The attribute of performance with time is considered in relation to structural and nonstructural elements and components used in building. For structural parts the safety of the occupants of the building is the prime consideration and means are being developed for relating performance with time to the structural reliability of the load bearing parts. In contrast, little effort has been devoted to examining the performance with time of nonstructural elements and components. In this paper a strategy for development is suggested and the concept of the life-to- replacement of a nonstructural element or component is considered. Factors causing deterioration are defined in terms of categories of exposure or usage and criteria for replacement are outlined. However, before such a framework can be developed further, the proposals set out in the paper need to be examined against the actual performance achieved in practice by specific components.