This item has both plastic and metal components. The showerhead and the tub spout are both made heavy duty plastic. The other parts are made of a composite metal. Delta provides a lifetime warranty on both this item's operation and finish. One reason Delta makes certain parts out of plastic is that they are able to guarantee the finish will last in a way that it might not if those parts were made of metal. Not all brands offer a warranty on the finish so keep that in mind. This is really a very nice fixture, hope this helps! Thanks