Due to declining domestic production, increasingly more firms are importing construction materials. It is estimated that in Kyiv alone, 400-600 firms are engaged in the trading of building products. An EBRD survey found that only 2 percent of Kyiv's hotel rooms meet the standard of 4-star accommodations. There is a growing demand for high-quality, but affordable building products. Especially in many unrenovated buildings, the existing security window grating is old and often thoroughly rusted.
Designs range from simple to elaborate, depending on the tastes and finances of the consumer.
Experts estimate that less than 10 percent of the demand for these items is satisfied, despite the large number of firms active as suppliers. Stainless and galvanized steel, cast iron and even copper pipes and fittings are widely used. Polymer pipes, being more durable than stainless steel pipes, are especially useful in industries subject to a corrosive environment. In general construction, polymer pipes are not extensively used because Ukraine lacks the necessary normative base for such piping. In individual cottage construction, however, polymer pipes are becoming increasingly popular.