Mission and History

Our Mission

We’re determined to perfect the home. We do this by helping clients improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. We test our clients’ innovations and prove their worth. We leverage what we know and who we know to ensure commercial success for our private and public sector clients. Through an interdisciplinary research approach, we help eliminate barriers to innovation and find a home for innovation in the residential construction industry.

Our History

Home Innovation Research Labs (formerly the NAHB Research Center) was founded in 1964 as a wholly-owned, independent subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Originating as a small product testing laboratory, we have since grown to become a full-service market research, consulting, product testing, and accredited third-party certification agency dedicated solely to issues related to the home building industry. 

Since our rather modest beginnings, our clients have grown to include stakeholders in every facet of the home building industry – including builders, product manufacturers, trade associations, and government agencies. As our clientele has grown, so have our facilities. Our headquarters office building in Upper Marlboro, MD, a suburb of Washington, DC, is now joined on our 25-acre research campus by a state-of-the-art product testing and market research facility, as well as several outdoor evaluation areas.

Over our nearly 50-year history, Home Innovation Research Labs has been integral in solving many of the industry’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of its most beneficial innovations. Our deep history and vast expertise help to inform every interaction our team has with others in the industry.