See how Prolam’s PLX Portal stacks up against a steel portal in our total installed cost comparison – developed in conjunction with Nick Clements from YourQS.

In today’s construction climate—where prices continue to rise and building consent rates are only slowly picking up—cost remains a major driver for architects, engineers, builders and homeowners. 

With a growing range of engineered structural timber products like the Prolam PLX Portal now available, specifiers are asking:  What delivers the best value for money? Glulam or steel?

We crunched the numbers and the verdict is in: Prolam’s PLX Portal outperforms steel in terms of time and total install cost.

That’s the standout finding from the recent cost comparison we conducted in partnership with quantity surveyor Nick Clements from YourQS. Using cost data drawn from over 3,500 homes, YourQS modelled a residential build scenario featuring four portal frames—in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and garage. The estimate compared the full installed cost of glulam portal frames versus steel portal frames, factoring in product pricing as well as timeframes and costs associated with fabrication, on-site labour, and installation.

The result?

 An 80% time saving—and a 24% reduction in installed cost for a four-portal build.

Portal Type                    Labour Hours                   Total Install Cost
Steel Portal                   110 hours                           $25,198    
Prolam PLX Portal       19 hours                             $19,249 

“What surprised us the most was the speed advantage of the PLX Portal as a structural timber solution,” Nick says. “Reducing labour from 110 hours to just 19 is a total game-changer.”

Even on a smaller scale, the savings are clear. For example, a single PLX Portal for a garage required just 5 labour hours, at a total installed cost of $4,815. The equivalent steel portal came in at $6,270, and involved 27 labour hours. 

As Nick says: “Building smarter and faster is one of the keys to building more affordably.”

“Time is money, especially on site. If we want to reduce the real cost of building houses in New Zealand, we can’t look at the cost of building materials alone, we have to look at whether they are cost-effective to build with.”

See the full analysis and breakdown of costs here.

Why glulam crushes steel on time and costs on site

The PLX Portal is a structural timber bracing system that has been specifically designed to simplify construction and support a strong and more sustainable build. 

Here’s why it works so well:

1. Unique timber-steel hybrid portal frame

The PLX Portal is constructed from three glulam timber elements, including Prolam’s trademarked PLX20 Beam, which is precision engineered from layers of quality radiata pine reinforced with steel for increased load bearing capacity.

2. Lighter, easier and faster to install

Answering the industry’s call for a structural timber bracing option that replaces the hassle of steel, the portal’s lightweight construction and straightforward bracing system facilitates easy onsite assembly and installation.  
At 40% lighter than a steel portal frame, PLX Portals are easier to lift into place. No hiab or crane required! They can be installed by hand by just two or three people, with some builders reporting it takes as little as 30 minutes per portal.

3. Top-down fixing, timber-to-timber connection

The PLX Portal’s top-down fixing method also allows for quicker, more precise installation—without the need for specialised skills, additional labour, or extra equipment.
With standard timber-to-timber connections and no packing required (unlike steel), builders can secure the glulam portal frame directly to other structural timber members, streamlining the whole process.

4. Fewer trades, less time wasted

Using timber avoids delays associated with steel fabrication and onsite coordination with multiple trades. There’s no need to wait for steel to be cut, transported or craned in. 
The PLX Portal arrives as a prefabricated kitset – complete with foot plate and foundation connections—saving on transport costs and logistics.

Saving time for specifiers, too

While the cost comparison focused on fabrication and on-site time and labour, Prolam ensures you also save valuable time during the design and building consent process.

The PLX Portal is pre-engineered to meet Building Code requirements, eliminating the need for specific engineering design for most residential and light commercial applications.

To make specification even easier, the Prolam Specifier preloads all required documentation for consent—including a Producer Statement—reducing admin time.

A more sustainable choice

Not only does the PLX Portal perform in terms of on-site efficiency, but it also offers a more sustainable alternative to steel. Due to its high timber-to-steel ratio, and backed by an Environmental Product Declaration, the PLX Portal greatly reduced thermal bridging, improving energy efficiency—making it ideal for Green Star and Homestar projects.

Ready to build smarter?

For specifiers seeking a high-performance, time-saving, and sustainable structural timber bracing solution, the Prolam PLX Portal delivers on all fronts.

Head to the PLX Portal product page to access specifications, bracing tables and installation guides, and the PLX Portal vs Steel Cost Comparison.