Buying Used Construction Materials: Keep Costs Down

According to the American Institute of Architects, nonresidential construction is projected to grow 4.7% by year-end, and another 4.0% in 2019. Both of these estimates are an increase from the 4.0% and 3.9% 2018 and 2019 forecasts, respectively, at the beginning of the year. These numbers look promising, right?

Consider that, as we wrote in August, the prices of structural steel rose significantly from 2017 to 2018. The World Steel Association predicts that the demand for finished steel will grow “at 1.4% globally” and 1.0% in the U.S. in 2019.

Long Story Short…Prices Are Going to Rise

The law of demand tells us that as the demand goes up, so does its price (and vice versa). Add up the projected growths in construction and demand for steel, plus the tariffs enacted on steel earlier this year, and the answer becomes clearer: The cost of steel is going to rise in 2019.

This all may be starting to sound scary, but you can still take advantage of the growth in construction projects and keep costs down.

Benefits of Buying Used Structural Steel

Take a look at the chart below. Depending on which type of steel you’re looking for, you can save more than 40% buying from sellers using Eiffel Trading’s marketplace versus buying new:

2018 average prices

In addition to the huge monetary savings, there’s also an environmental benefit to buying used material: purchasing used or surplus materials keeps it out of landfills. Beams and pipes often can be reused as-is, which saves energy and other resources by avoiding the recycling process.

Get Started Today

Eiffel Trading has one simple solution: buy used and surplus materials. Read how we saved one contractor over $200,000 on materials alone, and over $2 million on their entire project in just two months!

Buy and Sell with Eiffel Trading

From used excavators and used dozers to used sheet pile and used wide flange beams, our online marketplace has it all.

All of our listings are constantly being updated, but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, create a wanted listing for free.

Ready to sell your used heavy equipment or construction material? List your products today for free on Eiffel Trading’s online marketplace.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please call us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.