Many of the following areas of economic consulting carried out at BRANZ use the expertise of other testing and consulting sections in BRANZ. This enables the Economics team to provide an integrated package in the areas of product development and planning. 

• Market size for products
• Forecasts of building activity
• Cost studies
• New Homeowners Satisfaction Survey Study Report (coming soon)
• Condition and building inventory surveys
• Additional areas of work and consulting
• Historical economics information

Market size for products

The Economics section can help analyse and forecast demand for building material products and services in New Zealand and Australia. Specific areas include:

• A quarterly survey to builders on the use of building materials.
• Market segmentation studies - estimation of market size for existing and new products e.g. roofing, wall claddings, linings, floors, windows, doors, etc.
• Forecasts of demand for your product.

Forecasts of building activity

• Forecasts for dwellings and non-residential building work, including regional breakdowns.
• Discussion of demand drivers including demographics, economic factors, and Government policy.

Cost studies

• The costs and benefits of new systems and comparisons with existing products.
• Life cycle cost analysis of products, systems and buildings.

Condition and building inventory surveys

• Surveys of the physical condition of buildings, and their maintenance requirements, e.g. rental housing, education buildings, health buildings.
• Development of maintenance models.

Additional areas of work and consulting

• Existing housing stock profiles (numbers, types and location).
• New housing profiles and characteristics (numbers, floor areas. storeys, materials, efficiency, measures and location).
• Existing non-residential stock profiles (numbers, type and location).
• New non-residential building profiles and characteristics (numbers, type of building, floor areas, location and materials).
• Residential alterations and additions work (market size and types of work).

BRANZ materials survey

A quarterly postal survey sent to builders and designers using builders addresses obtained from consent lists published by territorial authorities. This survey asks question for the specific consent identified from the consent lists. The responses are approximately 1,200 new houses, 400 dwelling alterations and additions, and 400 non-residential buildings per year. View an example of a survey form.

Building Research Levy work

The Building Research Levy funds some of the work the Economics Section does. These projects are available free on this site.

New housing price modelling: A study report that examines the components that affect the cost of new housing, including land costs. It enables the effect of cost movements in various components and inputs to be quantified as an overall housing price change.

Wall claddings life cycle analysis tool is a downloadable excel spreadsheet that compares domestic wall claddings using life cycle costs, embodied energy and recyclability as parameters that are combined in a weighted evaluation system.

For more information, contact branz@branz.co.nz.