NASFA Market reports

"Washington, DC The North American Steel Framing Alliance (NASFA) recently released 3 new market reports on residential steel framing. Historically, there has not been a credible mechanism to gather, analyze and distribute vital data about the residential steel marketplace. NASFA has created that mechanism. Fundamental information necessary to the growth of NASFA member companies and the industry as a whole has been compiled and published in 3 significant market reports: Steel vs. Wood Costs: A Case Study, Steel Framing National Market Share, 1997-1999, and Residential Construction Market Characteristics.

** Steel vs. Wood Costs: A Case Study

With co-sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and the NAHB Research Center, NASFA has published the results from the first of 3 time and motion studies conducted on steel and wood framing during construction. Steel vs. Wood Costs: A Case Study is an 18-page report showing the cost difference between framing materials, labor hours, and combined cost totals for 2 identical houses built side-by-side, one steel and one wood in Valparaiso, IN. (Labor hours were converted to cost dollars at $20 per hour for both houses.) Material and labor costs for sixteen subcontractors including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and drywall are also presented.

Summarizes the results from a time and motion study completed in Valparaiso, Indiana, where two identical homes were built side-by-side, one framed with steel and the other with dimensioned lumber. Costs are measured for framing materials and labor, and are totaled. Costs are also tallied for 15 different trades including HVAC, plumbing and electrical. Actual trade labor hours and costs per square foot are provided.

** Steel Framing National Market Share, 1997-1999

NASFA is doing all the necessary things to position steel framing for widespread use, and the national market share data positively reflect those actions. Overall steel shipments into the new residential market have more than doubled from 1997 to 1999. Economically viable floor and walls have shown the highest growth. The opportunity for steel in this market is enormous, representing 16 million steel tons in the U.S. and Canada. Steel Framing National Market Share, 1997-1999 provides a concise overview of the national market data, share and opportunity, for residential steel framing.

Provides a concise overview of the national market share data for residential steel framing, including total market opportunity, new housing characteristics, distribution information, and a comparison of average construction costs. Sources include NAHB Research Center's "Builder Practices Survey" for 1997 through 2000 and the U.S. Census

** Residential Construction Market Characteristics

The U.S. residential construction market is large and fragmented. Housing starts totaled 1.593 million units for all of 2000. 93 percent of the single family new homebuilders started less than 25 annual units. According to the 1997 Census of Construction (part of the Economic Census conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census every 5 years), 656,000 construction establishments existed with current payrolls that employed 5.7 million workers and are worth $859 billion. NASFA's Residential Construction Market Characteristics describes this information in detail, providing a comprehensive structure of the market, building materials used including steel, and consumer attitudes, concerns, awareness and preferences for structural building materials. This 14-page report sites resources including NAHB's "Housing Economics", the NAHB Research Center, and the U.S. Bureau of Census.

Defines and describes the new residential construction market in the U.S., providing the most recent statistics available to show number of construction establishments, definitions of establishments, annual number of housing starts by builder category and type, and distribution channels. Consumer preferences for structural material usage are also included. Sources include NAHB's "Housing Economics" 10/00 issue and NAHB Research Center amoung others.