Build Reuse

What Build Reuse does

Build Reuse, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit membership organization that serves as the central hub for the U.S. building material reuse industry. The organization convenes nonprofit reuse centers, architectural salvage operators, deconstruction contractors, material recovery organizations, municipal governments, and individual professionals around a shared mission: diverting construction and demolition waste — the largest single-stream source of refuse in the United States at an estimated 600 million tons annually — from landfills through deconstruction and reuse. Build Reuse is currently fully volunteer-run, with Build Reuse President Mike Gable concurrently serving as Executive Director of Construction Junction, the host organization at the c/o address where Build Reuse maintains its mailing address.

The organization's product and program portfolio centers on community infrastructure rather than proprietary technology. Core offerings include an annual membership program with individual and organizational tiers (organizational memberships bundle up to 10 employees), the Build Reuse Wiki hosted on the AllAnswered knowledge base platform, a members-only Build Reuse Forum, monthly webinars and BRAG (Build Reuse Affinity Group) sessions, the only national Deconstruction + Reuse Conference, deconstruction training programs supported by a National Registry of Deconstruction Trainers, the Introduction to Deconstruction Textbook (in use since 2012), the Reuse in Communities policy tracker, and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for salvaged materials funded through a 2024 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant. Stack components are off-the-shelf: Squarespace for the website, Wild Apricot for membership management, AllAnswered for the wiki, and LinkedIn for the 1,600+ member professional group.

Build Reuse's revenue model mixes subscription annual membership dues (tax-deductible), unrestricted donations solicited via the homepage and 'Donate' calls to action, and corporate annual sponsorships (with Mannington Commercial cited as a major sponsor). The organization also acts as a pass-through and amplification channel for federal grants flowing into member organizations, such as the EPA's $4M salvaged wood warehouse grant to Seattle Public Utilities and a $50,000 deconstruction training grant to Lifecycle Building Center. Distribution is entirely digital and event-based, with no resale, franchising, or licensing revenue; conference registration offers tiered pricing with discounted rates for students and Americorps volunteers, signaling a community-first rather than margin-first monetization approach.

Name

Build Reuse

Legal name

Build Reuse

Website

https://buildreuse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Build Reuse is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization, founded in 1994 and based in Pittsburgh, that convenes building material reuse centers, deconstruction contractors, municipalities, and professionals through annual conferences, a wiki and forum, training programs, and federal grant-funded environmental product initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction and Demolition Waste Reuse Services

NAICS

Business Support Services (5614), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Deconstruction & Salvage (Building Material Reuse) (EUAIAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deconstruction & Salvage (Building Materials Reuse) (BPALAJAI), Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC), Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ), Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacturing Services (EUAIANAB)

Keywords

• Building material reuse
• Deconstruction training programs
• Construction waste diversion
• Nonprofit environmental advocacy
• Salvaged building materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Build Reuse generates revenue through annual membership dues, offering both individual and organizational membership options. Organizational memberships allow bundling up to 10 employees under a business membership. All memberships are described as tax-deductible.
2. Donations: Build Reuse accepts donations to support their mission of empowering communities to turn construction and demolition waste into local resources. Donations help fund advocacy, outreach, programming, and daily operations.
3. Annual Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors can support Build Reuse's programming including webinars, BRAGs, annual conference, wiki, forum, registry of deconstruction trainers, and communications. Sponsorship helps expand outreach and support organizational operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Build Reuse is the national membership-based nonprofit community organization (established 1994) dedicated to advancing building material reuse and deconstruction. It sells annual individual and organizational memberships, registration for its annual Deconstruction + Reuse Conference, sponsorships, donations, and adjacent resources including the Introduction to Deconstruction Textbook, Deconstruction Training Programs and the National Registry of Deconstruction Trainers, the Build Reuse Wiki (public knowledge base), the Build Reuse Forum (member-only), an Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) project, and Materials Appraisals Resources.

