Residential LVT Report 2026: The fastest-growing product category takes the next steps in its evolution – Feb 2026

In recent years, SPC has dominated the residential LVT market, mostly at the lower end, but product failures due to changes by some producers in the amount of plasticizer used to reduce costs put the brakes on commodity-bound rigid LVT. As a result, the market has shifted volume toward WPC, flex LVT and even looselay LVT, traditionally a commercial product. “The race to the bottom in SPC pricing brought on quality issues that have come back to haunt many importers,” notes Jamann Stepp, Stanton’s vice president of hard surface.

“New home construction and multifamily projects tend to favor durable SPC and select flex LVT for performance and efficiency, while renovation and replacement customers gravitate toward higher-end SPC products, as well as WPC and hybrid rigid core products for performance, comfort, acoustics and elevated design,” says Alan Smith, MSI’s director of business development.

Industry executives report that, while residential remodel has been in a recession for a few years, the higher end continues to do well. Builder business is still soft, while multifamily is a mixed bag, with some markets, like Florida and Texas, overbuilt, while others, including Midwestern and Northeastern regions, need more units.

Roderick Macleod, Shaw’s resilient director, notes that, with home affordability challenged, some consumers are trading down due to cost pressure, tariffs and other economic challenges, though he notes that the higher-end consumer is still buying based on superior performance and design. 

Stepp adds, “Prices are uber competitive and the average selling price, especially for SPC continues to trend downward. We are even seeing an erosion in WPC pricing at the entry and high-end level in an attempt to again take share.”

IMPORTS, TARIFFS AND PRICING

According to Market Insights’ Santo Torcivia, China’s share of resilient tile and LVT imports to the U.S. through the first three quarters of 2025 fell to 19%, in dollars, from 42% for the first three quarters of 2024, while imports from Vietnam and Thailand jumped-over the same time period, Thailand went from 2% to 9% and Vietnam went from 34% to 46%, assuming the mantle of the largest exporter of the category to the U.S. market. Also, total LVT and resilient tile imports were up 6.3% through September 2025.

With so many changes, there’s a lot of trepidation about how deep to go with Asian products, notes Jennifer Zimmerman, AHF Products’ chief commercial officer. 

One industry executive noted that the tariffs have added much more complexity and cost to manufacturing than ever before, pointing out that manufacturers that have invested heavily in foreign production equipment, like rigid LVT machinery from China or Germany, may still be subject to tariffs for parts, even inks and other supplies, shipped from overseas.

Regarding tariff-driven price increases, Al Boulogne, Mannington’s senior vice president of residential product and marketing, says, “Some of our competitors shifted more than others. We worked very hard to do it in one pass and shift only with the shift in our cost model. For the most part, we stayed aggressive and probably gave up some margin coming out the other end.”

Steve Ehrlich, vice president of business and operations for Novalis Innovative Flooring, reports, “Entry-level imports remain more sensitive to cost fluctuations, while domestically produced products tend to carry higher baseline pricing but offer greater stability through supply reliability and shorter lead times.”

DOMESTIC VS. ASIAN PRODUCTION

There’s a long list of pros and cons when it comes to building domestic LVT capacity, which still only accounts for 15% to 20% of what’s sold in the U.S. Imports still command the lower, more commoditized end of the market. “Domestic production is challenged to compete at the lowest opening price points, where large-scale onshoring has an advantage due to lower labor costs and efficiencies that drive down cost,” says Smith. The cost of raw materials and components heavily favors Asian imports. 

Imports also have a strong position in the upper end of the market. With the exception of a few WPC producers, all of the rigid core flooring produced in the U.S. is some form of SPC. According to Thomas Baert, president of CFL, which manufactures rigid core in Adairsville, Georgia, “Domestic production has challenges in the higher-end segment. Currently, most manufacturers can only manufacture basic products, limited by machinery or supply chain.” 

And Boulogne says, “I think speed to market with innovation or new assets for production is the constraint in the U.S. We have global suppliers that innovate at light speed and have the flexibility to change direction rapidly with heavy investment for growth.”

