When it comes to home improvement retailers in the United States, Home Depot and Lowe’s are the two dominant players. Both stores offer a wide selection of products for DIYers, professional contractors, and everyone in between. But how exactly do these two home improvement giants compare?
In this detailed guide, we‘ll examine Home Depot vs Lowe‘s across various categories including prices, products, services, stores, and more. By the end, you‘ll have all the information you need to decide which retailer is best for your next home project.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Market Share
As of 2021, Home Depot holds the leading market share in the home improvement retail sector at approximately 15%, compared to Lowe‘s at around 10%. While these percentages may seem low, it‘s important to note that the home improvement industry overall is highly fragmented.
Despite their relatively small market shares, Home Depot and Lowe‘s are far and away the two most recognized and highest-grossing brands in home improvement retail. In 2021, Home Depot saw total sales of over $151 billion globally, compared to $96 billion for Lowe‘s. This was enough to rank Home Depot #9 and Lowe‘s #34 on the Fortune 500 list of America‘s largest public companies.
While Home Depot maintains a clear lead over its rival, competition between the two chains remains fierce as Lowe‘s continues working to gain ground.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Number of Stores
Home Depot currently operates 2,316 retail locations across North America compared to Lowe’s 2,200 stores. Both retailers have locations in every U.S. state as well as all 10 Canadian provinces.
Home Depot has a presence in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The state with the most Home Depot stores is California with 284 locations, while Texas has the most Lowe’s stores at 244.
The typical store size is quite similar between the two chains, with the average Home Depot at approximately 104,000 square feet compared to 112,000 square feet for Lowe’s. In terms of layout and overall appearance, most Home Depot and Lowe’s locations feature long aisles of tall shelving units as well as exterior lumber and building materials storage.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Prices
When it comes to everyday prices and discounts, Home Depot and Lowe’s remain extremely competitive with one another. Both retailers offer frequent sales, coupons, and even price match guarantees to attract budget-conscious shoppers.
In general, Home Depot tends to have lower regular prices on many common home improvement products. For example, a recent spot check showed 2x4x8 pine lumber priced at $4.25 per board at Home Depot vs $4.98 at Lowe’s. However, Lowe‘s will match a competitor‘s verified price, so you can always ask for a price match if you find an identical item cheaper elsewhere.
For major appliances like refrigerators, washers, and gas ranges, the two retailers are typically within $50 of each other on most models. Home Depot may offer lower prices on particular brands they carry exclusively like LG, while Lowe’s will have the advantage on other brands like Whirlpool.
The bottom line is both stores offer very competitive pricing, so smart shoppers can save money by comparing deals across retailers.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Product Selection
Both Home Depot and Lowe‘s offer an absolutely massive product selection with around 40,000 to 50,000 unique items carried per store location. However, there are some key differences when it comes to the product mixes at each retailer.
Appliances: For major home appliances, Lowe‘s is generally regarded as having the stronger overall selection. Lowe’s showrooms tend to feature more premium and innovative appliance brands that appeal to high-end shoppers.
Tools: Home Depot has the edge when it comes to tools, with a particular emphasis on pro-grade power tools for contractors. Brand exclusives like Ridgid, Ryobi, and Milwaukee give Home Depot a leg up.
Building Materials: Home Depot stores dedicate more floor space to lumber, hardware, and other construction materials. Contractors often prefer Home Depot for the depth of inventory on building supplies.
Decor: Style-conscious shoppers may gravitate towards Lowe‘s for the retailer‘s focus on interior design. Lowe‘s devotes more space to decor like flooring, lighting fixtures, and kitchen/bath fixtures.
Exclusive Brands: Both retailers have their own exclusive in-house brands unavailable elsewhere. At Home Depot these include Hampton Bay (lighting/decor), Husky (tools), and Glacier Bay (plumbing). Lowe’s key brands include Allen + Roth (home decor), Project Source (hardware), and Kobalt (tools).
