Home improvement projects — from weekend repairs to full renovations — can cost hundreds to thousands per trip. Home Depot and Lowe's are the big two, and the right card can earn 2-5% back on every drill, lumber delivery, and appliance purchase.

Home improvement stores typically code as home improvement or general merchandise depending on the card network. This means you need either a flat-rate card (2-3% everywhere) or a card with the right quarterly category bonus.

Big projects deserve planning: calculate your total material budget, then match a card to it. A $5,000 kitchen reno at 3% back = $150 in rewards. Avoid store cards' deferred interest traps — they retroactively charge interest if you miss the payoff window.

Test your project budget below or try our full rewards calculator.