Domestic producers, however, offer faster lead times, can respond more quickly to aesthetic shifts, are closer to the consumer and can carry lower inventory. Boulogne notes that domestic production “wins on products that require mass production or shorter lead times, and stocking film is a lot less expensive than stocking finished goods.” Supply chain reliability is another key differentiator, one that is becoming increasingly scrutinized.

Automation is key to the success of domestic LVT production, adds Adam Ward, Mohawk’s vice president of resilient, noting that, making LVT doesn’t require a ton of labor. 

Nevertheless, it hasn’t been an easy ride for domestic producers. While many have faced technical issues, it’s the basic economics of it that have been the biggest challenge. In 2024, Mannington sold its WPC facility in Calhoun, Georgia to China’s Bossen, from whom it now buys product. And last year, United Surface Solutions, an American-owned SPC facility located in Chatsworth, Georgia, ceased operations. And other domestic production facilities are having a hard time of it, though none are inclined to admit it publicly.

Asian suppliers purchase the PVC polymer at a 35% to 40% advantage over North America, according to estimates by one industry veteran. Bossen, for instance, was able to secure a better price on raw materials from Asia than Mannington could manage with domestic suppliers. And Asian workers make between $800 and $1,000 per month, notes the same source, compared to $3,200 to $4,000 for U.S. workers. The bottom line is that, before shipping, Asian producers have a 45% to 50% advantage over domestic producers.

For now, after several years of U.S. and foreign firms building domestic capacity and, in some cases, further expanding, most industry experts anticipate a pause as those assets start to get fully realized. And while the consensus is that there’s a lot of room for growth in domestic capacity, nobody feels that it can come close to filling even half of domestic demand. “This is where we are for a while,” notes one industry leader.

THE ADVANCE TOWARD EQUILIBRIUM

No one denies that the meteoric growth of LVT, driven by residential rigid core, is largely in the rearview mirror, and some retailers are pointing to a shift back to wood on the upper end or over to laminate on the value end.

Smith says, “While adoption is beginning to mature in some segments, ongoing advances in performance, ease of installation, waterproof construction and realistic visuals-along with innovations like enhanced surface finishes and next-generation rigid core technologies-will keep rigid LVT competitive and attractive versus other flooring categories.”

Stepp does not see rigid LVT taking additional share. “This category has been the growth engine for the industry since WPC hit the market in 2013,” he says. “I look for other categories to gain share in 2026 and beyond, such as the hardwood, laminate and hybrid categories.” 

“Double digit growth is over,” says Zimmerman, though she notes that it will still continue taking some share. 

“The market is stabilizing,” says Alex Brodkin, vice president of product and sourcing for Cali. “Customers are making more informed choices now. Some want vinyl for waterproof performance, some want laminate for wood-based construction, some want real hardwood for authenticity. Each category has a defensible position if merchandised correctly.”

PRODUCER UPDATES

Shaw Industries is currently the dominant producer in the LVT category, accounting for a third of U.S. consumption, and its share on the residential side is even higher, thanks largely to its acquisition nearly ten years ago of US Floors and its Coretec brand, along with a major investment in its Ringgold, Georgia Plant RP LVT facility prior to the acquisition. Over the last decade, Shaw has played a leadership role, not just in expanding the size and scope of the rigid LVT market, but also in focusing more on the quality equation than on price, elevating the category through its Coretec and Floorté brands. Nevertheless, as a giant in the category, it also maintains a strong position at the lower end.

Under the Shaw Floors brand, it offers SPC, flex LVT, WPC and looselay for the residential market. While WPC remains its core performer, most prominently through its Coretec Originals brand, it also has some high-performance SPC products, like its new Pet Perfect with PawDefense technology, which is a hefty 6.5mm thick and is “up to 50% more scratch resistant than traditional luxury vinyl,” according to Macleod, conferred through proprietary technology in its UV coating layer. The new collection is made at Plant RP.

