Increasing populations combined with decreasing developable plots are leading to higher real estate prices. Communities are attempting to address these higher prices by increasing the number of residential units per acre. One way to increase the supply is to use fire-retardant-treated wood (FRTW) to build larger and taller structures. However, as FRTW is increasingly being used, substitute products that do not meet the definition of FRTW in the building codes are also being increasingly used. How does one distinguish the two? By relying on knowing how FRTW is manufactured, where it can be used, and on building code requirements, responsible parties will better understand why FRTW is different from these products and how to verify that only code-compliant, chemically impregnated FRTW is used in larger, taller structures.