NARI launches pooled 401(k) plan for remodeling firms

NARI has introduced SecureFuture 401(k) Plan, a new member benefit built with Traphagen CPAs & Wealth Advisors to help remodeling businesses offer retirement coverage without managing a plan in-house. The move is aimed at helping small and mid-sized firms compete for skilled workers in a tight labor market.

Why it matters: - NARI is trying to make it easier for remodeling companies to offer a retirement benefit that can help attract and keep workers. - The plan is aimed at small and mid-sized firms that often lack the staff or systems to run a 401(k) on their own. - Retirement benefits remain a major hiring factor, with Transamerica Institute® finding that 89% of surveyed workers value a 401(k) or similar plan and 80% say retirement benefits strongly affect job acceptance.

What happened: - The National Association of the Remodeling Industry announced the NARI SecureFuture 401(k) Plan on Aug. 28, 2026. - NARI built the pooled employer plan, or PEP, with Traphagen CPAs & Wealth Advisors. - The benefit is designed specifically for remodeling businesses.

The details: - Employers using the plan handle three core tasks: selecting service providers, setting up payroll deductions and collecting year-end data. - The provider team manages plan design, investment oversight, eligibility tracking, enrollment support, participant education, withdrawal and loan processing, compliance reporting and ongoing maintenance. - The plan connects to more than 125 payroll providers. - Employees get access to a dedicated website, a mobile app, the OnTrack planning tool and Managed Advice, a goals-based investment management service. - NARI CEO Lisa Sallstrom said the plan lets a small remodeling firm offer the same retirement benefit as a national builder without adding another job to the owner’s plate. - NARI board president Jonathan Kelly said retaining skilled labor is one of the biggest challenges for members.

Between the lines: - The launch fits NARI’s broader push to give members practical business tools, not just traditional association benefits. - The plan also reflects the labor pressure in remodeling, where crews are often small and margins are tight. - A simpler, professionally managed retirement plan may lower one of the barriers that keeps smaller contractors from competing with larger employers.

What's next: - NARI member businesses interested in joining the SecureFuture 401(k) Plan can contact Carolyn Lawrence at membership@nari.org or visit nari.org for more information. - NARI is also directing members to its broader resources at remodelingdoneright.com.

The bottom line: - NARI is betting that a turnkey 401(k) benefit can help remodeling firms compete harder for talent while offloading much of the plan administration.