Home Depot Clearance Markdown Schedule: How Prices Drop (2026)

Is there an official Home Depot markdown schedule?

No. Home Depot doesn't publish one, and each store handles its own clearance. That's why the same item can be on its first markdown in one store and its last in another.

What you can learn is the pattern most clearance follows, and the rhythm of your own store.

The stages of a Home Depot clearance cycle

Most clearance items move through similar steps:

These steps are a common pattern, not a rule. Some items sell out at the first markdown, and some skip steps.

What price endings say about the schedule

Hunters often use the last digits of a clearance price as a clue:

• .00 is often read as a new clearance price.
• .06 is often read as a markdown with another one coming in a few weeks.
• .03 or .02 are often read as late or final markdowns.

Home Depot has never confirmed this, and it varies by store. Our price endings guide explains when the pattern holds and when it doesn't.

How seasons change the schedule

Seasonal stock follows its own calendar. Halloween decor usually goes on clearance right after the holiday, Christmas after December 25, and patio, grills and garden items as summer ends. See the seasonal clearance calendar and our guides to Halloween clearance and patio furniture clearance.

How to find your store's markdown schedule

The schedule that matters is your store's. Here's how to learn it:

1. Pick a few clearance items at your store and note their prices in the Home Depot app each week.
2. Write down the day prices change. After a few weeks, you'll usually see a pattern.
3. Use price history. PennyLoot records every price change at the stores we scan. Members tap the chart button on a deal to see each markdown and its date. Read more about clearance price history.

Example: how one item might move through clearance

Here's an illustration of a typical path, not a real item:

1. Week 0: A cordless tool kit regularly $199 goes on clearance at $149.00.
2. A few weeks later: it drops to $99.06. Hunters read .06 as "another markdown coming".
3. A few weeks after that: it's $49.03. The .03 suggests a late markdown.
4. End of clearance: if any are left, the system price can drop to $0.01 and staff pull it.

At another store, the same kit might sell out at $149, or skip straight from $149 to $49.

What changes the schedule

• Stock level. Items that sell slowly keep getting marked down. Fast sellers may never drop again.
• Season. Seasonal items move faster because the store needs the space.
• Model changes. When a new version arrives, the old one often drops quickly.
• Store size and traffic. Busy stores can move through clearance faster.

Markdown myths

• "All stores mark down on the same day." No. Each store handles its own.
• "Every item goes to a penny." No. Most clearance sells or is pulled well before.
• "The tag shows the current price." Not always. Scan it. See hidden clearance.

Buy now or wait?

• Plenty of stock and a recent markdown: waiting for the next step can pay off.
• Low stock or an item you really want: buy now. Clearance sells out without warning.
• Late markdown on a big item: the savings are already large, and waiting risks losing it.

When you know the item is still dropping, the Home Depot penny day guide explains when the last step tends to show up.