Over the last few years, Shaw has both broadened its mix and gone deeper into WPC and thicker SPC (over 6mm). While its WPC (and a portion of its SPC) comes from overseas partnerships, it makes a lot of its own flex LVT and SPC in Ringgold, accounting for an estimated quarter of its total volume. The firm has recently expanded first its rigid core and then its flex capacity at Plant RP, and it’s in the middle of ramping up its flex capacity.

While the firm does not currently offer residential PVC-free resilient options, it is actively researching opportunities. On the commercial side, Shaw Contract and Patcraft are making significant inroads with EcoWorx Resilient, a polyolefin chemistry also used in its carpet tile backings. 

Pennsylvania-based AHF Products has been on a remarkable journey since its formation less than eight years ago. It started off with the acquisition of Armstrong’s hardwood business and its storied brands, like Bruce, Robbins and Hartco, then in 2022 it bought Armstrong’s resilient flooring assets, which also added Armstrong to its powerful brand portfolio, and a year later, it bought Crossville, officially making it a hard surface powerhouse. 

Not only is AHF now a major player in resilient flooring, but it has vaulted to the top of the list of domestic LVT producers. Earlier this year, it purchased Wellmade’s Cartersville, Georgia SPC facility, which had just undergone an expansion, doubling its capacity, according to Zimmerman. She adds that 94% of the firm’s LVT is produced domestically from its owned operations: rigid LVT from Cartersville; flex LVT from its Lancaster, Pennsylvania facility; and its Alterna line of hefty, groutable vinyl tile from Kankakee, Illinois. No other leading manufacturer offers this degree of domestic branded volume.

AHF currently sources its WPC from Asia, along with some SPC it is phasing out. And its Cartersville facility, in addition to meeting AHF’s needs, also does private label sales. According to the firm, 50% of all domestic capacity for rigid core comes through its Cartersville operation.

In addition, AHF serves the builder and multifamily communities with American Personality Pro, a 2mm flex LVT product made from its glass-backed sheet goods that requires no acclimation. Also, the firm reports that it is working on adding its Diamond 10 surface protection technology to its rigid LVT production line. And it’s eyeing its Lancaster facility for the development of residential looselay LVT later this year.
Currently, rigid core, led by SPC, accounts for about 80% of the firm’s residential LVT.

While print films for its domestic SPC are sourced, it makes its own films for Kankakee and Lancaster products out of its facility in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania.

Mohawk Industries, which became a major player in resilient flooring with its 2015 acquisition of IVC, continues to refine its LVT strategy under Ward’s leadership. The company is heavily focused on domestic and regional production, with SPC manufacturing in Dalton, Georgia and Mexicali, Mexico. According to Ward, Mohawk is always striving to make things where it sells them, and its domestic Dalton, Georgia plant is vertically integrated, producing its own print film and sourcing 100% of its raw materials from U.S. suppliers.

A standout in its current portfolio is SolidTech R. Made of PET, it offers a strong green story with recycled content from drink bottles, and a performance story, as well, through its liquid melamine topcoat, which provides better scratch resistance than on LVT products. Ward reports that the product’s chemistry marries well with its Uniclic locking systems, enabling its use across a variety of applications, including environments with rolling loads that typically challenge locking systems and where gluedown LVT is more commonly used.

Mohawk is also seeing some growth in its looselay products in the residential market. The firm has offered commercial looselay for over a decade. “We’re seeing it start to creep into single family,” says Ward, noting interest in markets like Texas, Oklahoma and Minnesota where slab foundations are common. In the rigid category, Mohawk’s SPC thicknesses range from 4.5mm to 7mm, and the firm has successfully re-entered the WPC market with its Karastan and Pergo lines, targeting the high-end residential remodel sector. In terms of sourcing, Mohawk has partnerships in Asia, though not in China, and it is studying a range of supply sources, including in Turkey and India. And it continues to look for opportunities to increase its North American capacity.

