Pricing Research for Construction
Pricing in construction is rarely determined at a single point in the value chain. The same product can move from manufacturer to distributor, wholesaler or merchant, installer, and finally to the building owner — with different margins, discounts, rebates, and mark-ups applied along the way. That means there is rarely one single “price” for a product. The manufacturer’s net invoice price, the merchant’s selling price, the contractor’s purchase price, and the installed cost for the client may all be different, yet all are relevant for making the right pricing decision. Our pricing research maps these price points across the construction value chain. We combine channel price benchmarking with proven pricing research methods such as Van Westendorp, Gabor-Granger, and choice-based conjoint. The result is a pricing recommendation that reflects both market acceptance and the commercial reality of how construction products are bought, sold, and applied.
30+
years of exclusive construction focus
In-house
Van Westendorp, Gabor-Granger, conjoint
4 levels
manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, installer
50+
countries of B2B pricing fieldwork
Our clients
What We Measure
Price Corridor & Demand Curve
Van Westendorp intersections (too cheap, cheap, expensive, too expensive) and a Gabor-Granger demand curve of purchase intent at each price point. Revenue-maximising and share-maximising points identified separately.
Feature-Price Trade-Offs
Choice-based conjoint with brand, feature, and price as attributes, valuing each and separating brand premium from feature premium. Adaptive conjoint for long attribute lists, common in tools, windows, and doors.
Price Elasticity
How demand responds to a 5 or 10 percent move at a given price, for promotional planning and to stress-test an increase. Reported per SKU and per country.
Channel Margins & Pricing Structure
Price corridor at each step, manufacturer to distributor to merchant to installer to client, plus the margins needed to secure shelf presence and the installer mark-up that holds across the chain.
Competitive Price Benchmarking
Actual transacted or quoted prices for direct competitors, by region, channel, and pack size. Verified through dealer interviews, merchant intelligence, and mystery quotes where the brief needs it.
Subsectors Covered
Subsector
Adhesives and Sealants
Price sensitivity at tube and bulk level among applicators. Bundle and merchant promotions tested where relevant.
Subsector
Roofing
Tile, underlay, and accessory pricing among roofers and distributors. System pricing tested separately from individual SKU pricing.
Subsector
Facade
Cladding system pricing among contractors and specifiers. Certification premium tested as a conjoint attribute.
Subsector
Insulation
Price per square metre tested against thermal and acoustic performance. Warranty premium often outweighs headline R-value premium.
Subsector
Doors and Windows
SKU pricing among installers and wholesalers. Conjoint on glazing, frame material, and warranty.
Subsector
Paint and Coatings
Pricing among professional decorators. Merchant promotional structures tested where relevant.
Subsector
Tools and Consumables
Pricing among professionals and DIY consumers. Conjoint on platform, battery, brand, and warranty.
Subsector
Building Materials, Walls and Ceilings, Civil and Infrastructure
Pricing among contractors with regulated or tender-based purchase.
Note: This is a portion of the subsectors and product categories we cover within construction research.
How Construction Pricing Research Works - Example Project
Example project
Scenario: a manufacturer of pre-wall toilet systems wants to set price for a new range across DE, NL, and PL, locking list price, trade discount structure, and wholesale margin before launch.
Design: CATI with 200 plumbers and installers per country, plus 80 wholesaler interviews per country. Van Westendorp on three configurations defines the corridor for installers and for wholesale stocking, Gabor-Granger layered on top measures intent at five price points around the optimum, and a competitive benchmarking phase collects transacted prices for the three nearest competitors from named installers and merchants.
Output: recommended manufacturer net price with the supporting installer corridor, the wholesale margin needed to secure shelf presence, expected installer mark-up, and elasticity at the recommended point. The country comparison flags where pricing needs to diverge from a pan-European policy.
Note: This is an example of a typical project design, not a fixed process. Pricing a new tile adhesive among applicators looks different.
Target Audiences
Note: Audience mix is tailored to each project.
Architects [CATI]
Perceived value, premium acceptance, willingness to specify at higher price.
Specifiers and Engineers [CATI]
Technical premium acceptance, lifecycle pricing.