While both stores carry everything needed for home projects, your product needs may make one retailer a better fit than the other.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: In-Home Services
To supplement their DIY offerings, Home Depot and Lowe’s both provide an array of professional installation services using third party certified technicians. While the specific services offered differ somewhat, common options include:
- Flooring installation
- Cabinet installation
- Countertop installation
- Window installation
- Garage door installation
- Fence/deck installation
- HVAC system installation
- Appliance delivery & setup
- Smart home device installation
Lowe’s has a particular focus on kitchen, bath, and interior renovation services while Home Depot places more emphasis on exterior services. Home Depot also partners with Handy.com to offer additional services like TV mounting, furniture assembly, interior painting, and more.
The major advantage of using Home Depot or Lowe’s for installations is that all independent contractors have been vetted and background checked. Both retailers also offer project financing options including 12 months same as cash financing on bigger jobs.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Customer Service
Providing helpful customer service is crucial for any retailer, especially in a complex category like home improvement. Both Home Depot and Lowe’s aim to set themselves apart through service, but customer satisfaction scores show mixed results.
According to the ACSI customer satisfaction index for 2021, Home Depot scored an 80 out of 100 which beats Lowe’s score of 76. Home Depot was also ranked significantly higher for customer satisfaction in surveys conducted by Consumer Reports and JD Power.
However, other reviews sites like Trustpilot show closer scores between the two. Home Depot holds a TrustScore of 3.6 out of 5 based on over 140,000 reviews, while Lowe’s has a 3.5 TrustScore from over 47,000 reviews.
When it comes to in-store customer assistance, larger Home Depot locations tend to have more sales associates and product experts on hand in each department. For DIY advice, Home Depot’s how-to content and YouTube videos are generally considered more helpful than Lowe’s resources.
For customer service by phone, online chat, or social media, experiences will vary based on individual interactions. Ultimately, visiting both retailers yourself is the best way to assess the customer service quality.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s Return Policy
Home Depot and Lowe’s have similarly generous return policies on most products:
- Return window: 90 days from purchase for most items
- Condition of returns: Items must be in original condition with packaging and accessories
- Return destination: Returns can be made at any location, not just original purchase store
- Receipt required: Yes, for refunds to original payment method
- No receipt returns: Store credit issued with valid ID
The one key difference is that Lowe’s places a 30-day limit on returns for certain products including special order and clearance items. Home Depot does not exclude any categories from the 90 day policy.
Overall, both retailers aim to make returns as easy as possible for shoppers. You can even start a return by mail by contacting customer service if you are unable to visit a store.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Pet Policy
When tackling those home projects, many DIYers want to shop with their furry companions by their side. So which retailer is more pet-friendly?
Home Depot has no official nationwide policy on pets, but most locations welcome leashed, well-behaved dogs. Rules vary locally depending on the store manager‘s discretion.
Lowe‘s states on their website that leashed pets are welcome in all stores. The retailer actively advertises their pet-friendly policy to attract shoppers who want to browse with dogs.
If bringing your pet, be sure to check with each individual store first just to confirm. But in general, Lowe‘s deserves the reputation as being a bit more welcoming for shopping with dogs.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Delivery
Purchasing large, heavy items like appliances or furniture requires reliable delivery service. Home Depot and Lowe’s both provide delivery on major purchases, typically for free on orders above a minimum threshold:
- Home Depot: Free standard delivery on orders $396+
- Lowe‘s: Free standard delivery on orders $396+
Thresholds for specialty delivery of oversized items may differ. Delivery timeframes range from 1-7 business days for most areas.
Both retailers offer basic installation services included with delivery on appliances, water heaters, garage door openers, and other complex products. Optional add-on installation services like ductwork, electrical, or gas line modifications are available for added fees.
Lowe‘s seems to have an edge when it comes to responsiveness and timeliness for delivery based on customer feedback. But experiences can vary regionally with either company.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Online Shopping
For today‘s consumers, a quality ecommerce experience is a must, and Home Depot and Lowe’s aim to deliver. Both home improvement giants operate user-friendly websites and mobile apps.
Key online shopping features include:
- Smooth, functional website and app interfaces
- Fully browsable product catalogs with detailed info
- Inventory lookups by zip code
- Online ordering with in-store, curbside or home delivery
- Order tracking system
- DIY guides and video content
In my experience testing the respective online platforms, Home Depot usually provides the smoother overall user experience. The Home Depot app makes locating items, checking inventory, and placing orders extremely simple.
