It’s time for the next-to-last episode of Season six of “Rock the Block,” and you can bet tensions are high.
And budgets are low. Making the last two episodes a numbers game in so many ways.
Episode six airs Monday, May 19, and sees the four teams take on what may be their biggest challenge yet, at least in terms of space- tackling each home’s massive one-acre backyard with budgets that have been strained to the breaking point.
The episode is titled “In This Case, Size Matters.” While viewers will be watching the drama unfold in the spring weather of May 19, for the competitors it’s snowing in Week Six.
We know from an Instagram post by Jonathan Knight last November that “Rock the Block” was filming then. And in Utah, that means some serious cold weather.
But HGTV says nevertheless, “the competition heats up and heads into the backyard where teams need big ideas to fill a big space. Bigger is better this week as Rock the Block reigning champions Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis (“Unsellable Houses”) return as judges.”
‘Rock the Block’ Recap : Where the Teams Stand
Each team started with a $250,000 budget.
Each team has won one challenge, with the exception of Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama, who got their second win in episode five.
Challenge wins have added $3,000 for the winning team each week, and $1,500 for the rookie or veteran counterpart team. The exception- episode four when the Kalamas kept all $4,500. Which means the veterans and the DeBoers have each added $4,500 to their total budget. But the Kalamas have now added $9,000.
‘Rock the Block’ Is a Numbers Game
“Rock the Block” doesn’t offer viewers a running tally of how much each team has spent. But some quick math using each team’s budget for each episode reveals a ballpark number for what they have left to spend.
And considering what they have left to do, it’s not much.
“Windy City Rehab’s” Alison Victoria and Season 4 champion, “Luxe for Less” designer Michel Smith Boyd went big on the first challenge in episode one. The pair budgeted $110,000 for their kitchen-living-dining space. And then went over budget due to a countertop crisis. They’re reined in their expenses on subsequent episodes. But they still find themselves with about $40,000 of their original $250,000 left going into episode six. Add in their $4,500 in challenge winnings and they have less than $45,000 to complete the backyard and then finish strong in episode seven.
“Farmhouse Fixer’s” Jonathan Knight and his New Kids on the Block bandmate and brother Jordan Knight have been a bit more frugal. They spent only $65,000 for episode one’s kitchen-dining-living challenge, and substantially less for each challenge after that. By our math, they have about $65,000 of their original $250,000 left going into episode six. Add in their $4,500 in challenge winnings and they have just under $70,000 to complete the backyard and then get their home ready for appraisal in episode seven. That’s at least $10,000 more than any other team.
“Renovation Aloha’s” Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama spent slightly less than Alison and Michel for the episode one challenge. But they still set a $100,000 budget for their kitchen-living-dining spaces. And they spent slight MORE for other challenges. By our figures, they are also going into episode six with about $40,000 of their original $250,000. But they have $9,000 in challenge winnings to add to that pot. That gives them just under $50,000 to complete the backyard and then put on final touches on their home in episode seven.
“Down Home Fab’s” Chelsea and Cole DeBoer also kept the budget tight for the big episode one challenge. They spent just $65,000 on the kitchen-living-dining spaces. But they’ve spent a little more than the Knight Brothers overall. That leaves them about $55,000 of their original $250,000 left going into episode six. Add in their $4,500 in challenge winnings and they have just under $60,000 to fix up the backyard and then get their home ready for appraisal in episode seven.
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers for “Rock the Block” season 6 episode 5, (May 12, 2025). Do not read ahead if you do not want the winner of this episode spoiled.
Episode Six Takes the Teams Outside
The teams are tasked with tackling their massive but barren backyards. HGTV says the yards are the biggest in the history of the show.
And to add insult to injury, the weather isn’t cooperating for the first episode outdoors.
The episode starts with snowflakes blowing sideways and teams huddling in the cold. Ty explains this week’s challenge- and then drops a bomb- each team gets an extra $50,000! And Wayfair will provide outdoor furniture and decor.
The teams have seven days to overhaul the massive spaces.
The Teams Make a Plan for the Cash Infusion
The Knight Brothers strategize a greenhouse and raised flower beds. They plan a fire pit. A back porch with a glass railing. They want to add automated blinds and an outdoor dining space. They plan to max out their budget, using not only the extra $50,000 but throwing in another $15,000 from their original stash.
Alison and Michel plan for a minimal deck with a glass railing. They lay out a gravel area with a hot tub and a fire pit. Then they plan an L-shaped container turned into a casita. Alison says she lived in Utah for years and will call in some favors. They also plan to go with a $65,000 budget.
The Kalamas are overwhelmed by the size of the yard compared to the typical 5,000 to 7,500 square foot yards of Hawaii. But then they start to dream. They plan a sunken hot tub for the deck, with glass railings to maximize the view. They plan fire pit and a large patch of grass. Then they go even bigger, planning a pickleball court, a cold plunge pool and an outdoor shower. The Kalamas plan to only use the extra $50,000 and not dip into their original budget.
The DeBoers plan for black railings on the deck. And they’re not intimidated since their backyard at home is 25 acres. They plan for an in-ground trampoline and the “biggest playset we can find.” Then Cole DeBoer goes even bigger. He wants to fence in the yard with a 6 or 7-foot wooden fence. They set their budget at $60,000.