Product overview

Build Reuse is a membership-based national nonprofit organization (established 1994) serving as the central hub for the building material reuse community. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs and resources including the Build Reuse Wiki (a knowledge base of reuse resources), the Build Reuse Forum (member communication platform), an Introduction to Deconstruction Textbook, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) project, deconstruction training programs with a National Registry of Trainers, the annual Deconstruction + Reuse Conference, and membership services. The organization does not offer a software platform but provides resources, networking, advocacy, and educational programming to advance building material reuse practices across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Build Reuse Membership Annual individual and organizational membership program providing access to the Build Reuse Wiki, member-only Forum, monthly webinars, member meetings, BRAG affinity groups, the membership directory, and discounted registration for the annual Deconstruction + Reuse Conference. Membership dues are tax-deductible.
• Annual Deconstruction + Reuse Conference The only national conference in the United States focused on how communities can create, scale, and support reuse economies. Includes keynote addresses, educational sessions, solution workshops, networking, and facility tours. Registration is offered with tiered pricing: full conference passes with member and non-member rates, student and volunteer (including Americorps) discounts, and team registration options.
• Build Reuse Wiki A collaborative online resource platform displaying key information, guidelines, case studies, policy primers, and research papers produced and shared by the building material reuse community. Publicly accessible via the AllAnswered knowledge base platform.
• Build Reuse Forum An interactive online forum exclusive to Build Reuse members that enables members to ask questions, post answers, and share timely resources with the broader Build Reuse community.
• Introduction to Deconstruction Textbook A comprehensive textbook developed since 2012 that serves as the foundation for building deconstruction training programs, covering ten core competencies from site evaluation to structural removal. Sold via Lulu (Oregon State edition) and used in deconstruction training programs.
• Deconstruction Training Programs and National Registry of Deconstruction Trainers Training programs, curricula, and resources for deconstruction contractors and practitioners, including the National Registry of Deconstruction Trainers — a directory that connects aspiring deconstruction professionals with certified trainers across the country.
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Building Materials Reuse A project developing Environmental Product Declarations to support the reclaimed building materials industry and enable quantification of environmental impacts of salvaged and reused construction materials. Underpinned by a multi-year US EPA grant.
• Materials Appraisals Resources Best-practices guidance and printable guides for working with appraisers on federal and state tax deductions for donations of used building materials to nonprofits, supporting donors and reuse centers in capturing the value of donated materials.
• Annual Corporate Sponsorship Program Corporate sponsorship program offering multiple benefit tiers to support Build Reuse's webinars, BRAG affinity groups, annual conference, wiki, forum, National Registry of Deconstruction Trainers, and communications. Sponsorship helps expand outreach and support organizational operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deconstruction creates 2x jobs compared to mechanical demolition (Portland research)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Stardust Building SuppliesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2026Host city partner for the 2026 Deconstruction + Reuse Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Stardust Building Supplies is a Phoenix-based building material reuse organization serving as Build Reuse's primary local partner for conference hosting and logistics.
• Circular ArizonaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2026Host city partner for the 2026 Deconstruction + Reuse Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Circular Arizona is a circular economy organization serving as Build Reuse's local partner for conference hosting.
• Re:Purpose SavannahflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2024Hosted the 2024 Deconstruction + Reuse Conference in Savannah, Georgia. Provided venue (Kehoe Ironworks), organized evening social event (Oyster Roast), and offered facility tours of their lumber yard.
• Mannington CommercialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor providing generous support for Build Reuse programming and mission. Mannington Commercial is a flooring manufacturer that has partnered with Build Reuse to advance sustainability in the built environment.
• Construction JunctioncoreOthersPittsburgh-based reuse organization serving as Build Reuse's organizational host and mailing address. Build Reuse President Mike Gable is also Construction Junction's Executive Director. Hosts events including member meetings and BRAG sessions.
• The Campaign for Historic TradescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Build Reuse on deconstruction technician apprenticeship program development. The Campaign for Historic Trades received federal Department of Labor approval for a Deconstruction Technician apprenticeship in 2024.
• GenslercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe world's largest architecture firm presented at the 2024 conference on circular workplace practices and product sustainability. Partnership panel at 2024 conference included Gensler, Mannington, and Rheaply.
• RheaplycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology startup focused on asset management and waste reduction through material matching. Presented at 2024 conference and participated in partnership panel discussion.
• Circular Construction Lab (Cornell University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner focused on structural timber reuse and ScanR deconstruction estimation tool development. Presented multiple sessions at 2024 conference.
• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing grant support for Seattle's reuse economy and reuse efforts across the country. EPA awarded $4M grant to Seattle for salvaged wood warehouse. Also provided grant to Lifecycle Building Center in Atlanta ($50,000) for deconstruction pilot training.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of cities taking bold climate action that published an Implementation Guide on deconstruction and reuse policy. C40 connects 97 cities representing 700+ million citizens.
• Portland Bureau of SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortland passed the first deconstruction ordinance in the US in 2016 and expanded it in 2020. City staff present regularly at Build Reuse conferences and BRAG sessions on policy implementation.
• Seattle Public UtilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal utility leading Seattle's circular wood economy initiatives. Recipient of EPA $4M grant for salvaged wood warehouse. Presented at 2024 conference on supporting Seattle's circular wood economy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Green Building Council: The national nonprofit that administers LEED and convenes the broader sustainable-building community. Comparable trade-association / community-convening role in the built-environment sustainability space, though at far greater scale.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: The largest nonprofit reuse retail network in the U.S., selling donated furniture, appliances, and building materials across 1,000+ stores. Although it overlaps on reuse retail rather than deconstruction specifically, it dwarfs Build Reuse's scale and represents the broader nonprofit reuse market context.

Direct peers

• The ReUse People: A national nonprofit deconstruction organization and Build Reuse member that performs building material salvage and deconstruction services. It is the closest operating-level peer because both serve the same national nonprofit reuse constituency and operate as deconstruction advocates.
• Stardust Building Supplies: A Phoenix-based building material reuse organization hosting Build Reuse's 2026 'Reuse Rising' conference. Represents a direct regional peer with comparable operational model and partner overlap.
• Community Forklift: A Maryland-based reuse center and Build Reuse member that partners in social-media and online-sales BRAG discussions. Operates a comparable nonprofit retail/salvage model with national policy engagement.
• Construction Junction: A Pittsburgh-based nonprofit building materials reuse center, named Build Reuse's organizational host and sharing its president. As one of the longest-running reuse centers, it is the most operationally intertwined peer.
• Re:Purpose Savannah: A Savannah-based reuse organization that hosted Build Reuse's 2024 Deconstruction + Reuse Conference. Direct regional peer that also conducts building material salvage and reuse retail.
• Lifecycle Building Center: An Atlanta-based reuse center focused on building reuse and workforce development, and a Build Reuse partner that received a $50,000 EPA deconstruction pilot training grant. Direct regional peer in the same nonprofit reuse model.

Emerging players

• Rheaply: A technology startup focused on asset management and waste reduction through material matching, presented at Build Reuse's 2024 conference. Adjacent technology peer that competes for the convening/transaction layer of building material reuse.
• Excess Materials Exchange: A platform facilitating match-making between supply and demand of secondary building materials in Europe. Adjacent technology-enabled peer that could expand into the U.S. and compete for the material-matching role Build Reuse currently fills via its wiki and forum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buildreuse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BuildReuse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1603037
• Facebookfacebook.com/buildreuse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Build Reuse