Why Do Commercial Projects Choose Timber Frame Structures Over Steel?

Commercial builders will choose heavy timber or mass timber over steel for lower embodied carbon, faster erection, and a structure that is the finish rather than something hidden behind drywall. On the right building, it costs less too, once fireproofing, ceilings, and schedule are in the math.

But it is rarely one or the other. The strongest commercial structures use the right material in the right place. Timber goes where the structure is exposed. Steel goes where the spans are long and the loads are heavy. Many buildings use both.

So the decision is not timber or steel. It is the balance between them. Here is how cost, carbon, and schedule compare, where steel still wins outright, and why most commercial projects combine heavy timber, mass timber, and steel.

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Compare Cost to Occupy, Not Cost Per Ton

Comparing raw structural cost per ton or per cubic metre is the wrong frame. A steel frame is invisible. It gets clad in fireproofing, drywall, ceilings, and finish materials before the building is occupied. A heavy timber or mass timber frame is the finish.

When you compare finished structural cost, the structure plus everything required to make it occupiable and visually acceptable, timber is competitive on most building types for several reasons:

• No applied fireproofing: Heavy timber and mass timber achieve fire-resistance ratings through char depth and member sizing, not sprayed cementitious or intumescent coatings.
• No structural cladding: The exposed timber is the ceiling and the columns. Drywall and acoustic ceilings either disappear from the scope or shrink dramatically.
• Shorter erection schedules: Prefabricated packages (solid sawn members, glulam, and CLT panels) arrive labelled, pre-cut, and ready to lift, so the frame is raised faster than an equivalent steel-and-deck system.
• Reduced site labour: A prefabricated frame is raised by a smaller crew than a comparable steel-and-deck system, because the members arrive finished rather than assembled on site.

The savings show up most clearly in hospitality, civic, and multi-family work, where the structure is meant to be seen and every week of schedule carries cost on the financing side.

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The Embodied Carbon Advantage

Mass timber carries a lower embodied carbon footprint than an equivalent steel-frame or reinforced-concrete building. Life-cycle assessments consistently show this, and the size of the reduction varies with methodology, sourcing, and end-of-life assumptions.

Three things drive the advantage. Wood stores biogenic carbon in the structure for the life of the building. Milling sawn timber and glulam takes far less energy than producing structural steel or cement. Timber from sustainably managed forests is also a renewable input rather than an extracted one.

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Schedule Is Where Timber Wins Most Visibly

Steel and timber both prefabricate well, so they diverge most on the finishing schedule. A steel frame is only the start of a long sequence: the deck, fireproofing, MEP rough-in, drywall, ceiling, and finishes all follow it, each trade waiting on the one before.

A heavy timber or mass timber frame compresses this. The exposed structure is finished when it lifts. MEP runs are coordinated within the BIM model before fabrication. Chase locations, drilling tolerances, and concealed routing are detailed in advance. Many trades start sooner because the visible ceiling is already installed.

For hospitality and resort projects with seasonal opening dates, that compression is often the deciding factor. Brock Commons for example, is an 18-storey mass timber building at the University of British Columbia. As documented in naturally:wood's case study, it was assembled in 70 days by a crew of nine, two months ahead of schedule.

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Where Steel Is Still The Right Answer

Timber is not right for every commercial project. Steel remains the better choice for:

• Very tall buildings. The 2021 International Building Code allows mass timber up to 18 storeys in the US. The National Building Code of Canada permits up to 12, and provinces including British Columbia and Ontario have adopted their own 18-storey provisions. Above those heights, the structure is steel or reinforced concrete.
• Long clear spans. Steel trusses and post-tensioned concrete span further than glulam without intermediate columns. For industrial warehouses and large-span sports facilities, steel remains the standard structural choice.
• High-rise residential at scale. Mass timber is competitive in mid-rise. In dense urban high-rise, steel and concrete are more cost-effective per gross square foot.
• Heavily corrosive environments. Coastal industrial facilities, certain process plants, and wet environments often favour steel with appropriate protective coatings.

The more visible the structure, the more occupant-facing the building, and the more sustainability matters to the client, the stronger the case for timber. The more concealed or long-span the structure, the stronger the case for steel.

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Where Commercial Timber Wins

More than 25 years of commercial work shows where timber fits best:

• Hospitality (lodges, hotels, restaurants): The exposed structure is the aesthetic, and the material's warmth shapes the guest experience.
• Civic and institutional: Visible craft signals public investment, and the carbon story aligns with public mandates.
• Mid-rise multi-family: Mass timber and CLT panels speed erection, and exposed timber sets the units apart.
• Resort and recreational: Phased delivery and weather-tolerant prefab fit the schedule, and the aesthetic fits the brand.
• Office (especially Class A): Biophilic appeal and ESG credentials support premium positioning.
• Workplace and retail: Material warmth and a faster fit-out improve the space, and an exposed ceiling reduces the finishing scope.

For projects in this list, the conversation is usually not “timber vs steel.” It is “all-timber, hybrid, or steel-with-timber-features.”

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Hybrid Is The Norm For Larger Commercial Work

Most architecturally interesting and structurally efficient commercial timber buildings combine both materials, using each where it performs best.

A recent project in Sitka, Alaska shows the pattern clearly. A building originally designed in steel was redesigned as a hybrid system combining glulam, timber, and steel. The result was better cost efficiency and a faster construction schedule. The redesign did not subtract steel where steel earned its place. It added timber where timber added value, and let each material carry the loads it was best suited to carry.