Mannington is navigating the current market by focusing on design-driven innovation and a “full-spectrum” product strategy. Boulogne notes that while the remodel and builder markets are currently sluggish, the company is finding opportunities to take share, thanks in large part to the retooling of its Adura Selling System collections over the last couple of years. “Now we are branching out with the Adura brand,” says Boulogne. “We are revitalizing our Adura Apex line to really show off what our design team can do in the category that is beyond comparison. We are also going in the value direction with our new Adura Pro launch.” 

The company’s most significant recent launch is Lineage, a new addition to the Adura Apex, says Boulogne. The product mixes visuals from three distinct wood species-oak, maple and hickory-in each carton and also includes the firm’s CraftedEdge bevel technology.

About 40% of Mannington’s residential LVT revenues come from WPC, with another 25% from SPC and 35% from flex. “With some bad competitive SPC in the market a few years ago, we saw consumer (but really retailer) preference shift away from SPC and toward other constructions like Flex, Max and even to the Restoration [laminate] collection,” Boulogne notes.

Mannington produces about 35% of its residential LVT from its Madison, Georgia facility, with another 5% to 10% sourced from other U.S. partners. Boulogne adds, “Today, inside our residential line up, that is an ever-evolving blend of Mannington in-house production, sourced products from domestic suppliers and globally sourced products from all over the world. Tariffs had an impact on that complex puzzle, but they will remain fluid based on these ever-changing market conditions.”  

Engineered Floors (EF), which got its start as a PET carpet manufacturer in 2009, has over the years added hard surface flooring and also expanded into the commercial market. A few years ago, it converted a Dalton facility to produce SPC and added Hymmen direct digital print technology, leading to the production of its flagship domestic product, PureGrain High-Def DLVT. The technology allows for 35 unique planks and creates a visual depth that EF claims rivals natural wood.

The company’s domestic strategy is built on efficiency and vertical integration, bypassing the long lead times associated with overseas sourcing. Currently, about 20% of EF’s click business is produced domestically-all of which is manufactured in-house-with the balance sourced in Asia. 

While most of EF’s sales still come from its PureGrain Endure SPC, along with its PureGrain Flex, the company is actively diversifying. Last year, it introduced PureGrain Comfort to capture the growing WPC segment. By expanding into all major resilient categories, EF intends to shift its volume mix while maintaining its focus on technological differentiation.

Regarding the broader market, Eric Ruppert, EF’s senior director of product marketing and category management, notes that there is still substantial room to grow by capturing share from imports. The firm remains committed to its domestic manufacturing investment, viewing its digital print technology as the key to providing a high-end value proposition that successfully competes with foreign-made products.

Novalis Innovative Flooring, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, has substantial LVT capacity in China, Dalton, Georgia, Mexico and Thailand. 

The firm is focusing its 2026 strategy on simplification and performance, aiming to make its luxury vinyl products easier to specify and install. According to Ehrlich, Novalis is prioritizing lighter-weight rigid constructions, improved acoustic performance and enhanced visuals through in-register embossing and surface finishes.

In terms of new products this year, the firm is moving into more expressive architectural designs in its NovaFloor residential brand. This includes a “high-gloss concrete tile and a highly realistic basketweave parquet tile,” says Ehrlich. While SPC remains the primary volume driver for the brand, the company is seeing a resurgence in WPC for applications where underfoot comfort and a warmer feel are prioritized.

To support sustainability and price competitiveness, Novalis sources all of its PVC from within the U.S. The firm remains cautious about PVC-free alternatives, choosing to wait until those technologies can fully match the performance and reliability of traditional vinyl while balancing design and livability.

CFL, a global leader in rigid LVT, is increasingly positioning its Adairsville, Georgia facility as its primary hub for high-end innovation, most notably with its new Hymmen direct digital print technology, as well as ultra-matte finishes and acoustical abatement systems. Its digital printing obviates the need for print films and enables the production of hyper-realistic visuals across 190 square feet with no pattern repeats. Complementing this visual tech are new patents for multilayer acoustic resilient flooring, which the company claims delivers sound reduction up to six times greater than standard SPC.

