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                                                                      EXHIBIT 24

                              POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, Frank Borman, a director of The
Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint Bernard
Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of
April, 1997.

                                                    /s/ Frank Borman
                                                   --------------------------
                                                    (Frank Borman)




   2

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, John L. Clendenin, a director of
The Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint Bernard
Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day of
April, 1997.

                                        /s/ John L. Clendenin
                                        ----------------------------------
                                        (John L. Clendenin)




   3






                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, Johnnetta B. Cole, a director of
The Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint Bernard
Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of
April, 1997.

                                        /s/ Johnnetta B. Cole
                                        --------------------------------
                                        (Johnnetta B. Cole)



   4






                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, Berry R. Cox, a director of The
Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint Bernard
Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of
April, 1997.

                                        /s/ Berry R. Cox
                                        --------------------------------
                                        (Berry R. Cox)




   5






                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, Milledge A. Hart, III, a director
of The Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint
Bernard Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of
April, 1997.

                                     /s/ Milledge A. Hart, III
                                     -------------------------------------
                                     (Milledge A. Hart, III)




   6






                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, Donald R. Keough, a director of
The Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint Bernard
Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of
April, 1997.

                                     /s/ Donald R. Keough
                                     -----------------------------------
                                     (Donald R. Keough)




   7






                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, Kenneth G. Langone, a director of
The Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint Bernard
Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of
April, 1997.

                                /s/ Kenneth G. Langone
                                --------------------------------------
                                (Kenneth G. Langone)




   8






                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, M. Faye Wilson, a director of The
Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, do constitute and appoint Bernard
Marcus and Ronald M. Brill, jointly and severally, my true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, each with full power of substitution, for me in any and all
capacities, to sign, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Annual Report of the Corporation on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year of the Corporation ended February 2, 1997, and to file the same with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, together with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith, including such as are incorporated
therein by reference, and to sign on my behalf and in my stead, in any and all
capacities, any amendments to said Annual Report, incorporating such changes as
any of the said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of
April, 1997.

                                /s/ M. Faye Wilson
                                ------------------------------------
                                (M. Faye Wilson)