Dollars and sense
Percentage-wise, the cost difference for the framing is less than 10 percent, so the additional cost is minimal. Still, some reject the slightly higher price or can't come to grips with a different technology.
On the other hand, some customers know steel is what they want. They were sold on the design flexibility and the structural integrity before ever coming to us. They are more interested in the higher quality, and they aren't concerned about penny-pinching on the bottom line.
Steel framing piques the interest of a lot of people. Flexibility is certainly a big seller for many customers. The strength of steel allows you to build designs with much larger open spaces and larger spans than with wood. Throw in the fire resistance, the reduced waste, and how easy it goes up, and you end up with a home that is far superior to wood. And it's easy to recycle.
It goes back to preparation. When you plan a steel frame correctly, it reduces the amount of waste that goes to a landfill. Since everything we do is cut to length, on-site waste can be carried off in a 50-gallon drum. On a wood frame, it's a couple dump trucks. Typically what we do waste, we just turn around and recycle.
You can better manage costs as well, because steel framing generally has more price stability than wood. You also manage onsite labor costs better, since more of the work is done in the office. Then there are the big savings on waste management.
From a builder's perspective, steel is a product that is going to continue to grow. Currently, less than 5 percent of the residential market is with light-gauge steel, but it is becoming more and more attractive to homebuyers. The opportunity for growth is tremendous.
This article is provided by the Partnership for Advancing Technologies in Housing (PATH).
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