Pros account for nearly half of Home Depot’s dollar sales and nearly a third of Lowe’s, yet most market data blends both segments into a single number. Datavations’ proprietary propensity index separates the two — and the results challenge assumptions. Power tools, widely considered a pro category, actually falls on the DIY side of neutral. Bathtubs and showers skew heavily pro. And within a single category like rotary hammers, one brand’s products can index 30% higher for pro affinity than another’s based on features alone.
Why the Pro Segment Matters More Now
Nearly 70% of professional contractors make purchases at retail, with 70% of that spending flowing through the home improvement channel. The reasons are assortment, convenience, and confidence that product will be in stock. And the opportunity is expanding — the median U.S. home is now 40 years old, up from 34 just a decade ago. These aging homes require renovations beyond the typical DIYer. Both retailers are investing accordingly: Home Depot with pro distribution centers in 17 markets, Lowe’s with same-day delivery partnerships.
The Propensity Index: What It Actually Measures
Datavations’ propensity index is a weighted score built from multiple inputs including purchase timing, pricing patterns, and bulk purchase behavior, with weights that vary by category. A score above 60 indicates heavy pro affinity. Below 40 is heavy DIY. The middle range captures categories drawing from both segments.
Heavy pro departments include building materials, exterior doors, ventilation, siding, and molding. Heavy DIY departments include lawn and garden, seasonal products, and many consumables. But department-level scores mask significant variation at the category and SKU level — which is where the actionable insights live.
Power Tools: Not as Pro as You Think
Power tools fall on the DIY side of neutral, in the same propensity range as fasteners, ladders, and door hardware. But within power tools, the spread is wide. Concrete saws, rotary hammers, and portable band saws index heavily pro. Electric screwdrivers, scroll saws, and mouse sanders index heavily DIY. The pattern: highly specialized, heavy-duty tools skew pro while smaller, more versatile tools skew DIY.
Rotary hammers illustrate how deep this goes. Bosch and Milwaukee dominate the pro end with 10 of 13 heavy-pro items. The DIY end is two Ryobi, one Craftsman, and one Cobalt. The separating feature is SDS Max drill bit compatibility — 12 of 13 pro items have it. Corded products also skew pro because rotary hammers require sustained high energy that drains batteries. Pro revenue share in rotary hammers grew 7% year-over-year, signaling the specialized end is expanding faster.
Roofing and Bathtubs: Two Flavors of Pro
Roofing is heavily pro, but not uniformly. Vent pipe flashing, roof underlayments, and shingles rank highest — categories requiring technical installation. Panel accessories, plastic roof panels, and metal roofing lean more DIY. Within roof shingles, GAF and Owens Corning offer diversified assortments across the pro-DIY spectrum, while CertainTeed concentrates in neutral range with fewer, more commoditized items. Architectural shingles — designed to mimic cedar shake or slate — index at 62 for pro affinity and make up roughly one-third of shingle items.
Bathtubs and showers skew even more heavily pro than roofing, but pro affinity varies by retailer within the same brand — Sterling and Delta both index higher at Home Depot than at Menards. Standalone soaking tubs are the exception, leaning DIY. Price and installation complexity drive propensity more than material, since most items are acrylic regardless of designation.
The Regional Dimension
Pro and DIY purchasing patterns shift by geography and season. In concrete categories, Midwest pros spike during the offseason as weather changes and DIY homeowners step back. In lawn care, pros drive purchases in the offseason while DIYers dominate spring and summer. In epoxy adhesives, 47% of pro revenue comes from the West alone, while DIY revenue distributes more evenly across all regions — a distribution gap that represents untapped pro opportunity in other markets.
A single national assortment strategy leaves money on the shelf. The right pro-DIY mix varies by store cluster and season, not just category.
Datavations tracks every SKU, every store, every sale across 11,936+ locations daily — including the pro and DIY segmentation that most data sources miss entirely.
What percentage of Home Depot sales come from pro customers?
Pros account for nearly half of Home Depot’s dollar sales and nearly a third of Lowe’s, despite being a small percentage of total shoppers. Both retailers are investing heavily in pro distribution, loyalty programs, and jobsite delivery to capture more of this high-value segment.
Which power tool categories are most pro-focused?
Concrete saws, rotary hammers, portable band saws, chop saws, and palm nailers index highest for pro affinity. The common thread is specialization — these are heavy-duty tools designed for specific professional applications rather than general home use.
How do pro purchasing patterns differ by region?
Pro purchasing concentration varies significantly by geography. In epoxy adhesives, 47% of pro revenue comes from the West, while DIY distributes evenly. In concrete, Midwest pros spike during the offseason. These patterns mean national assortment strategies miss regional opportunities.
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