Building in 2021? The facts about the prices of building materials

Started by maggiethecat, April 24, 2021, 12:03:27 PM

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maggiethecat

I have to say this video was an eye opener!

https://youtu.be/Ei14ks5ggGo

Very well explained. I am now a little scared to start building. Maybe we should hold off until next year to build our cabin. I just can't believe the prices compared to a year ago, my husband says OSB 7/16 used to cost $11 and now it's $51

[edited to remove divisive/political non-building related content] 
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Nate R

It's an interesting video, better than many in how it's presented. Not sure I agree with all of it, as far as cause/effect, or even how much is factual, but still....Will be interesting to see if he's right about things coming down next year. 



NathanS

I would go to some local saw mills with a complete order of what you need - even sheathing with 1x. They do not have the same complex supply chains big box stores utilize which is like a form of leverage.

The prices from the hardwood mill I have used have actually decreased since covid started, because most cabinet making has been outsourced to Asia.

jsahara24

I just bought 20 sheets of 7/16 OSB, 45$/sheet.  You wouldn't believe how many people came up to me as I was loading it.  If it wasn't something that needed to be done based on a current roofing project gone bad, I would wait, or find another way like Nathan mentioned....

Do you have any local mills?  The amish in my area are very reasonable..

Dave Sparks

My info is the price may come down a bit off the peak, but it will be high for another year if you are waiting. Many builders are selling lots but not moving forward building the structure, and this too is another bottleneck.
"we go where the power lines don't"


McLeanGabrielle

I completely agree with you. It is best to wait for the end of the pandemic, then prices will drop significantly from the peak.

NathanS

Just an FYI -- the Amish have not increased prices at all in my area. I finally went in for a price list because I am going to build a garage this summer and fall. They are backed up 2 months, but a 2x6-8' is still only $4.80.


GeneAtTheBeach

Just joined the forum. Just sold my house and I'm going to build my own small home on land I own outright. Saw this thread, and wanted to chip in..... My son is an Area President for the largest Home Builder in the US. There is not, nor has there ever been a 'wood shortage'. This entire fiasco is the result of Weyerhaeuser, West Fraser, Georgia-Pacific, Sierra Pacific and a smattering of other Timber goliaths working together to raise prices across the board.

Other major suppliers (steel, electrical component suppliers, etc) have taken the hint, and decided to get on the gouging bandwagon as well. This isn't an opinion... It is what it is, and their actions are being ignored by our 'government'...

This has nothing to do with a 'pandemic'. It is pure, simple greed. >:(

Very few of the timber suppliers here in NC have jacked their prices into orbit. Sure, some of them have gone up, but not by orders of magnitude like the commercial industries have. It's nuts.

Don_P

Yup, they saw an opportunity to jack prices on those who would pay them. The consumer has the option of saying "thank you, no". Enough people with enough free money decided to pay those prices. When prices do moderate those houses will be under water... very short memories.

The logger and small sawmills did not see much of an increase. We logged some timber last week and are sawing framing this week. Rarely is it cost effective for me to saw framing lumber. It is right now.

We apparently crossed the peak and prices are dropping but it will be several months at current predictions before things calm down. Some of those who speculated are trying to unload their high priced goods right now. In a perfect world it will bite them very hard.

Off to the woods  ;D


maggiethecat

I watched prices decline in October and November and was not in a position to purchase lumber. Boy how do I regret it! Now I might have to wait for the next decline so I can build in New Mexico.

But I won't wait too much to build the Little House since it is such a smaller project.
Decorate your cabin/house/castle/compound/hellhole with original modern ART!

NathanS


Adam Roby

$51.58 for a sheet of 7/16 OSB right now locally.
$62.48 for a sheet of standard 1/2" plywood.

I was hoping prices would be down by now.  I've been holding off on a few important projects, namely a hole in the roof of the cabin from those stinking raccoons.   I guess snare wire and poison it is. 

Not only are the prices insane, but I find the quality has dropped significantly.  I am paying around $17 for a 2"x6"x8' PT (where normal prices should be around $6-8), but they are all cracked, warped, and showing significant live edges and full of knots.  It's like they are selling what they used to scrap for double or more the normal price. 

jsahara24

"Only" 47$ for 7/16 OSB here in PA.  I dug through the 2x4s at lowes the other day, most everything was junk.  I couldn't imagine having an order delivered as it would all be terrible...

I had my roof replaced during the previous price hike, ended up needing ~32 sheets or so....that hurt.....When I was at lowes buying it multiple people came and asked if I had to take out of my 401k to afford it!  haha..

Hopefully you are allowed to cross the border to get to your cabin at least? 

MountainDon

I hear/see complaints about lumber quality and am mystified. Every time I have gone into Lowes or HomeDepot here in NM in the past couple of years, yes, it is pricey but quality looks better than what I have been used to seeing over the past decade.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


maggiethecat

Quote from: MountainDon on March 23, 2022, 01:24:40 PM
I hear/see complaints about lumber quality and am mystified. Every time I have gone into Lowes or HomeDepot here in NM in the past couple of years, yes, it is pricey but quality looks better than what I have been used to seeing over the past decade.

Good to hear because we'll be buying from the Los Lunas locations! Except for the precast concrete blocks with saddles, those don't seem to exist in NM.
Decorate your cabin/house/castle/compound/hellhole with original modern ART!

Don_P

We had our homemade lumber graded last week, everyone was happy, up to 26' 2x12's, several entirely clear and since we were sawing it straight right there, no crowns, straight and long. We'll start framing today.

Pier blocks... set up your mailbox on one and think about why they are prohibited :D

Adam Roby

Quote from: jsahara24 on March 23, 2022, 12:57:56 PM
Hopefully you are allowed to cross the border to get to your cabin at least?

We were for about 2 weeks, then they re-implemented the mandatory testing. 
They said it will lift on April 1st, but now some new strain of Omicron is heading its way from overseas and rumor has it that restriction will be back in place. 

As for the wood quality, I think the lack of wood is one of the problems.  If they have 10 skids, everyone will dig through it and the store puts all the un-selected pieces back together on a new skid.  When I get there, it's always a disaster, obvious signs of being re-stacked and everything is complete garbage.  That said, there was one pallet of 1"x2"x8' pine non treated that I needed 30 pieces, and after cutting strapping and going through about 20 bundles, I gave up with only about 5 good pieces, the rest were cracked, knotted, twisted...   I needed to make framing for something and needed relatively straight and strong pieces, but could not find 30 pieces out of several hundred I looked at...  disaster.   

MountainDon

If you have a lack of supply it must be that it is all coming down here. We have a building boom that seems to be greater than any other period I recall. The lumber moves in and out quite quickly. There seems to be a good supply. only costly. The racks in both Lowe's and HD are usually neat and stacked straight looking more like what one sees when a new store opens with fresh stock. But it is coming in the back doors and going out again very soon.

It did take 7 months to get a new garage door that we wanted, because all the new homes going up need at least one garage door per house and there was a supply chain issue.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

WISteven

OSB prices dropped to $32 in the past few days here in WI.

WISteven

Quote from: jsahara24 on April 26, 2021, 01:02:29 PMYou wouldn't believe how many people came up to me as I was loading it.  
They just wanted to talk to a rich guy.