Sector Building materials comprise a tremendously broad product sector, potentially encompassing almost all materials and chemicals imaginable. In order to efficiently accomplish the desired scope of work in a relatively brief time frame, we sought to clearly articulate what to include in the product sector definition. Our definition statement is as follows:
A broad definition of building material includes any material from which a structure or building is made and encompasses any number of materials both building specific and improvised. This definition includes any number of materials ranging from industrial products such as glass and steel to natural materials as simple as straw to salvaged items such as cardboard and tin cans. The type of materials used in buildings varies widely based on regional and economic considerations.
For the purpose of this study, building materials are considered as existing within the realm of consumer products, including but not limited to products manufactured or processed with the intended or common end use as a component of a building or structure. This study limits consideration to building components which can be reasonably considered as permanent components of buildings including fixed elements such as framing, sheathing, and decking and excluding non-fixed elements such as drapery and furnishings.

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