The Midwest and the Great Lakes of Home Improvement

Some people have used the dubious Midwest moniker to describe everything west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Rocky Mountains. This application makes sense if you're divvying up the country into its four major regions: Midwest, Northeast, South, and West. For the home improvement industry, it makes more sense to tie the region down to the Great Lakes states (Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio) and the surrounding areas of western Pennsylvania and upstate New York. ServiceMagic—industry leader for online resources connecting homeowners to home improvement contractor—tracks home improvement demand by geographic location and reveals how the following projects tend to epitomize home improvement for this region.

Basement Remodels
Likely no other major home improvement speaks to the Midwest more than basement remodels. With relatively stable soil, a cold climate that requires deeper foundations, and a culture that loves both basement storage and finished basements, no other area of the country can match the popularity of basement remodeling like the Midwest. While basement remodels are elevated in virtually every Midwest city, the leader of the pack may come as a mild surprise to many—Milwaukee. In 2008, there was 1 basement remodeling request for every 7,880 Milwaukee residents, more than double the national pace of 1 request for every 16,902 people.

It's worth noting that the popularity of basement remodeling doesn't translate into—and, in fact, runs against—the resale value of the project. Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report shows that while the national average for the added property value for a basement remodel is 72.9 percent, in the Midwest a typical basement remodel recoups only 59.1 percent of its cost. Along with depressed home values across the Midwest and especially in cities like Cleveland and Detroit, values are pushed higher in other areas where a finished basement is a rare and coveted commodity.

The Cost of Basement Waterproofing in the Midwest
Another small, but telling, factor for this lower resale value is the higher cost of basement remodeling (Midwest Average: $64,008, National Average: $61,011, according to Remodeling Magazine) associated with waterproofing. In fact, the correlation between foundation or basement waterproofing is substantially stronger than basement remodeling itself. With 1 request for every 9,553 residents, Chicago more than triples the national average, with most Midwest cities at least doubling this pace. Indeed, any area of the home susceptible to damage from moisture is likely to see at least slightly elevated maintenance and repair work in the Midwest, especially along the Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley. In the moisture-rich area just east of the Great Lakes, Rochester, NY sees 1 request for mold removal for every 9,039 residents, nearly double the national rate of 1 request for every 16,708 people.

Big and Small Projects for Garages
The industrial Midwest is closely tied to both steel and the automaking industry, so it only makes sense for there to be a strong cultural value for garages—whether it's shelter for the family car or a remodel to accommodate extra living space. In fact, few specific garage projects—additions, remodel, doors, openers, and organizers—reveal eye-catching numbers, but most garage projects for most Midwest cities tend to skew above the national average to the tune of 25-50 percent. Of particular note is garage door repair in Detroit, where 1 request for every 5,670 residents nearly triples the national average. Garage additions in Chicago are still relevant but more reflective for garage projects in the Midwest: In the Windy City, there was 1 request for a new garage for every 8,698 residents with the national average at 1 request for every 13,208 people.

Winters and Storms
Naturally, nearly everything that has to do with snow including roof and gutter repair is elevated along the Great Lakes with some cities tripling and quadrupling the rate of requests for residential snow removal. What is worth noting, however, is the possibility of getting snowed-in and losing power for extended periods of time. Thus, home generators are also a popular item along the Great Lakes. Buffalo with 1 request for generator installation for every 62,677 residents doubles the national rate.

Occupational Luxury
Not every "luxurious" home improvement is about luxury or indulgence. In Detroit, the nation's epicenter for manufacturing and construction jobs, the body fatigue of these demanding jobs creates an elevated demand for the therapeutic effect of hot tubs. With lower rates for almost every other "luxury" home improvement, including major projects like kitchen and bathroom remodeling, Motown, nevertheless, saw 1 request for hot tub installation in 2008 for every 70,941 residents, a solid 24 percent higher than the national average and a higher rate than other Midwest cities.

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