FGIA Releases 2021/2022 Market Studies, Offers Forecast of Fenestration Industry Trends

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance 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.

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 significant 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.

For more information

A Q&A session about the study will take place during the FGIA 2022 Virtual Summer Conference to be held June 6-9. Additional and more detailed information on the residential and commercial fenestration markets is contained in the FGIA 2021/2022 Study of the U.S. Market for Windows, Doors and Skylights, which includes the items listed below.