CFL’s portfolio remains broad, spanning SPC, WPC and gluedown LVT, along with PVC-free Eco-Composite flooring, which is installable up to 10,000 square feet without transitions. The company is currently seeing a resurgence in WPC demand within the residential sector, noting that consumers often associate the added thickness with higher quality and improved underfoot comfort.

The firm reports that it doubled its Adairsville capacity last year to accommodate increasing demand for U.S.-made products, and it is also expanding into wall solutions and adding SPCs with ceramic tile designs digitally printed on its multilayer DPC (Dense Polymer Core), featuring pre-grouted visuals. CFL has also substantial production in China and Vietnam. 

Co-founded by brothers Julian and William Dossche three years ago, Dalton-Georgia-based IFC (International Flooring Company) has carved out a niche for itself with its Canopy brand, with limited distribution and a focus on targeted dealers in all markets. The company’s measured and methodical expansion aims to ensure that retail partners maintain strong profit margins by avoiding the “race to the bottom” seen in more commoditized segments of the market.

IFC’s Canopy brand is heavily weighted toward WPC, which accounts for approximately 95% of the line. The balance is a unique 5mm looselay flex LVT with a self-adhering microsuction pad, and with PVC developed in part through the refining of used cooking oil. While most of the firm’s revenues come from the Canopy brand, on the SPC side, it offers the competitively priced Canyon line, and it doesn’t sell products less than 5mm thick to ensure structural integrity.

A key differentiator for IFC is its go-to-market strategy. Canopy products are not available online, protecting specialty retailers from price shopping. Its products wholesale from around $1.20 to $5.99. The firm sources its WPC from Asian partners, it’s flex is single-sourced from Asia, and its SPC comes both from Asia and from a domestic partnership-its Asian SPC is manufactured through a co-extrusion process for a balanced “ABA” construction. 

MSI is reinforcing its position in the LVT market by pairing its massive global scale with a strategic domestic manufacturing partnership. A pillar of MSI’s domestic strategy is the Studio LVT SPC collection. This flagship line is manufactured through its manufacturing partnership in Cartersville, Georgia. The collection is designed for high-performance residential and commercial spaces, featuring 9mm thick construction, extra-wide planks, and a CrystaLux Ultra commercial-grade protection layer. By producing this line in the U.S., MSI aims to improve lead times and supply reliability for its top tier offerings.

According to Alan Smith, director of business development, the firm’s latest innovation, the UltraMatte finish, minimizes glare and enhances natural texture, creating “a more authentic hardwood appearance and realism while delivering the durability and easy maintenance homeowners expect from MSI luxury vinyl products.”

MSI’s WPC offering includes the Wayne Parc and Wayne Parc Reserve collections, targeting consumers who prioritize underfoot comfort and premium aesthetics. Additionally, the Shorecliffs collection represents MSI’s push into the PVC-free hybrid category. The firm also remains committed to the dryback and looselay flex LVT category, recently launching the Nove line-including Nove, Nove Plus, and Nove Reserve-to provide accessible, on-trend solutions with wider plank formats.

Stanton has been a well-known supplier of high-end carpet and rugs since its formation in 1980, and in 2020, it got into the hard surface side with its first SPC introductions. Over the last few years, it has expanded its LVT offering with new constructions and collections. According to Stepp, SPC still makes up the bulk of resilient sales at about 45%, with another 40% in WPC and the balance in flex LVT, including looselay. All of its products are made through partnerships in Asia. The firm has been transitioning away from Chinese sources for the last few years, focusing on Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. It is also pursuing domestic opportunities for LVT sourcing.

Stepp reports that the firm is “pushing the envelope in regard to film design and embossing enhancements along with a move towards narrow planks in 4” and 5” formats in 60” and 72” lengths.” Looking ahead, Stepp adds, “We will continue to innovate in terms of film design, color, texture/embossing, etc. We will increase our WPC offering in 2026 while rationalizing additional SPC SKUs. The flex and looselay categories will also see additions in 2026 and into 2027. We also continue to develop thicker profile (7.5mm-8mm) SPC products for a 2027 introduction.”

