Prime Window Demand Growth to Continue Through This Year Before Flattening, says FGIA Report
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance has released the FGIA 2021/2022 Study of the U.S. Market for Windows, Doors and Skylights. This bi-annual report delivers timely information on residential and non-residential market trends and product relationships for both residential and non-residential fenestration products. Forecasts are based on projections of construction activity as of April 2022.
Residential
Total housing starts grew significantly in 2021, with the highest growth in multi-family at 22 percent, following a slowdown in 2020. Going forward, the overall new housing market is expected to continue to grow in 2022 and then decline slightly in 2023 and 2024, with a decline of 5 percent currently forecasted for 2024.
The demand for prime windows grew by 8.8 percent in 2021, while windows in new housing increased by 13 percent in 2021, with an increase of 5 percent forecasted for 2022 before flattening in 2023 and declining by 5 percent in 2024. Remodeling and replacement window demand grew in 2021 by 5 percent and is forecast to grow in 2022 by 5 percent, with growth of 3 and 2 percent in 2023 and 2024.
In the residential market, 2021 new construction demand for entry doors grew by 8 percent. Meanwhile, entry door remodeling and replacement interest, which continues to represent a significantly larger share of the total, declined at 2 percent. The total market grew by 2 percent versus 2020 and is expected to have continued growth through 2024.
In 2021, the market for residential-type skylights grew, representing a 6 percent increase in overall unit shipments compared to 2020, and a 10 percent increase compared to 2019. The increase in 2021 was driven primarily by double digit growth seen in new construction activity, with remodel and replacement growing in the single digits.
Non-residential
Contract awards reflect activity related to new construction and major additions to existing structures. Actual fenestration shipments for non-residential building activity typically lags contract awards by up to one year or more. This cycle can shorten or lengthen tremendously depending on the complexity or size of a building and when the specific building product is installed during the construction cycle.
The 2021 contract award total saw a 5 percent increase from 2020. The manufacturing/warehouse category increased by 38 percent in 2021, while contract awards in office/hotel/institutional decreased by 6 percent and remained flat in store/mercantile. Contract awards are expected to increase by about 8 percent in 2022, and to continue growing in 2023.
Storefront windows represent the largest market segment by vision area with 27.1 percent of the overall non-residential glazing in 2021, followed closely by site-fabricated windows representing 26.5 percent.
The 2021 market for non-residential entry doors in the U.S. showed decline, with 2021 volume down 11 percent over 2020 and down 20 percent since 2019.
The study estimates that the total U.S. market for commercial unit skylights in 2021 represents a 1 percent increase from 2019. Unit sizes commonly average in the range of 22 to 25 square feet but can vary dramatically. Nearly all commercial unit skylights are aluminum framed, and most use some form of plastic glazing. Acrylic is most common. In 2021, new construction applications represented approximately 33 percent of the total, down from 35 percent in 2019 due to a lack of non-residential construction activity.
A Q&A session about the study will take place during the FGIA 2022 Virtual Summer Conference to be held June 6-9.