Lowe‘s website and app function fine for basic product research and buying. But in some cases, the navigation and menus feel more cluttered compared to Home Depot‘s streamlined approach.
For locating the required supplies and completing orders, I give a slight edge to Home Depot’s digital properties over Lowe’s. But both retailers continue enhancing their ecommerce capabilities to meet customer expectations.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Buy Online Pickup In-Store
Clicking a few buttons online to order products for fast store pickup is highly convenient for today‘s time-crunched shoppers.
Home Depot‘s "Buy Online Pickup In Store" service really excels due to the smooth integration with their mobile app. After placing an order, you simply check-in on the app when arriving at the store. An associate brings your items directly to your vehicle within minutes in most cases.
Lowe‘s offers a similar "PickUp In Store" service. However, the process of notifying the store of your arrival is not quite as slick. Rather than check-in through the Lowe‘s app, you need to call the store upon parking to have an associate bring your order.
This extra step Lowe‘s shoppers have to take is a minor annoyance compared to the seamless curbside experience offered by Home Depot.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Employees and Culture
With hundreds of thousands of retail associates between them, employee satisfaction will vary individually across Home Depot and Lowe’s locations. However, companywide indicators give a sense of how the two retailers compare:
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On Glassdoor, Home Depot earns a 3.8 overall company rating based on over 15,000 employee reviews, compared to 3.4 for Lowe‘s based on over 9,000 reviews.
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62% of Home Depot employees would recommend the company to a friend vs. 49% at Lowe’s, according to Glassdoor.
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Salaries for comparable positions tend to be slightly higher at Home Depot vs. Lowe’s based on crowdsourced pay data.
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Home Depot offers employee benefits including a 401k matching program, employee stock purchasing plan, tuition reimbursement, and medical/dental coverage.
While a large retail environment is inherently challenging, Home Depot deserves credit for fostering a better culture and work experience than Lowe’s based on feedback. This may contribute to more knowledgeable and engaged employees in Home Depot stores.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Credit Cards
Project financing and rewards are two good reasons to consider the proprietary credit cards from these retailers.
Home Depot Consumer Card
- No annual fee
- Special financing offers (No interest for 6-24 months)
- 5% off select purchases through cardmember offers
- APR: 17.99% variable
Lowe‘s Advantage Card
- No annual fee
- Special financing offers
- 5% off everyday eligible purchases
- APR: 26.99% variable
The 5% everyday discount you get with the Lowe‘s card makes it the better option if you‘ll be a frequent shopper. But the Home Depot card‘s lower variable APR gives it an advantage for revolving credit lines.
Overall purchasing flexibility will be maximized by having both retailers‘ credit cards in your wallet. Just be sure to pay balances off each month.
Home Depot vs Lowe‘s: Which is Better Overall?
So when all factors are considered, which home improvement giant emerges as the winner?
The truth is that Home Depot and Lowe’s each have strengths and weaknesses compared to the other. Home Depot offers lower prices, superior online/mobile capabilities, and better brand exclusives like Ryobi tools. But Lowe’s counters with a broader appliance selection, more interior design focus, and better pet policies.
My recommendation is to evaluate each retailer on a category-by-category basis and take advantage of the best deals available. Some product types will be cheaper at Home Depot, while other departments like appliances favor Lowe’s. With price matching guarantees, you can get the lowest price regardless of which retailer you visit.
Here are a few key advantages of each home improvement retailer:
Home Depot Pros
- Lower prices on lumber, building materials, and tools
- Broader selection of pro-grade tools
- Smoother online/mobile ordering experience
- More convenient in-store pickup process
- Slightly better customer service reputation
Lowe’s Pros
- Greater variety of appliances and home electronics
- More styles and exclusive brands for interior design/decor
- Welcomes pets in all stores
- Slightly cheaper tool/equipment rentals
- Offers volume pricing for pros
For most homeowners tackling DIY projects, visiting both big box stores is the best move. Compare products and prices across retailers and you’ll have the best chance at maximizing savings.
Once you get a feel for each retailer‘s strengths, you may find yourself naturally gravitating to Home Depot for certain purchase types and Lowe’s for others. Leveraging the unique advantages of both is the smartest approach.
