What happened to the price of sheet goods?!

[MushCreek]

Plywood and OSB, that is. I was in the Big Box store today, and sheet goods seem to have gone up 40-70%. When did this happen? I usually check the price of OSB as a price barometer every time I'm there, which is often. Today it was $12, up from $7.50 or so the last time I remember looking. Anyone know what caused this jump? Hurricane Isaac? Lumber seems about the same as it has been for some time, but sheet goods? Yikes!

[Checi]

Not the hurricane...I got the same sticker shock early this summer when I started to build my 14x24 little house. My t&g osb flooring was about 26-27 a sheet. The higher prices have really slowed me down.

[rdzone]

Heck I will take some of that $12 OSB.  Here in Alaska, yesterday at HD for 7/16" was $21!!!

[MountainDon]

OSB and plywood jumped $2 a sheet overnight about 3 to 4 weeks ago and it was already over $11 for 7/16 OSB. Not much one can do about it.

[Huge29]

7/16" OSB was $7ish forever, I noticed that it was $12.78 about a month ago and just today was $14.28 I just about choked!

[MushCreek]

I'm about to order over 100 sheets of various sheathing- talk about bad timing! What I'd like to avoid is walking into the store and seeing it back down to 'normal' a month or so after I make this purchase. Anyone know what's driving the price? As I said, regular lumber hasn't changed much at all.

[JRR]

"What happened to the value of the dollar?" ... may be the more important question!   Get ready for more "sticker shocks" until/if our government stops spending money than it has ....by printing/borrowing more.

[Woodsrule]

The price has gone up everywhere and it is due, I believe, to the meteoric rise in gas prices the past couple of weeks. Our prices here in New England are over 4 bucks a gallon on average - up from about 3.50 a few months ago.

[davidj]

I'm just getting a quote for a new roof on my city house from the same guy who quoted me exactly a year ago.  He claims his materials have gone up 40% since last year.  There may be some exaggeration but the guy's got an honest reputation so there's probably been a change there too.

[MountainDon]

I believe it; 40%.  Today here at Lowe's 7/16 OSB is 14.75 and CDX ply 18.75. About a year ago I got a couple sheets of OSB for less than $10 a sheet.

[paul s]

I work at Lowes and part of it is seasonal pricing. There are certain times of the year prices go up. Then there are all the other factors.

Our store prices are pretty good because Home Depot is across the street.  If you find a Lowes out by its self the prices will be higher.

I think there is a lot of   uoy wonk ecirp gnixif.  now did i spell that backwards!  I do know we send a guy to home depot to check prices

[Huge29]

Paul,
Thanks for the insight, checking prices of competitors is very different than the term used as that requires collaboration....FWIW.

[MushCreek]

I'm not so sure about the seasonal thing being in effect right now. I bought roof sheathing exactly a year ago for the barn, and it's up 50% since then. I know fuel costs are up, too, but not 50% (yet).

It's funny watching the dynamics between the big box stores in different areas. In FL, Home Depot rules, and the Lowe's parking lot is deserted half the time. Here in the Carolinas, its just the opposite, with Lowe's leading and HD playing catch-up. HD is consistently cheaper on lumber and sheet goods, because they have to try harder.

I only buy small quantities at the big box stores, though, as the independent lumberyards are about 10-15% cheaper on quantity purchases.

[MushCreek]

Correction- 60% increase. Last September I paid $10 a sheet for 5/8 OSB; today it's $16.

[Windpower]

$19.59 last week for 1/2  CDX

and they were out -- so the substituted 5/8 for the same price