Main Contractors and Subcontractors [CATI]
Purchase price, channel mark-up.
Trade Specialists [CATI]
Roofers, facade fitters, glaziers, tilers, dryliners, painters. Installer-level pricing and mark-up.
Wholesalers and Merchants [CATI]
Stocking price, margin, promotional response.
Building Owners and Real Estate Developers [CATI / IDI]
Capex willingness, total cost of ownership.
DIY Consumers and Self-Builders [CAWI]
Retail-facing categories with Van Westendorp and Gabor-Granger embedded.
Our Advantage
We collect the price benchmark at the right link in the chain. Asking a contractor what they pay for adhesive is one number. Asking the merchant what they charge is another. Asking the manufacturer what they invoice is a third. A generalist agency picks one. We collect all three when the brief calls for it, because the answer depends on the level you set price at.
We pair Van Westendorp with conjoint when the question goes past "what is the corridor." Van Westendorp tells you the floor and ceiling. Conjoint tells you which features can move you to the ceiling. Most agencies pick one. We pick the right tool, and when one is not enough we use both.
We give you a price you can defend in a Monday morning meeting. Manufacturer net, recommended wholesaler margin, expected installer mark-up, elasticity at the recommended point, country pattern. With sources you can cite.
Project Examples
A sanitary systems manufacturer commissioned pre-wall toilet system price benchmarking with installers and wholesalers. Van Westendorp on three configurations, competitive price collection from merchants and installers. Output: recommended manufacturer net with supporting channel corridor.
DE, NL, PL
A wood care manufacturer ran a segment study covering size, channels, pricing positions, and satisfaction drivers. Pricing layer mapped current price ranges by channel and identified premium positioning opportunities for sustainable variants.
UK, DE
A roof window manufacturer tracked installer-level pricing alongside share and brand metrics. Used to inform list price and trade discount structure across six markets.
US, UK, FR, DE, PL, NL
A tile adhesives manufacturer mapped pricing at applicator and distributor level by brand. Used to inform a portfolio repricing.
GR
Deliverables
- Van Westendorp price corridor with the four intersection points per concept per country
- Gabor-Granger demand curve and recommended optimum
- Conjoint utilities for brand, feature, and price (with online simulator if the brief includes scenario testing)
- Elasticity estimate at recommended price point
- Channel-level price benchmark: manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, installer, with sources
- Recommended price by SKU and country, with supporting rationale
- Promotional response and bundle test results where included
- Workshop session with sales, marketing, and product to lock the price strategy
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Can you combine Van Westendorp with conjoint in the same study?
Yes, and we recommend it for any product where features and brand will move the acceptable price. Van Westendorp gives the corridor, conjoint shows what attributes shift you within it, Gabor-Granger validates intent at the chosen point.
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How do you collect prices for B2B construction products when there is no panel?
Direct phone interviewing with named installers, contractors, and merchants from our recruited frames, with structured price collection. We can supplement with dealer mystery quotes and merchant intelligence where the brief needs it.
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How many interviews are needed for a credible Van Westendorp?
150-250 per country per audience for a stable corridor with usable cuts. Smaller samples produce wider confidence bands around the intersections.
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Can you run pricing in five European countries simultaneously?
Yes. Native-language CATI in each, harmonised methodology, currency-converted reporting where useful, and one pooled analysis.
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When should we engage pricing research in the product cycle?
Twice. Once at concept stage with Van Westendorp to confirm the corridor, then again at pre-launch with conjoint and Gabor-Granger on the final SKUs to lock list price, trade price, and promotional structure.
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Can you measure premium acceptance for sustainability and certification claims?
Yes. We test certifications (DGNB, BREEAM, LEED, HQE, BNB), thermal performance bands, warranty lengths, and material origin claims as conjoint attributes, and we measure the price premium each earns and the conditions under which it holds.
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How do you handle the gap between stated willingness to pay and actual purchase?
We use intent calibration (typically halving the top-two-box intent scores) and pair stated WTP with conjoint-derived utilities, because conjoint forces trade-offs that more closely mirror real purchase. We flag the corridor with both methods so you can act on the conservative number.
Related Reports
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