Is There a Home Depot Outlet Store or Clearance Center?

Short answer: there's no Home Depot outlet

Some retailers have outlet malls and clearance warehouses. Home Depot doesn't. There's no chain of Home Depot outlet stores and no central clearance center you can drive to.

Instead, every Home Depot store is its own outlet. Each one marks down its own leftovers, returns and seasonal stock. That's good news: there's probably a store with clearance near you, and the deals change every week.

Where Home Depot's discounted items actually go

1. Yellow-tag clearance in every store

This is the big one. Items a store wants gone get a yellow clearance tag and drop in price over time, sometimes all the way to a penny. In the clearance listings we checked at 562 stores, about 64% were at least half off. You'll find them on endcaps, in a clearance area and scattered in their normal aisles. Our clearance guide explains how it works, and how to read a yellow clearance tag shows what each part of the tag means.

2. Clearance that isn't tagged

Plenty of marked-down items never get a yellow tag. The shelf still shows the old price, but the register rings up less. This is called hidden clearance, and it's where a lot of the best deals are.

3. Open-box and scratch-and-dent items

Returned or slightly damaged items are often sold at a discount in the store. Appliances are the most common: a fridge with a dent on the side, a washer that was returned unused. Ask in the appliance department. See our appliance clearance guide.

We have specific guides for washers and dryers and gas ranges.

4. Seasonal leftovers

After each season, stores clear out what's left. Halloween in November, Christmas in late December and January, grills and patio furniture in late summer. The seasonal clearance calendar lists what goes on sale each month.

5. Liquidators (not Home Depot)

Some returns and overstock are sold in bulk to liquidation companies. They resell it in their own stores, online or by the pallet. Some call themselves a "Home Depot outlet," but they're independent. Prices can be good, but:

• items may be used, damaged or missing parts
• Home Depot's return policy doesn't apply
• warranties may not transfer

Clearance center vs. regular clearance: what's better?

For most people, the clearance at your regular stores beats a liquidator. You can check the price before you go, you get Home Depot's normal clearance return rules, and you can visit several stores in one trip.

The trick is knowing which store has what. Clearance is different at every store, even two stores a few miles apart.

How to find "outlet" deals near you

1. Check more than one store. Two or three nearby stores give you a much better shot.
2. Shop at the right time. Our guide to the best time to shop Home Depot clearance covers days and seasons.
3. Check prices before you drive. Use the app with each store selected, or let a scanner do it for you.

PennyLoot checks the clearance prices at the Home Depot stores near your ZIP and shows the biggest markdowns, near-penny items and hidden prices, with the store for each one. It's the closest thing to a Home Depot outlet list for your area. You can try a free preview without an account.

Common "outlet" searches, answered

• "Home Depot clearance center near me": there isn't one. Check the clearance at the regular stores near you. Our Home Depot clearance near me guide shows how.
• "Home Depot discount store": usually a liquidator, not Home Depot.
• "Home Depot outlet appliances": open-box and scratch-and-dent units in regular stores.
• "Home Depot special buy": a limited-time deal, not clearance. See special buy vs. clearance.