Home Depot vs. Lowe’s (prices, products, services, customer service, etc.)
When it comes to home improvement in the US, customers tend to choose one of the warehouse’s big names: market leader Home Depot or rival Lowe’s.
On the surface, you might not think there’s much of a difference—a home improvement store is like any other, right?
So you might be surprised at the real difference between the two. Let’s compare the two giants in the home improvement space.
Here’s everything you need to know about Home Depot vs Lowe’s: prices, products, services, customer service, stores, return policies and more.
Home Depot vs.Lowe’s
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Market Share
As I mentioned, Home Depot has a larger market share in the home improvement space, and you might be surprised by its share.
In fact, Home Depot’s share was just 17%, still higher than Lowe’s’ 12%. MarketWatch calls home improvement “a relatively fragmented industry.”
Still, while the two may be lacking in market share, they have more than that in terms of brand recognition and recall.
exist [currentyea]Home Depot’s sales totaled more than $130 billion; Lowe’s nearly $90 billion.
That’s enough to put them among the top 10 retailers in the US — in general, and not just in the home improvement space!
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Stores
The fairly close market share percentages are reflected in the fairly close number of stores each retailer owns, both domestically and internationally.
Home Depot currently has 2,312 locations in three countries (US, Canada and Mexico), while Lowes has 2,202 in the US and Canada.
(Lowe’s did operate in Mexico, but closed that branch in 2019.)
Both retailers operate stores in every U.S. state, and Home Depot also has operations in U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.
The state with the most Home Depot stores is California; Texas has the most Lowe’s stores.
Physically, Home Depot and Lowe’s stores are very similar. Lowe’s stores are slightly larger, averaging 112,000 square feet, compared with Home Depot’s 105,000 square feet.
The layout is distinctly different, but both look similar on the outside: rows of tall shelves and a garden center are usually to the left of the entrance.
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Prices
One of the great things about Home Depot and Lowe’s competing against each other is that shoppers win on price.
Generally speaking, if you see a lower price, it’s probably at Home Depot, but the prices on both sides are close to each other.
Additionally, the twincivet.com authors point out that both stores offer price matching.
So if you find an item cheaper at one store or another, you can ask the salesperson to sell it to you for less, and they will.
Let’s compare some popular items.
At Home Depot, 2x6x8 ft. #2 lumber costs $7.57 per board; at Lowe’s, it’s the same price.
A 1.5 cubic meter. Home Depot sells a one-foot bag of garden soil for $7.97; at Lowe’s, however, the same bag costs $8.98. But remember, Lowe’s does price matching.
If you want to buy 5 cubic meters. ft. Frigidaire chest freezer, you’ll pay $249 at Home Depot; Lowe’s lists it $10 more.
To paraphrase an old saying, the price between Lowe’s and Home Depot is a horse because the competition between the two is fierce.
Ultimately, shoppers who do their research before heading to any store will get the best deals.
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Products
According to our research, Lowe’s is just that when it comes to being better at choosing appliances and being more picky about the brands they carry.
But for a better selection of home improvement projects (and more flooring options), Home Depot is there.
Still, both retailers keep thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of home improvement items in stock every day.
Sectors dealing with interior needs include appliances, electrical, painting, bathrooms, flooring, kitchens, lighting, tools, storage and organization, home improvement, and window treatments.
The Outdoor and Construction segment includes: Outdoor and Garden, Windows and Doors, Hardware, Building Materials and Lumber.
They are similarly and similarly stocked in both stores.
However, both Home Depot and Lowe’s have specialty store brands.
Home Depots includes Ryobi Tools, Behr Paints, Homelite Tools, Martha Stewart Living Merchandise, Ridgid Tools and American Woodwork, and Thomasville Furniture Industries Cabinets.
Home Depot also owns seven private labels: Husky tools, Workforce, HDX, Hampton Bay, Glacier Bay, Commercial Electric and Home Decorators Collection.
Lowe’s store and house brands include Kobalt, Project Source, Valspar, Allen + Roth, Hitachi, ReliaBilt and Top Choice Lumber.
More recently, Lowe’s also acquired the Stainmaster carpet company, after years of selling its products exclusively.
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Services
Sometimes we have to know things we don’t know.
Home Depot and Lowe’s offer quite a few home services, if that includes skilled home improvement projects.
Both companies work with independent installers/contractors and/or local businesses that have “signed up” to be part of the store network.
Both Home Depot and Lowe’s hire background-checked and insured installers, and both offer special financing to make large projects more affordable.
