Demand for Plumbing Fixtures and Fittings to Reach $10.8 Billion in 2013

Demand for plumbing fixtures and fittings in the US is expected to advance 1.9 percent annually through 2013 to $10.8 billion.  Gains will be driven by the rebounding US residential construction market, as housing completions rise from the low levels experienced in 2008.   Continuing consumer interest in homes with more and larger bathrooms will promote demand for fixtures and associated fittings.  Further advances in demand will be driven by increasing consumer desire for fixtures and fittings that reduce water use and utility bills.  Gains in plumbing product shipments will lag that of demand as imports expand at a rapid pace through 2013.  These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Plumbing Fixtures & Fittings, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Demand for plumbing fixtures is forecast to advance 2.6 percent per year to $5.9 billion in 2013.  Gains will be driven by rising consumer demand for such high-end products as whirlpool bathtubs and hot tubs and spas, which are perceived to add luxury and value to homes.  Further advances in demand will be promoted by consumer desire for homes with multiple bathrooms.  In the nonresidential market, gains will be restrained by weakness in construction expenditures, as building projects are scaled back or cancelled altogether.

Demand for plumbing fittings is projected to rise 1.0 percent per year to $4.9 billion in 2013.  The residential market will account for the majority of these gains, as rebounding housing completions and consumer interest in bathroom renovation projects will promote advances in demand.  Gains will be derived from increasing interest in low-flow fittings that reduce water consumption and lower utility bills.  However, value gains will be checked by metal prices, which are forecast to decline through 2013.

The residential market accounted for 58 percent of plumbing product demand in 2008.  Through 2013, this segment will post above-average gains, as housing completions advance and homeowners continue to upgrade their homes by adding to and increasing the number of their bathrooms, and expanding and modernizing their kitchens.  These projects often call for the replacement of many fixtures and fittings.  Demand for plumbing fixtures and fittings in the nonresidential building construction market will decline slightly, reflecting reduced construction spending trends in many segments. 

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.