“Rock the Block” is coming in hot for Season six, Episode five Monday night, May 12.
And with only three episodes to go, season six of HGTV’s most popular competition show, “Rock the Block” is anybody’s game.
All four teams each have one win under their belts. And all four are running out of money.
Get out your scorecards. Here’s what to expect as the competition goes down to the wire.
Teams are Tasked With Taking on Homes’ Lower Levels
HGTV says episode five is titled, “This Is Where We Have Fun.” The teams will be tasked with taking on their homes’ lower levels, including unfinished spaces and kitchenettes.
“Battle on the Mountain” and “100 Day Hotel Challenge” star Kim Myles will be the guest judge for this episode.
And to add to the drama, the teams are still recovering from an exhausting challenge in episode four, when they had just 48 hours to transform a bonus loft and staircase. The teams worked ’round the clock- each assigned a different theme.
Alison Victoria and Michel Smith Boyd were tasked with making an office space. Jonathan Knight, who was flying solo while brother Jordan was away, took on a wellness and relaxation zone. Chelsea and Cole DeBoer got stuck with a gaming/tech space- the one choice they did NOT want. And Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama created a kid zone.
In a twist, episode four had the teams judging each other instead of bringing in a guest job like previous and subsequent episodes.
In the end, the Kalama’s design won the day, and an extra $4,500 to put toward the episode five challenge.
Budgets are Getting Tight With Big Tasks Left to Tackle
This season, the “Rock the Block” block is a neighborhood just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, where the four teams are renovating identical modern properties that boast mountain views, soaring interior spaces and the largest backyards in series history.
Those backyards will be on the agenda for episode six.
But coming up with the cash to tackle everything may be tricky.
Each team was given $250,000 for renovations.
And each team has won one challenge, which pocketed $3,000 for the winning team, 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 have each added $4,500 to their total budget, while the Kalamas have added $6,000 and the DeBoers just $3,000.
Still, each team has spent much of their budget at this point. Alison and Michel went big on the episode one kitchen-dining-living room challenge, allocating $110,000 and then going over budget after a countertop crisis. The DeBoers and the Knight Brothers spent considerably less- just $65,000 each- on those spaces.
But episode four challenges came fully supplied, meaning no one had to dip into their budgets.
But episode two’s additional living spaces and episode three’s main suite have taken another $60,000-$80,000 out of each team’s coffers. Which means for some teams, there’s not much left.
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.
Week Five and a New Space
The houses lower levels add up to 1,300 square feet of space, some of it unfinished.
Ty tells the four teams to reimagine the living space, create a fully functional second kitchen and “tackle an unfinished level where the sky is the limit.” Ty explains that a lower level is very important to families during Utah’s harsh winters.
The DeBoers, who live in South Dakota, understand the mission better than anyone.
Jonathan and Jordan Knight reject the idea of turning the large space into a gym and decide instead to go for a party room vibe. They plan a soundproof music studio with a vocal room. Jonathan suggests a budget of $40,000 but Jordan is skeptical that they can get such a large space done for that amount.
The Kalamas explore the large space, first thinking of a massive game room, but then throw in the idea of multi-generational living. They throw out ideas for a fireplace, a theater room and a wine storage room. They set a tight budget of $35,000.
The DeBoers declared the fifth challenge “a fresh start.” They envision the space as an adult space for poker tables, pool tables, and a full kitchen with a shuffle board table where the island would normally be.
Then they focus on the kids with a nostalgic arcade. The DeBoers say they have about $90,000 left, but will only spend $35,000 on this challenge.
Alison and Michel plan to mirror their main green kitchen upstairs, but with a more casual vibe and an oval island.
Alison pitches pickleball to a very skeptical Michel. He’s not sold, but agrees if they add a wellness area. Michel points out he’s the only winner ever to return to “Rock the Block,” and he’s feeling the pressure. The team sets the lowest budget of the four at just $30,000.