Below is a list of services that Home Depot and Lowe’s each provide to their customers.
The Home Depot:
- kitchen remodel
- floor
- windows and doors
- bathroom and plumbing
- storage and organization
- Water heaters and treatments
- HVAC
- fence installation
- Electrical and Lighting
- Assembly service
- Live independently
- Home appliance installation
- painting/refinishing
- Landscaping
- carpentry and masonry
- smart home installation
- clean
Lowe’s:
- attic ladder
- home appliances
- awning
- Tailgate
- Blinds/curtains/blinds
- cupboard
- floor
- mesa
- pavement
- dishwasher
- Door
- fence installation
- Garage Door
- garbage disposal
- gutter
- HVAC
- Lighting and Ceiling Fans
- playset
- the roof
- shed
- shower door
- siding
- sinks and faucets
- smart home
- dynamo
- Water heaters and softeners
- Windows
I thought it would be interesting to see how smart home installations made the list! What’s next – maybe a small to mid-sized solar installation?
Home Depot vs.Lowe’s: Customer Service
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of any company is how it handles customer service.
This covers everything from customers asking for help or trying to contact the company to how employees interact on the sales floor.
Human interaction is a subjective and personal experience, but my personal experience in both stores has been positive.
Neither company is as good as the other when it comes to employee customer service, so ultimately, the best way to judge yourself is to try and visit both.
Of course, our savvy 21st century shoppers don’t do all their browsing in-store.
We increasingly shop online, so how have Lowe’s and Home Depot adapted their websites to provide customer service on the Internet?
Well, both of their websites offer live chat; however, only Lowe’s seems to continue to use live chat on their mobile app.
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Return Policy
Walking into a big warehouse store makes you think they might accept any return you bring them.
From my research, I’ve found that both Lowe’s and Home Depot have “pretty lax” return policies, and the information on their websites confirms this.
For example, Lowe’s return policy with receipt is valid for 90 days after the original purchase date and the item must be new and unopened.
Debit/credit card purchases may have the amount refunded to their card or receive cash; store credit/gift/refund card receive store credit.
Home Depot is pretty much the same — 90-day returns for a refund the same way you bought it.
In both cases, store credit may be awarded for returns without a receipt. Both stores also allow returns to any location, not just the store where the item was purchased.
For a complete list of return policies, find Home Depot and Lowe’s policies here.
I think it’s fair for each store to leave returns mostly to the judgment of the employees, especially where the item has been opened or used.
Unfortunately, that seems to be a bone of contention for some shoppers. Look at the angry Lowe’s customers here, one of them said, “I’ll never go to Lowe’s again.”
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Dog Policy
Home improvement stores get a lot of attention for being dog-friendly, but it might surprise you that Home Depot doesn’t actually state that on its website.
Many Home Depots welcome well-behaved, on-leash puppies, but if you’ve never seen one in store before, it’s best to get in touch first.
Lowe’s, on the other hand, clearly states its dog-friendly status for each store on its website.
If your Lowe’s is dog-friendly, navigate to the “Find a Store” feature on their website, enter your location, select the store you’d like to visit, and go to that page.
On the page, scroll down to where it says “Store Features” on the map. I read Garden Center and Dog-Friendly.
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Delivery Services
If you don’t have a truck and some steadfast friends, store delivery is the way to go when it comes to shopping for new appliances or other large items.
Luckily, Home Depot and Lowe’s offer delivery on such items; if you spend enough, it’s free.
At Home Depot, if you spend $396 or more on appliances, your standard shipping is free (or $59 less).
Delivery also includes a simple setup where the delivery guy connects everything that has to be connected and makes sure the item works.
Home Depot mentioned that they will remove old items for a fee. Learn more about Home Depot delivery services here.
Lowe’s is very similar, down to how much you have to spend to get free shipping.
The Lowe’s website also mentions that delivery people will move old appliances to new locations within the home.
However, Lowe’s doesn’t mention anything about its old appliance removal service.
They do offer professional installation for an additional fee (beyond simple setup and device working demonstrations).
Learn more about Lowe’s Shipping Policy here.
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Shop via website and mobile app
Online shopping is essential for many households these days, saving time and sometimes lives.
Home Depot and Lowe’s are well aware of this, and both have helpful websites and mobile apps to simplify the process.
I’ve used both; if I had to prefer one, it would be Home Depot’s online shopping experience.
While Lowe’s’ mobile shopping experience is decent, it doesn’t feel as intuitive or clear as Home Depot’s.
I found Lowe’s app more difficult to navigate…
