The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Friday, in a 6-3 vote, stating that “IEEPA [ International Emergency Economic Powers Act]does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”
“The president asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope,” Justice John Roberts wrote in the ruling. “In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it.”
President Trump called the Court’s ruling “deeply disappointing, adding he was “ashamed of certain members of the court, for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” according to a February 20 Roll Call transcript of his press conference.
Later that day, Trump then announced 10% global tariffs in a Truth Social post; and on Saturday, he increased them to 15%, according to the Associated Press.
For homeowners who have seen kitchen remodels and roofing project costs skyrocket over the past year, the ruling could ease expenses. But given the remaining uncertainty, the timeline for this to occur remains up in the air.
Industry relief or temporary reprieve? The NAHB and contractor response
Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), said in an emailed statement that while the ruling “reins in presidential authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA, President Trump still has wide latitude in setting tariff policy:
“With the nation facing a housing affordability crisis, NAHB urges the president to exempt building materials as part of his tariff strategy because they raise construction costs, impede supply chains, and result in market and business uncertainty that make it difficult for builders to price their homes. NAHB will continue to work with the administration and Congress to remove regulatory obstacles that hinder the construction of new homes and apartments,” Owens said.
“The SCOTUS ruling last week against the Trump tariffs has thrown global trading partners, countries, companies, and the supply chain into a very confused state wondering about what is the current state of tariffs going forward,” Dan Ives, managing director and senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities, said in a Feb. 23 note.
Peter Theran, CEO of the Home Furnishings Association, tells Realtor.com® that the ruling helps restore greater predictability to trade policy, an important step for retailers, suppliers, and homeowners alike.
Theran says that for homeowners planning remodels or purchasing home furnishings, the decision may help ease future cost pressures tied to the invalidated tariffs.
“However, prices may not decline across the board. Products subject to existing Section 232 (including those on steel, aluminum, copper, upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom vanities) and Section 301 tariffs (goods imported from China) remain affected, and those duties are still in effect,” he says.
Meanwhile, Brian Turmail, vice president, public affairs and workforce, Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), says that while the AGC is still reviewing the ruling’s implications, contractors should expect to see some near-term relief on materials costs.
“It is also worth noting that the Supreme Court decision does not impact certain materials-specific tariffs on products like lumber, steel, aluminum, and products containing copper—all of which will remain in place and all of which are major components for most commercial construction projects,” Turmail says.
Several experts also say that whether this will provide relief for the supply chain—and for homeowners who have seen kitchen remodel and roofing project costs skyrocket over the past year—remains to be seen.
Dean Bennett, residential contractor and president of Dean Bennett Design & Construction, says that the ruling means nothing to these homeowners until there is a period of general economic certainty for at least a year.
“The recent history of inconsistency in tariff implementation has fueled economic uncertainty. Uncertainty always leads to higher prices, and this latest removal of tariffs (if that holds) does not remove the economic uncertainty,” he explains.
Bennett adds that another factor is that contractors don’t know what material and tool prices will be, week to week and month to month.
“Given that, they will continue to include a larger buffer in their estimates,” he says.
Deep dive into the dollars: What’s dropping and what’s staying put
It’s important to note that the ruling strikes down the IEEPA tariffs, including the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs. The tariffs were on nearly all imports from China (10%), Mexico (25%), and Canada (35%), according to the Tax Foundation.
The remaining tariffs are the ones under section 232, “national security” levies.
“The Section 232 tariffs affect products including steel, aluminum, autos, and heavy trucks, and they will remain in place,” according to The Tax Foundation.
In turn, the new landscape (as it stands today, at least) could have specific impacts for homeowners wanting to undertake renovations, but the relief might not be immediate.
Andy Gibbs, CEO of RemodX, a home remodeling management system, says that the remodeling industry is entering a period of cautious optimism “dressed in uncertainty,” as costs won’t meaningfully drop for at least six months, labor remains expensive regardless of any court ruling, and contractors are still quoting high.
Gibbs says that for major imported building supplies, such as lumber, cabinets, and major appliances that depend on imported components, there has typically been a minimum 90-120-day lag time for any cost changes to communicate through the supply chain.
“Today, warehouses are full of products imported under the high tariffs, so the “high cost of goods in inventory” will continue to keep prices at current levels until that inventory is replaced with lower-tariff imports,” he says.
In addition, the current tariff changes do not affect metals, so homeowners should not expect to see drops in rebar, HVAC/ducting components, structural steel, aluminum flashing, gutters, or nails, Gibbs says.
“Metal components in a typical roof remodel run 5-7% and for a kitchen 3-6%. So consider those metal-item costs to remain rather fixed,” he adds.
Regarding cabinet prices, Dean says that the removal of tariffs won’t offer immediate relief, as retailers and wholesalers buy goods at least six months in advance.
“The products they are selling still incorporate the tariffed prices. I believe it will take at least six months for consumers to see price changes—if any,” Dean says.
Regarding appliances, Dean says we could see lower prices on those that incorporate chips, boards, and other tech components from Asia.
“But, as with other products (such as cabinets), it will still take several months for consumers to see any changes,” he adds.
The future outlook: Will renovation costs ever actually decline?
The big question now is whether renovation prices will drop to 2023 levels and what homeowners should do.
Mortgage rates are still high—the 30-year mortgage rate stood at 6.01% as of Feb. 19, according to Freddie Mac, which causes a “lock-in effect”: Many owners are hesitant to sell their homes because they don’t want to be burdened by higher rates than the ones they were able to secure a few years back.
An Angi survey found that, because of these high rates, 67% of homeowners prefer renovating their homes rather than moving, and an eye-popping 93% planned home projects in 2025.
Home equity expert Michael Micheletti, chief communications officer at financial tech company Unlock Technologies, says that for most homeowners, there is unlikely to be any immediate relief in remodeling costs, even with recent tariff and court developments.
“Material prices tend to move up quickly, but come down slowly. Contractors are still working through higher-cost inventory, and suppliers are cautious about lowering prices until policy uncertainty settles,” Micheletti says. “From a homeowner’s standpoint, this is not going to be a light-switch moment where prices suddenly drop. It’s not going to happen. Even if some tariffs are rolled back, the supply chain has already priced in risk and volatility. That means remodeling costs will remain elevated in the near term, and any meaningful relief will take time to filter through.”
However, he also notes that over the long term, a more stable trade policy could help ease cost pressure.
“But if you are a homeowner and you need to start work on a remodel or a build, just get started,” Micheletti says.
Maricelle Rivera, a real estate expert and founder of boutique real estate firm Keys to Paradise, echoes the sentiment, noting that there is another factor homeowners should consider.
According to her, if it is not an urgent situation, it is worth waiting three to six months to see if prices stabilize and drop.
“If it is an urgent situation, such as roofing, structural work, or an entire HVAC system, it is not worth waiting,” she says. “One strategy I often suggest is using American-made materials, as prices do not fluctuate as greatly in response to policy changes in the form of tariffs.”