The Construction Begins
The teams quickly get to work, braving the cold weather. Michel explains the choice to use cedar wood, which will withstand the extreme in temperature.
The Knight brothers start to worry that they’re not doing enough. They decide to add a goat farm. “Goats are the way to go, goats have personality,” Jordan says. They bump up their budget by another $10,000.
The DeBoers acknowledge that an in-ground trampoline is a risky move and hope this week’s judges “like to have fun.”
The Kalamas kick it up a notch by adding a gas line to the fire pit rather than using a propane tank.
Ty Pennington Drops a Surprise on Day 3 of the Challenge
As the teams hit day 3 of the challenge, Ty Pennington summons them to a warehouse in Salt Lake City.
The warehouse is full of sculptures. And they’re made by the “largest climate-controlled 3-D printer in the United States.” The teams get to harness the power of the robot, teaming up with a 3-D printing designer to create something for their backyards.
The teams each work with a designer to come up with innovative ideas.
Then the teams receive a massive delivery of all the big items for each yard. Alison and Michel promise they have “something a little bigger coming tomorrow.”
The Knight Brothers Go for the GOAT But the DeBoers Let It Slide
Jordan brings in goats and puts them in their new barn. “Goats are just dogs with hooves,” he declares.
But the DeBoers are focused on the greatest playset of all time, constructing massive slides.
Then Alison and Michel’s container casita arrives. Alison explains that the casita should not only assure their win this episode, but the whole competition. The casita has a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
3-D Designs Are Delivered
Halfway through episode six, the teams’ 3-D designs start to arrive.
The teams have just one day to finish up their yards. Michel wishes they had added sod instead of going with gravel, but hopes plants in their 3-D printed planters will make up for it.
The Kalamas are thrilled with their pickleball court and especially thrlled that it’s not in the basement like their competition.
The Knights love their 3-D bench and say “our backyard may look like a farm, but at least it doesn’t look like a loading dock.” But Alison says while the container may not look great, it adds tremendous value.
Let the Judging Begin
Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis of “Unsellable Houses” show up to judge the backyards. The twins season five of “Rock the Block.”
With this year’s blind judging, they don’t know whose backyard they’re looking at first. But it’s the DeBoers. The twins call it a “kids’ paradise.” They love the built-in trampoline and the massive playground with four slides. They call the fence a “huge added value.” But they do say that the DeBoers pigeon-holed themselves as a kid home.
Then they head for Jonathan and Jordan Knight’s backyard. “Oh there’s goats!” they exclaim. They love the goat farm but accidentally let them all out and have to chase them down. Once everyone is safely back in the pen, they head for the vegetable garden. They say a fence would have been “key” to control the goats. They love the retractable screens on the back deck. And they especially love the greenhouse complete with electricity and a long dining table, calling it “huge added value.”
Next up, the Kalama’s backyard. They love the different textures and elements. They love that the fire pit is plumbed for gas. They love the idea of the outdoor shower but wish it was positioned better for privacy. They try their hand at pickleball without much success, but say it’s still a “huge value add.” And on the deck, they question if it was worth using up so much deck space for the sunken hot tub.
Then it’s on to Alison and Michel’s backyard. They’re a bit surprised by the lack of grass and the sparseness. But they love the cedar hot tub and the built-in fire pit. They go inside the casita and are immediately impressed. They say, “I love the idea of having this but I don’t love the idea of looking at it everyday from my backyard.”
And now it’s time to pick a winner for episode six.
And the Winner Is…
Ty Pennington brings out Lyndsay and Leslie. The twins hand out plenty of compliments to each team. For the DeBoers, the fence is key. For the Knight brothers, the goats are big but the greenhouse and screen for the back deck are bigger.
For the Kalamas, the pickleball court gets props, as does the gas line to the fire pit. But they do get dinged for the hot tub taking up so much of the deck.
Alison and Michel get praise for the simplicity of the all-rock backyard. The container is called added value “but is a little bit hard to look at.” And the twins point out it wouldn’t be easy to change.
But when it’s all said and done, only one team can win.
And that’s Jonathan and Jordan Knight! The goats make them the GOATS, or at least the greatest of this episode. The win gives them an extra $3,000 for the final challenge. And it adds $1,500 to Alison and Michel’s budget to finish off their house and get it ready for appraisal.
How to Watch ‘Rock the Block’
No matter who wins each challenge, when it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is how much each team’s house appraises for when all the renovations are done. The team with the highest appraisal will see their names on the street sign.
And that’s what we’ll find out in the seventh and final episode of season six.
The episode is titled simply “And the Winner Is..” HGTV’s description says, “the teams empty their budgets and race to finish their homes before a winner is declared! “Property Brother” Jonathan Scott and Ty Pennington judge before the teams have the chance to tour each other’s houses for the first time.”
The season finale of “Rock the Block” airs on HGTV Monday, May 26 at 9:00p.m. ET, and will be available to stream the next day on Max and Discovery+.
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‘Rock the Block’ Episode 6: LIVE Results