Softwood lumber substitution in the U.S. residential construction industry in 1994

Material substitution in the residential construction industry is driven by a variety of factors including product availability, product performance, price, price stability, and in-place costs. As competition between softwood 1umber and substitute products increases, managers need to understand end-users' changing perceptions of softwood lumber and the competitive position of softwood 1umber vis a vis substitute products. This exploratory study was developed to assess the competitive relationship between softwood lumber and substitute products in structural end-use applications in the US residential construction industry. In particular, the study was designed to identify those product attributes that are perceived by residential contractors to be important in influencing the substitution process. Over 90% of the respondents indicated that they had used at least one substitute product for softwood lumber in a structural end-use application. Despite this, respondents indicated that their use of structural softwood lumber is changing only moderately.