Lowe’s is now delivering tools by drone in as little as 20 minutes

Lowe’s is taking the “I need one more thing” problem to the sky. The home improvement retailer has launched a drone delivery pilot in Matthews, North Carolina, allowing eligible DIY customers and professionals to order a limited selection of tools, paint supplies, and household essentials through DoorDash and have them delivered by Wing drones in as little as 20 minutes. Lowe’s says it is the first home improvement retailer in the US to offer drone delivery.

The idea makes particular sense for home improvement. Forgetting a roll of tape or running out of batteries halfway through a project can turn a quick repair into an unplanned trip to the store. Lowe’s is essentially testing whether a drone can make that interruption almost disappear.

Lowe’s puts small project essentials on the fast track

The pilot is operating from Lowe’s store in Matthews, part of the retailer’s Charlotte, NC, home market. Customers in eligible areas can open the DoorDash app and look for the dedicated “Lowe’s by Drone” storefront. If both their address and shopping cart qualify, drone delivery appears as a fulfillment option.

The initial assortment focuses on products that are relatively small and easy to fly, including hand tools, paint products, tape, batteries, soap and all-purpose cleaner. Wing drones can currently carry orders weighing about 2.5 pounds per flight.

That weight limit is an important detail. This isn’t a replacement for the Lowe’s truck pulling up with lumber, a toolbox, or a new appliance. Instead, the drone is being positioned as a solution for those small, time-sensitive purchases that can hold up an entire project.

And 20 minutes changes the equation. Instead of getting in the car, driving to Lowe’s, finding the item, and driving home, a customer may be able to keep working while the missing supply flies over.

Lowe’s isn’t flying into an empty market

The Charlotte launch also gives Lowe’s an advantage: the local drone infrastructure is already there.

Wing and DoorDash began drone delivery in Charlotte in 2025, initially offering food from restaurants including Panera Bread and other local businesses. The network has since expanded across the Charlotte area, with drone operations reaching additional suburbs.

Lowe’s is also joining a much bigger retail experiment. Walmart has been expanding its partnership with Wing, with plans announced in 2026 to add 150 stores and eventually build a network of more than 270 drone delivery locations serving more than 40 million Americans. Walmart currently offers drone delivery to eligible customers in select markets.

Amazon is pursuing its own route through Prime Air. The company says its drone service is targeting nearly 500 US cities and towns by the end of 2026, delivering eligible items in as little as 30 minutes.

DoorDash itself is going further, too. In July, the company announced that it had received FAA Part 135 certification and launched DoorDash Air, its own in-house drone delivery program.

For Lowe’s, then, this isn’t simply a flashy experiment. It’s a test of whether the same technology already delivering meals, groceries, and household goods can solve one of retail’s most relatable problems: I need one small thing, and I need it now.

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