The Rookie Teams Do the Equivalent of a Dumpster Dive
The DeBoers and Kalamas hit up the scrap wood pile behind the houses for free materials.
Alison leans into the pickle ball court despite Michel’s reservations. She admits it’s a risk, but says if a bowling alley can win in season five, why not pickleball in season six.
Jonathan and Jordan tap into the $3,000 they received for winning episode three to build a custom wood bar. The guys stop for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for energy, saying that’s what they eat before every “New Kids on the Block” concert.
Michel and Alison bring the green – both in tile in the second kitchen and with greenery stapled to the walls in their wellness space.
The DeBoers lay in a retro arcade carpet that’s dark with a bright, busy pattern to hide spills.
With Two Days Left in the Challenge, Teams Focus on Details
Jonathan and Jordan Knight work on building a ping pong table, with plans to paint it black. They declare that nothing in their “green room” concept needs to actually be green.
The Kalamas create a darkened theater room with surround sound. And the promise a wine rack that holds at least 150 bottles. But they worry that their plan to turn a larger space into two smaller spaces might not be a win with the judges.
The Knight Brothers bring in soundproofing and a glass door to create a vocal booth, leaning into their background as musicians.
The DeBoers begin building their shuffleboard island, and splurge on quartz countertops with the money they saved replacing cabinetry with a shuffleboard.
Alison brings in a graffiti artist to paint a large Roman bust on one wall.
The Kalamas make a budget choice to use peel-and-stick tile on their hood vent, but they aren’t happy about it.
With time running out, the teams scramble to add the finishing touches to their spaces.
Kim Myles Shows Up to Judge the Spaces
“Design Star” winner Kim Myles lands in Utah to judge the spaces. Remember, this year, the judges aren’t told whose space they’re looking at.
Kim starts in Jonathan and Jordan Knight’s space, saying it makes her feel “some kinda way.” She loves the moody vibe and the custom ping pong table. She wishes there was a little art on the blank black wall.
She calls the music space inspiring. She finds the overall design amazing. But she does say the design is “very, very niche.”
Next up, the Kalamas. Kim says the space feels “harmonious and comfortable.” She calls their palette “unexpected.” And says the fireplace is a great additon. But she dings them for the peel and stick on the vent hood.
She is “floored” by the movie room, saying “anybody is going to love this.” And she loves the wine room. Kim doesn’t mind the divided spaces, calling it “luxe.”
Then it’s on to Alison and Michel’s second green kitchen. She loves the emerald tile with pistachio cabinets. She loves the oval island. She says it all adds “a mood, a vibe, a texture that you can’t get any other way.” But she feels like not incorporating green on the other side of the room is a missed opportunity.
She calls the pickleball court “fun.” But she feels like having the cold plunge and sauna, along with the bold mural- all in the pickleball space, has too many things competing against each other.
Then it’s on to the DeBoers, where she loves the shuffleboard island. But she especially loves their bold backsplash.
Kim walks into the arcade and declares, “I am a child again!” She says all the custom details are fun, but are “so not to everyone’s taste.”
Now it’s time to pick a winner.
And the Winner of Episode Five Is…
Now it’s time to find out who will get the bragging rights of two wins to everyone else’s one.
Kim Myles gives all the teams a bravo, saying “spectacular work.”
Kim hands out compliments and a few criticisms. Finally it’s time to declare a winner.
The Kalamas take the prize making it two wins in a row! Kim says the theater space is what put them over the top. The Kalamas will now have an extra $3,000 to put toward next week’s challenge. And their fellow rookies, the DeBoers, will get an extra $1,500.
How to Watch ‘Rock the Block’
New episodes of “Rock the Block” will air on HGTV every Monday night at 9:00p.m. ET. Each episode will be available to stream the next day on Max and Discovery+.
Next up: Episode six 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.
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.”
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‘Rock the Block’ Episode 5 : Live Results