What commission do home improvement salespeople make?

Pro Remodeler put it at 6-12% of the sale in 2018, depending on company, product, lead quality and sales support. Remodelers Advantage puts remodeling work at about 3-6% of sold revenue. Product companies running one-call closes and full remodelers are different businesses, so compare like with like.

Should my first remodeling salesperson be commission only?

Remodelers Advantage says no. It calls commission-only a poor fit for a first hire and recommends base plus commission, saving commission-only for proven closers who find their own leads. That matches what we see: a new rep with no cushion tends to discount to get deals through, and a base buys you a rep who sells at your prices.

When should commission be paid on a remodel?

Tie payouts to the project's payment milestones, Remodelers Advantage advises, so the rep is paid roughly as you get paid.

How do cancels affect a rep's commission?

It depends on the plan. Some pay on net sales after cancels, some hold commission until the cancel window closes, and some pay at signing and claw it back. The FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives buyers 3 business days to cancel most sales made in the home.

Home improvement commission

How home improvement companies pay in-home reps

Window, door, siding, bath, kitchen and basement companies sell in the home, often on a one-call close. The rate gets the attention, but when commission is earned matters as much.

See the plans Commission calculator

Pay models

Six plans, worked through.

Round hypothetical numbers on ordinary-looking jobs. They show how each plan behaves, not what you should pay. Try your own in the commission calculator.

Commission calculator

01
Percent of sale
A rate on the sold price. Pro Remodeler's range is 6-12% of the sale, depending on company, product, lead quality and sales support. Remodelers Advantage puts remodeling work lower, at about 3-6% of sold revenue.
Fits
One-call-close product sales with a published price book.
Watch for
The rate alone says nothing about discounts or cancels.
Two jobs, one rateExample
Window job sold
$9,000
Commission at 9%
$810
Bath conversion sold
$16,000
Commission at 9%
$1,440
Same rate, very different checks. On this plan the ticket does most of the work.
Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.
02
Sliding scale by price
Remodelers Advantage's version pays full rate only at full price and less as the price drops, so a rep can't give away your profit to close.
Fits
Any company that lets reps negotiate at the table.
Watch for
Publish the price book the scale runs on, or the scale is a guessing game.
A bath sold at list, then at a discountExample
Rate at list price
10%
Rate up to 5% off list
8%
Rate more than 5% off list
6%
Sold at list, $16,000
$1,600
Sold 8% off list, $14,720
$883
The rep gave away $1,280 of price and gave up $717 of their own commission doing it.
Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.
03
Base plus commission
A salary plus a lower rate. Remodelers Advantage calls base plus commission the most common and usually the best choice for a first hire. Bath Planet of Metro NY advertised $100k/yr + commission + bonus for an in-home bath design consultant.
Fits
First hires, and design consultants on long remodel sales cycles.
Watch for
Set the base to cover the ramp, not to replace selling.
A design consultant's yearExample
Base salary
$45,000
Sold in the year
$900,000
Commission at 3%
$27,000
Total pay
$72,000
The base covers the slow months; the commission still pays for results.
Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.
04
Draw against commission
An advance repaid out of commission. Remodelers Advantage suggests a draw during the ramp, since a new remodeling salesperson typically makes first sales in 3-6 months. See draw against commission.
Fits
New hires during the ramp.
Watch for
Cap how long the draw runs and how big the balance can grow.
A new rep's first quarter on a recoverable drawExample
Monthly draw
$4,000
Month 1 commission
$1,500
Month 2 commission
$3,000
Balance owed after month 2
$3,500
Month 3 commission
$8,000
Paid in month 3, after repaying
$4,500
On a non-recoverable draw, the $3,500 would have been written off instead.
Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.
05
Training pay, then commission
Groundworks advertised $750/week in training pay for its field inspectors during a mandatory regional class, with company-generated leads afterwards. The idea: pay for the learning, then pay for the selling.
Fits
Basement and foundation companies with company leads and a set inspection process.
Watch for
Put the switch date and the commission plan in the offer letter.
An inspector's startExample
Three weeks of training at $800 a week
$2,400
First month on commission: $50,000 sold at 8%
$4,000
The switch from training pay to commission is a date, written into the offer.
Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.
06
Milestone pay, net of cancels
Remodelers Advantage's advice: tie payouts to the project's payment milestones, so the rep is paid roughly as you get paid. One-call-close sales can also cancel, and the FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives buyers 3 business days on most sales made in the home.
Fits
Remodelers with deposits and progress payments, and one-call companies with cancels.
Watch for
Tell reps exactly which payment triggers which part of their commission.
A kitchen, and a month of window salesExample
Kitchen sold for $40,000, commission at 5%
$2,000
Paid at deposit, after the cancel window
$1,000
Paid at completion
$1,000
Window sales written in the month
$100,000
Cancelled before install
-$12,000
Sales commission is paid on
$88,000
Paying on net sales and on milestones means you never claw back money you already paid.
Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.

