After languishing for several years, the U.S. remodeling industry appears to be pulling out of its downturn and a renewal of the nation’s housing stock is underway, according to a report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies.

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry named 152 regional CotY (Contractor of the Year) winners from the 2013 competition, of which 19 are NARI members.

A recent trial of a handyman from Portland, Maine, who allegedly bilked more than a dozen customers out of thousands of dollars with shoddy or unreliable work has renewed concern about the state’s lack of regulation of general contractors.

The Wyoming House of Representatives voted down a proposed bill that would have forced roofers to fully disclose who they are and where they come from to help consumers research them.

Residential remodeling will slowly but steadily improve in 2013, according to experts at a press conference hosted by the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers on Jan. 22 at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas.

New Jersey has issued licenses to more than 1,200 home-improvement contractors since Nov. 1 in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, which damaged about 10 percent of the houses in the state.

Our PRIME Advisory Panel includes some of the remodeling industry’s top companies. This month’s question to our PRIME experts is, “When did you last review your employee handbook?”

Examining the good, the bad, and the ugly

In addition to making a new kitchen function properly, cabinets anchor the overall massing, the color and the style that it communicates

17 industry leaders share their secrets on the challenges and opportunities they expect to face in 2013. Also, they reveal how they are positioning their business for growth.