The Exterior Industry Has a Labor Problem

Durable Materials Are Part of the Response

Skilled roofing and siding crews are harder to book than they used to be, and the gap is widening. According to Associated Builders and Contractors, projects a major worker gap in 2026 and 2027, underscoring a labor shortage that homeowners are already feeling in contractor availability. Homeowners and builders cannot fix a national labor market. But they can make material choices that reduce how often they need to draw on it. Durable exterior materials, including steel roofing and siding, are part of that response.

A workforce gap that isn't going away

The numbers behind the shortage

Associated Builders and Contractors projects a need for 349,000 additional workers in 2026 and 456,000 in 2027, in addition to normal hiring. The 2026 figure is actually lower than estimates from recent years, but ABC has been clear that the easing reflects cooling demand rather than a real fix to the underlying problem.

An aging trade

ABC's chief economist has noted that the majority of 2026 worker demand traces to retirements, not industry growth. Across construction, retirements are a major driver of worker demand, and roofing and siding contractors are likely to feel that pressure as experienced installers age out of the workforce. A homeowner scheduling work in 2026 may be dealing with a trade labor pool under pressure from retirements and slower replacement by new workers.

What it costs the roofing industry

The National Roofing Contractors Association estimates chronic workforce shortages translate to $9.5 billion to $19 billion in lost annual economic growth, based on contractors reporting they could take on more work if they could fill vacant positions. That is a roofing-specific figure, not a general construction number, and it captures the practical reality that there is more roofing work than there are people to do it.

What this means at the homeowner level

Macroeconomic numbers are abstract until they show up in a contractor’s calendar. For many homeowners, that shows up as longer lead times, tighter scheduling windows, and fewer available crews.

A recent industry workforce survey found that 78% of construction companies reported at least one project delayed in the past 12 months, with worker shortages identified as the leading cause. That delay translates into longer lead times for estimates, longer waits between contract and start date, and tighter scheduling windows once work begins.

Labor costs are climbing alongside availability constraints. And every future touch on a home, whether a callback, a repair, or a full replacement, draws on the same stretched pool of installers. The frequency with which a material needs attention is no longer just a maintenance question. It is a scheduling and cost question that compounds over time.

Durable materials as part of the response

This is where material selection comes into play. A homeowner cannot expand the trade workforce. They can choose products that ask less of it.

Fewer replacement cycles

Asphalt roofs often need replacement within 15 to 30 years, depending on shingle type, climate, installation, and maintenance. Steel roofing can last 50 years or more under appropriate conditions. A homeowner who installs steel in their 40s may never schedule another roof in their lifetime. When multiplied across millions of homes, durable materials reduce the need to repeat contractor capacity at the industry level, too.

Less maintenance, fewer service calls

Steel siding can reduce or eliminate the repainting cycles often associated with wood or fiber-cement siding, depending on the product finish, exposure, and maintenance conditions. It resists hail, wind, and pest damage that routinely drive insurance claims and service visits for other claddings. Every service call avoided is one that a homeowner does not have to schedule against a constrained contractor calendar.

Lifecycle value compounds the case

The durability argument also strengthens the broader value case. Longer lifespan, lower insurance exposure, and stable energy performance all become more meaningful when the alternative is repeated entry into a tighter, more expensive labor market every decade or two.

How EDCO fits the response

EDCO has manufactured exterior building products in Hopkins, Minnesota since 1946. Two aspects of how we operate connect directly to the pressures homeowners and builders are navigating now.

U.S.-made matters when supply chains are uncertain

Material availability has become a scheduling risk in its own right. Industry analysts have documented supply chain disruptions, tariff uncertainty, material price volatility, and stretched construction schedules. Domestic manufacturing can help support shorter, more predictable lead times. When a contractor commits to a start date, material availability matters. EDCO sources and manufactures its steel products here in the U.S.

A coordinated whole-home exterior offeringfrom a single manufacturer

EDCO produces steel roofing, steel siding, soffit, fascia, and trim. Sourcing the full exterior envelope from a single U.S. manufacturer reduces the risk of a project stalling when one supplier's lead time slips while another's product sits on the jobsite. It also lets a crew sequence the exterior cleanly, without the gaps that pull installers off to other work and back again. Less idle time for the crew. Fewer scheduling windows for the homeowner to manage.

A homeowner's takeaway

The labor shortage will not be solved by any one homeowner's roofing or siding decision. But durable materials change how often a homeowner has to participate in that constrained market at all. Choosing products built for fewer replacements, fewer service calls, and predictable domestic sourcing is a quiet way to opt out of some of the volatility ahead.

To plan a more durable exterior project with an EDCO contractor in your area, visit our find-a-contractor page.