Based in Encinitas, California, Cali Floors, which started in the bamboo business, has since expanded into a broader hard surface offering, with its LVT coming from Asian partnerships. Most recently, Cali has been leaning into the premium WPC market, while also expanding its reach into new construction through specialized offerings. According to Brodkin, WPC now accounts for about a third of the company’s vinyl sales and is a growing category as consumers seek out the comfort and sound insulation advantages of thicker constructions.

The centerpiece of this strategy is Longboards Icons, an evolution of the firm’s bestselling collection. The new line features 14mm thick planks-designed to provide enhanced comfort and sound absorption-paired with a 22 mil wearlayer. 

Cali is also diversifying its portfolio with its first entry into the looselay category, Hang Loose. Developed in response to builder requests for new construction applications, Hang Loose is a 5mm product with a 22 mil wearlayer reinforced with fiberglass for stability over concrete slabs. The collection is elevated with in-register embossing.

While most of its products target the middle to higher end of the market, Cali also serves the entry level with its All Star SPC, but even that product is 5.5mm, offering more value than many of the thinner SPCs at opening price points. The firm also offers laminate, hardwood and bamboo.

Karndean, a U.K. headquartered LVT firm that has been selling into the U.S. market for nearly 30 years, serving both the residential and commercial markets. Over the last few years, the firm has been overhauling its portfolio to offer its products in a dual installation format-both gluedown flex and rigid core with a Välinge 5G locking system. 

According to Jenne Ross, director of product, “The overhaul of our Art Select collection has been the biggest and most well-received change.” The higher-end collection of about 50 wood and stone looks features a 30 mil wearlayer. Updates to the collection include more high-end stone visuals, including Italian marble and onyx designs, along with advancements in engineering matte finishes, rounded beveled edges and embossing. 

Noah Fulton, vice president of business strategy, notes that with the tariffs imposed last year, costs have increased for not just finished goods but also raw materials and machinery. He says, “We’ve worked diligently, from a manufacturing and
supply chain perspective, to keep prices stable. Our last pricing increase was June 2025, despite additional tariffs being enacted in August 2025.”

Southwind Floors, founded as Cherokee Carpets in 1994, was well established on the residential broadloom side before strategically expanding into hard surfaces about a decade ago. It currently offers broadloom, carpet tile, engineered wood, laminate and LVT-SPC, WPC and flex. Under president and CEO Drew Hash, Southwind’s latest standout innovation is the Summit WPC line, which features an industry-first 3/4” core designed to eliminate subfloor telegraphing during installation. New this year are the Cohutta SPC and Contour looselay collections. Both come in 12”x24” formats.

While maintaining a balanced portfolio of rigid and flexible LVT, Southwind has prioritized WPC for the renovation market, where consumers seek comfort and realism. “Our strategy has always been to provide maximum value at whatever price point, so we can deliver better performance than what may be normally expected in a category,” says Hash.

Southwind is also developing a waterproof rigid core hybrid product for launch later this year. To navigate evolving tariffs, the company has made a few adjustments to its sourcing and integrated some domestic production to ensure a steady supply for dealers.

Tarkett Home started off focused on SPC a few years ago but quickly expanded to a full range of residential resilient flooring products, including SPC, WPC, flex LVT (both gluedown and looselay) and ReNue, a hybrid non-PVC product unveiled in early 2025. SPC still accounts for the bulk of its LVT sales. Its EverGen WPC has been strong in independent retail, while gluedown LVT has a stronger position in multifamily.

According to Katie Szabo, direct of product management-hard surfaces, “Tarkett Home’s most meaningful innovation has been elevating the design in our LVT lines. You’ll now find pressed bevels, wider and longer planks, deeper embossing and, debuting in 2026, integrated grout and edge detail.”

Looking ahead, Szabo notes that the firm’s focus is on making Tarkett Home’s LVT easier to sell, adding, “This means updating our existing lines with elevated designs, performance differentiation, and introducing new products only where it clearly adds value for our retailers.”