US Window and Door Demand to Exceed $34 Billion in 2016

Demand for windows and doors in the US is forecast to rise 10 percent per year to $34.2 billion in 2016.  Growth will be spurred by a rebound in housing completions and gains in building construction spending from a depressed 2011 base.  From 2006 to 2011, both housing completions and construction expenditures dropped precipitously, causing window and door demand to experience a similar decline.  These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Windows & Doors, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.  

Among material types, plastic windows and doors will see the fastest gains through 2016, advancing nearly 12 percent per year to $9.8 billion.  Growth will be driven by continuing demand for plastic products because consumers perceive them as energy efficient and providing a high degree of value.  Plastic windows and doors have taken market share from wood and metal products in recent decades and will continue to do so over the forecast period.  Efforts by manufacturers to improve the aesthetics of plastic products by offering fiberglass doors with woodgrain textures or vinyl windows in a wider range of colors will promote demand in both unit and value terms.

Metal windows and doors accounted for the largest share of window and door demand in 2011, and are expected to continue to lead the market in 2016.  Rebounding housing activity will spur gains.  Population growth in the South and West will promote demand, as metal products are often installed in those regions because there is less concern about heat loss through fenestration products.  Increasing nonresidential building construction spending will also boost metal window and door demand.  Metal products are often installed in nonresidential structures because of their durability and low cost.

Demand for wood windows and doors is forecast to rise 10.2 percent per year to $10.4 billion in 2016.  Demand for wood products will be checked by competition from plastic windows and doors, which provide superior energy efficiency and durability at lower cost.  However, consumer perception of wood as an aesthetically pleasing material that adds value to a home will help boost demand.  Many builders and homeowners, especially in the mid-range and high end housing markets, will continue to specify wood products.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.