Custom Builder Weekly - Oct 7th, 2026

Power and energy management in 2027 | Cold plunge momentum cools | Pied-a-terre tax in NYC

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The story I'm watching most closely this week is California's move toward banning the cutting and installation of quartz countertops. Concern over silica dust, which has been linked to lung disease among fabrication workers, is driving the push. The rule hasn't been adopted yet, but if you specify quartz in California, I'd keep an eye on it. More in Signals, below. Elsewhere, we have Ottawa certified Passive House consultant Paul Kealey's piece on what 20 years of passive building have taught him (and now you). We also have new Houzz data on bathroom spending and a look at why some Palisades families are choosing custom over a faster rebuild. See you next week.

—Pauline Hammerbeck

Signals: What We're Tracking

Power and energy management will continue to move upstream in 2027, according to NAHB's top five tech trends for housing. Homes are drawing more power as owners add EV chargers and battery storage, and 2024 brought the most hours of power outages in a decade. NAHB's top five tech trends for housing in 2027.

A judge ordered New York City to cancel 17,000 second-home tax notices and start over after the Mamdani administration reportedly sent about a third in error. About 6,000 such notices went to owners of primary residences, which aren't subject to the tax. Read the latest on the pied-a-terre tax saga.

Heard!

"Other states will likely follow Cal/OSHA’s lead and ban fabrication and installation of artificial stone products."

—David Michaels, a George Washington University professor and former US OSHA assistant secretary, on a proposed Cal/OSHA rule that would ban cutting and installing quartz countertops in California. Silica dust generated by cutting engineered stone has been linked to lung disease among workers. More on the issue.

Cold plunge pools posted the steepest drop of any special home feature this year. In AIA's third-quarter Home Design Trends Survey, the share of architects reporting rising client interest in cold plunges fell to 13% from 30% a year earlier. Accommodations for multiple generations and first-floor primary suites held the top two spots on the list. See the full features ranking in the AIA Q3 2026 Home Design Trends Survey.