Pitfalls

Where home improvement plans go wrong.

Commission-only for a first hire
Remodelers Advantage calls it a poor fit for a first hire: it tends to attract independent reps who may not follow your process and who push underpriced deals to get paid. Its recommendation is base plus commission. Save commission-only for proven closers who generate their own leads.
Full commission on discounted jobs
If the rate doesn't move with the price, a rep can give away your margin to close. A sliding scale that pays full rate only at full price fixes it.
Ignoring cancels and finance rejections
A rep paid on gross sales gets paid for jobs that never install. Pay on net sales, track net sales per lead, and watch each rep's cancel rate.
Underfunding the ramp
First sales typically land in 3-6 months and full productivity in 6-12 months, per Remodelers Advantage. A plan with no base or draw in that stretch loses good hires before they pay off. Be honest about lead volume in the offer too: fewer leads than promised is one of the most common reasons new reps quit.

How to choose

Match the plan to how you sell.

Which home improvement & remodeling commission plan fits which situation
If this is you	Consider	Why
One-call-close products: windows, siding, bath conversions	Percent of sale on net sales, with a sliding scale	Pays for the close, protects price, and ignores jobs that cancel.
Full kitchen and bath remodels with long sales cycles	Base plus commission, paid on milestones	Carries the rep through the cycle and pays as you get paid.
Your first salesperson after the owner	Base, or a draw through the ramp	Remodelers Advantage's advice for a first hire.
Company leads and a set inspection process	Training pay, then commission	Fits basement and foundation companies that train their own inspectors.

Put your own ticket, close rate and lead count into a plan before you write it into an offer.

Open the calculator

Keep reading

All commission structures

FAQ

Questions owners ask about pay plans.

What commission do home improvement salespeople make?
Pro Remodeler put it at 6-12% of the sale in 2018, depending on company, product, lead quality and sales support. Remodelers Advantage puts remodeling work at about 3-6% of sold revenue. Product companies running one-call closes and full remodelers are different businesses, so compare like with like.
Should my first remodeling salesperson be commission only?
Remodelers Advantage says no. It calls commission-only a poor fit for a first hire and recommends base plus commission, saving commission-only for proven closers who find their own leads. That matches what we see: a new rep with no cushion tends to discount to get deals through, and a base buys you a rep who sells at your prices.
When should commission be paid on a remodel?
Tie payouts to the project's payment milestones, Remodelers Advantage advises, so the rep is paid roughly as you get paid.
How do cancels affect a rep's commission?
It depends on the plan. Some pay on net sales after cancels, some hold commission until the cancel window closes, and some pay at signing and claw it back. The FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives buyers 3 business days to cancel most sales made in the home.

Worked examples use round hypothetical numbers. Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

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How home improvement companies pay in-home reps

Six plans, worked through.

Percent of sale

Sliding scale by price

Base plus commission

Draw against commission

Training pay, then commission

Milestone pay, net of cancels

Where home improvement plans go wrong.

Commission-only for a first hire

Full commission on discounted jobs

Ignoring cancels and finance rejections

Underfunding the ramp

Match the plan to how you sell.

Roles, pay data and hiring guides.

Questions owners ask about pay plans.

Plan written. Now put a closer in front of your leads.