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Ireland
IE SIC G46.740IE | Industry Report

Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling in Ireland Industry Data and Analysis

JL
Jacob Lang
Analyst London, United Kingdom February 2026

The Hardware, Plumbing and Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry is expected to see revenue contract at a compound annual rate of 1% to £3.2 billion over the five years through 2025-26. Residential building construction activity has dropped since the start of the period, brought about by economic headwinds like inflation and high interest rates, causing the value of financing projects to spike. With residential building construction a key downstream market for wholesalers, because of new properties' extensive heating and plumbing needs, this trend has weighed significantly on industry revenue. Additionally, wholesalers have had to contend with a sharp deflation in the value of their products, caused by a drop in steel and timber prices, key raw materials in many industry products, which has impacted the revenue they make on each sale. These lower prices, coupled with climbing costs, including wages because of persistent hikes to the minimum wage, are contributing to the average industry profit margin sinking in 2026.

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What's included in this industry analysis

IBISWorld's research coverage on the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released February 2026.

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About this industry

What's this industry report about?

The Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland operates under the SIC industry code G46.740IE. Companies in this industry wholesale a wide variety of hardware, plumbing and heating equipment and supplies, including locks, water heaters, fittings and fixtures, as well as tools, including hammers and screwdrivers. Related terms covered in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland include heat pump, district heating system and fasteners.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland include Plumbing fixtures, piping and fittings, Water heaters and heating systems equipment and Hand tools.

What companies are included in this industry?

Companies covered in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland include United Hardware DAC, Harleston Unlimited Company and Grafton Group plc.

Performance

What's included in the Performance chapter?

The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland.

Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.

Products & Markets

What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?

The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland.

Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.

Geographic Breakdown

What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?

The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland.

Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.

Competitive Forces

What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?

The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.

Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.

Companies

What's included in the Companies chapter?

The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.

Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.

External Environment

What's included in the External Environment chapter?

The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.

Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.

Financial Benchmarks

What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?

The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.

Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.

Industry Data

What's included in the Industry Data chapter?

The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland in 2026?

The market size of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland is €3.0bn in 2026.

How many businesses are there in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland in 2026?

There are 586 businesses in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland, which has grown at a CAGR of 2.0 % between 2021 and 2026.

How may import tariffs affect the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland?

The Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland?

The Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland has been growing at a CAGR of 1.9 % between 2021 and 2026.

What is the forecast growth of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland?

The biggest companies operating in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland are United Hardware DAC, Harleston Unlimited Company and Grafton Group plc

What does the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland include?

DIY hardware and tools wholesale and Building materials and parts wholesale are part of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland?

The company holding the most market share in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland is United Hardware DAC.

How competitive is the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Ireland.

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