairs and maintenance continued driving momentum across Home Service. The biggest shift was inflation, which accelerated again in March and introduced new uncertainty. Even so, the long-term fundamentals remain strong, with aging housing stock and deferred maintenance continuing to support demand across the category."

To read or listen to a summary of the Jobber Home Service Economic Report: 2026 Q1, visit: https://getjobber.com/home-service-reports/may-2026/

About Jobber
Jobber is the award-winning platform that puts blue collar first. Built for service pros, Jobber streamlines and automates operations so crews can run more efficiently, increase profitability, and scale with confidence. More than 100,000 businesses and 400,000 service pros in over 50 industries—including landscaping, plumbing, cleaning, and contracting—use Jobber to serve over 34 million properties in more than 70 countries. Jobber continually ranks as one of Canada's fastest-growing and most innovative companies by The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, and Deloitte. For more information visit: jobber.com.

Media contacts

Travis Van Horn
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Elana Ziluk
Senior Public Relations Manager, Jobber
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SOURCE Jobber