The residential home building industry is an important sector of the U.S. economy. Unfortunately, it has not shared the productivity gains experienced by other industries, in part due to a lack of innovation. Government studies and university research indicate that the structure of the housing industry is an impediment to the adoption of innovation.

To help counter this trend, the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has sponsored several studies to better understand the process of innovation in housing. PATH recognizes that innovation is important to the housing industry in making homes more affordable, durable, and energy efficient.

This guide is the result of a Technology Transfer study of selected innovations and partnerships between inventors, innovators, and manufacturers. It contains information gathered through interviews, focus groups, case studies, and independent research, and provides insights for readers who have an invention or innovation to commercialize in the housing industry.