Steel vs glulam: updated costs for 2026, and where the gap really lies

Is glulam more expensive than steel?

The short answer is yes.

Since 2022, steel prices have fluctuated considerably, while we have worked hard to keep glulam pricing more stable. So, yes, glulam is more expensive than steel, but it is more competitive than you might think, and it depends on your build. Read on to see how costs compare…

Example 1 — 2026 steel vs glulam beam comparison cost

Firstly, we thought we’d compare the costs of a single beam both in steel and glulam to try and get as close to a ‘like-for-like’ price as possible – for a single beam spanning between supports, the comparison between steel and glulam tends to be tighter.
In our 2022 figures, glulam came out cheaper than the equivalent steel UB. Steel prices were quite high in 2022, and have dropped and remained fairly low since so this year ‘s glulam cost is a little higher, but they’re still pretty comparable – this is what the cost comparison looks like from a recent quote we were given.1

As we’ve shown in the table, these are ‘off the shelf single beam’ prices so naturally exclude any delivery costs or additional costs you might incur, we got a second quote of £494 for the same beam, so use this as a guide only. 

Example 2 — 2026 costings: Braced frame commercial building, Devon 

Our 2022 comparison for a frame we were working on at the time showed a 40 x 20m portal frame at £90/m² for steel versus £150/m² for glulam. We’ve run the figures again for a another project this year to see how things compare. 

We built this project in glulam; it is a 30 x 26m post and beam frame structure, and we have since modelled the equivalent design in steel to give a direct comparison.  

This is the kind of mid-sized commercial or industrial building that could serve a wide range of uses: a brewery (as in this case), a workshop, a retail unit, or a covered event space.

It is not directly comparable to the 2022 project, as that one was a much higher structure, so more expensive, but to give you an idea, here are the costs for the 2026 project… 

Example 2 Frame in Steel

Example 2 Frame in Glulam

What are the hidden costs when building with steel vs glulam?

As you can see by the two examples above, if you compare a single beam, the cost is comparable, whereas a bigger, more complicated project appears more expensive – what are we not seeing?

Although offset by the fall in the price of steel since 2022, we have, in fact, made progress on the cost of glulam by designing more cost-effective buildings, so the cost of glulam has come down, relatively speaking. The key cost factors come into play in what you have to pay for, in addition to your base material.

For example, fixing joist hangers and other connections to glulam is straightforward; you can fix directly into the timber. With steel you often need to bolt on a timber first to be able to fix the joist hangers.

With glulam buildings, the highest cost is therefore often not to do with the beams themselves but the connections between them. Glulam connections need machining, might need a steel bracket made and then can take longer to fit together. It is often the connection element which can have a multiplying effect on the cost – a simple frame with no steel would be significantly more cost-effective than a complex design with multiple or bespoke connections.

When considering the material for your build, steel and glulam are often not an either/or decision. While we work with glulam, we use steel for bracketry, connections, and hybrid applications regularly – the RNLI project in Wells, for example, used over 300 individual steel connections alongside glulam.

Is glulam stronger than steel?

On a strength-to-weight basis, glulam is approximately three times stronger than steel. This has practical benefits beyond the headline number: lighter elements are easier to manoeuvre on site, craning large sections becomes more feasible, and the reduced dead load of a glulam frame means you can often specify smaller foundations.

Steel does have a higher allowable stress, which means steel members tend to be smaller in cross-section than an equivalent glulam element.

Typically, glulam needs to be 1.5 to 2 times the depth of the steel equivalent. In situations where headroom is tight, that matters, and steel will sometimes be the more practical choice. It’s always worth having the conversation with a structural engineer early.

For more detailed information, see our load span tables.

What are the benefits of glulam over steel?

The answer hasn’t really changed here, and it’s worth keeping this in mind as context for the discussion of costs.

Aesthetics still remains the biggest driver for choosing glulam. Glulam offers warmth and variety that steel simply can’t match for exposed structures. Depending on the timber species, you can achieve everything from cool, pale tones to rich, dark browns. Steel can be coated, but you’re more constrained in the look and feel you can create. For buildings where the structure is part of the design – a brewery taproom, a community hall, a retail space, this is often the deciding factor.

Glulam also lends itself to long spans and curved or complex geometries without compromising aesthetics, which is where it really comes into its own.

Beyond aesthetics, glulam is worth considering in moisture-heavy or chemically aggressive environments. Swimming pools, coastal buildings, and agricultural structures are all contexts where steel corrodes more quickly and demands more maintenance over its lifetime. Glulam, properly specified and detailed, performs more predictably in these settings.

Which performs better in a fire?

Talking about performing predictably, this is one of the areas where the case for glulam is strongest – and one that’s sometimes overlooked when people are comparing costs.

Steel structures often need to be boxed in with fire board or intumescent paint which can add significant cost. Without this, steel distorts and buckles at high temperatures. Glulam, by contrast, chars at a known and predictable rate.

This means a glulam structure can be designed to have a fire rating with no additional finishes. You can add a fire-protective finish on top if you want belt-and-braces performance (and during the manufacture process too) but it’s not a requirement.

In practical terms, this means the headline material cost comparison doesn’t always tell the full story.

If you’re specifying steel in an application that requires a fire rating, you need to factor in the cost of intumescent paint or boxing in. With glulam, while you can also apply flame-retardant coatings, depending on the build, you may not have to, so the cost is less.

(see here for info on glulam and fire safety)

What about sustainability?

The short version is that glulam has a lower embodied carbon than structural steel, and when the timber is sourced from certified, sustainably managed forestry, ideally close to home, the case strengthens further. Steel is mined and manufactured through energy-intensive processes; glulam is made from a renewable resource that sequesters carbon as it grows.

We work with UK-grown, and European-certified timber, and we’re Grown in Britain (GiB) certified. The Timber in Construction Roadmap sets out a clear direction of travel for the industry — and the embodied carbon argument for timber is only getting stronger.

We know this topic deserves more than a paragraph. We’re working on a fuller sustainability assessment that will give specifiers clearer, up-to-date figures on embodied carbon for glulam versus steel. We’ll be publishing that separately — watch this space.

In the meantime, you can find our Cradle-to-Gate embodied carbon figures for glulam on our environmental benefits page.

So which should you choose?

There’s no single answer — it genuinely depends on the project. But here’s a useful summary of where each material tends to come out ahead:

In the beam comparison, you can clearly see glulam is competitive, and in the frame comparison, the cost gap is narrower than before, with connections remaining the main factor preventing glulam structures from being fully cost-competitive with steel on a like-for-like basis.  

The simpler the connections, the closer we can get. That’s something we’re actively working on, and it’s shaping how we approach design — we’re looking forward to showing what’s possible.