We work in a few typical hybrid patterns:

• Steel moment frames carry large glazed facades or ground-floor lateral systems, with heavy timber and CLT above.
• Custom steel plate connections tie heavy timber columns and beams together, so the steel handles tension and shear while the timber handles compression and bending.
• Steel transfer beams at podium levels support mass timber floors above.
• Heavy timber roof structures span steel-framed lower volumes in hangars, civic atria, and large public spaces.

The common thread is using each material where it performs best: solid sawn heavy timber for visible character and craft, glulam and CLT for span and scale, and custom steel for transitions and complex connections.

It is not just about timber. It is about delivering a structure that performs financially, structurally, and architecturally. That is the work we do when the heavy timber, glulam, CLT, and custom steel come from one supplier under one contract, with one set of shop drawings, one delivery sequence, and one point of contact.

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Logistics, Lead Time, And Site Delivery

For builders and construction managers, the question is rarely just timber versus steel. It is whether the package will arrive on schedule, labelled, sequenced, and ready to lift.

An integrated commercial timber package typically delivers:

• Lead time runs 16 to 28 weeks from contract to delivery, depending on the quality of drawings at engagement, engineering complexity, and material specifications. Longer lead-time items, including KD timber, oversized cross-sections, large glulam, and CLT, are flagged early.
• Timbers arrive labelled and numbered, with an interactive 3D HTML model showing your builder exactly where each member goes.
• Shop drawings are stamped and coordinated with the project's structural engineer of record, detailed in BIM from the start.
• The delivery sequence is calibrated to the site's crane plan and access constraints, including remote and constrained sites.
• On-site support is available during the raise to the builder, site supervisor, and engineer through installation.

The difference between a coordinated package and a stack of cut timber is the difference between a measured raise and a week of figuring out which piece goes where. On a commercial schedule, that gap shows up in financing carrying cost, trade sequencing, and weather exposure.

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How To Decide For Your Project

These questions are worth asking in early design:

• Will the structure be exposed or concealed? Exposed: timber's case is strong. Concealed: steel's cost advantage is harder to overcome.
• What is the building height and span? Below 12 storeys with reasonable spans, timber is a strong candidate. Above that, the options narrow quickly.
• What does the client value? Sustainability mandates, biophilic design, hospitality positioning, and resort aesthetics all favour timber.
• What is the schedule? Tight schedules with seasonal openings often tip toward timber's faster erection and reduced finishing.
• Where is the project located? In Canada and the US mountain West, timber supply, code path, and contractor familiarity are well established.

Bring a timber manufacturer into the conversation at schematic design, before the structural system is locked. Early collaboration is when the cost comparison is most useful, because the design can be optimized to the strengths of whichever material is chosen.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is timber frame more expensive than steel for commercial buildings?

It depends on what you are comparing. On raw structural cost per ton, steel can be cheaper. On finished structural cost (including fireproofing, ceilings, finishes, and erection schedule), timber is often competitive or lower, especially on hospitality, civic, and mid-rise multi-family work.

How tall can a mass timber commercial building be?

The 2021 International Building Code allows mass timber up to 18 storeys in the US. The National Building Code of Canada permits up to 12 storeys, and provinces including British Columbia and Ontario have adopted their own 18-storey provisions. Several Canadian projects have reached or exceeded 12 storeys.

How does heavy timber meet fire code requirements?

Heavy timber achieves its fire rating through char depth. Large solid wood members char at predictable rates while the inner section maintains structural capacity. Type IV construction in the IBC and equivalent NBC sections recognize this with prescribed minimum dimensions and ratings up to 2 hours.

What is the lead time for a commercial timber frame package?

Typical commercial packages run 16 to 28 weeks from contract to delivery, depending on complexity and engineering. Longer lead-time items, including KD timber, FOHC sections over 8x8, and large glulam, should be flagged early.

Can timber frame and steel be combined in the same building?

Yes, and most large commercial timber projects do exactly this. Custom steel plate connections, steel moment frames at glazed facades, and steel transfer beams supporting mass timber are common hybrid patterns. The Sitka, Alaska project referenced above is one example.

Is mass timber lower carbon than steel?

Project-specific life-cycle assessments consistently show lower embodied carbon for mass timber than for an equivalent steel structure. The size of the reduction depends on methodology, sourcing, and end-of-life assumptions, and it is largest when the timber comes from sustainably managed forests. The figure for a given building comes from its own life-cycle assessment.

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Specifying Timber on Your Next Commercial Project

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Canadian Timberframes designs and manufactures heavy timber, glulam, CLT, and custom steel for commercial projects across North America. Our 26-acre facility in Golden, BC operates two on-site sawmills, large log and timber inventory, and a Hundegger K2i six-axis robotic CNC. We work in BIM from schematic design through delivery, with stamped shop drawings, sequenced packages, and on-site support during the raise.

Early involvement typically delivers a better-performing, more cost-efficient structure. We are happy to join your project team at the schematic phase, before the structural system is locked.

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Where are you in your project?

• Architect in design development: connect with our design team on hybrid timber-and-steel detailing and connection design.
• Construction manager or builder: request a delivery and lead-time estimate for your project.
• Developer or owner: request a structural cost comparison for a specified building type.

Or call us at 1-877-348-9924.

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