Y'all Been Checkin' Lumber Prices?

Diggin It · Nov 9, 2020

Got a few more boards from the Mill Guy. $20 for ten 1x4x8 and two 1x6x8 Red Oak. Stuff's got some flaws, knots, bug holes and a little bark at some of the ends. Stuff most of you would probably reject, but for what I'm using it for, it'll be fine.

Diggin It · Nov 10, 2020

May 15, I paid:

2 x 8 x 12; $6.82

2 x 6 x 10; $5.69

Today they show:

2 x 8 x 12; $15.69

2 x 6 x 10; $13.42

crazyal · Nov 10, 2020

The prices have been going up ever since people got stuck home last spring. Suddenly people realized they had the time to do the work they put off for years. Now the supply has dwindled some so prices have gone up. Add to it that the plants making this stuff are also struggling. We'll see how long it takes to recover. I've noticed that logging trucks are back on the roads again and mills seam to be getting back up to speed. No different than toilet paper. When demand spikes unexpectedly supplies drop. No company is going to invest millions to retool to meet the new level of demand unless they expect it to stay at that level for a very long time.

weldingisfun · Nov 10, 2020

Diggin It said:
May 15, I paid:

2 x 8 x 12; $6.82

2 x 6 x 10; $5.69

Today they show:

2 x 8 x 12; $15.69

2 x 6 x 10; $13.42

Here is another one for you.

In June I paid:
2 x 8 x 10 pressure treated - $11.67

Today:
2 x 8 x 10 pressure treated - $21.27

ultrarunner · Nov 10, 2020

Plus all the rebuilding due to fires.

In WWII a builder friend had supply issues so he bought a mill and trucks to bring timber to the SF East Bay... actually converted adapted trucks ad most lumber went by rail over distance...

Was quite successful because he had own supply chain.

In more recent history when lumber spikes there is a shift to metal studs.

Ford850 · Nov 10, 2020

New construction has been surging for months, over 20% increase last I heard. Over 35% increase in the North East. That puts a heavy strain on supplies when it increases that much for so many months in a row. Home sales were at a 14 year high in September too, with a shortage of homes to sell. That pushes the new home construction even higher.

s219 · Nov 10, 2020

Last spring I paid $19 for a 4x6 12' treated timber. Today I paid $29. And that price is down. They were near $40 in September.

3Ts · Nov 10, 2020

And all the hurricanes on the gulf coast destroying the homes over and over again.

MagicMM · Nov 12, 2020

There are other options if your building codes allow. Here is 4910 board feet of 18'and 20' framing lumber that I sawed this week for a customer's new home. That was 194 ea. 2X6's and 28 ea. 2X12's; his cost $1473. I will be sawing additional 2X6's and 2X4's next week plus 10X10 Red Oak for the entrance columns.