Lumber Prices

AzIron · Sep 21, 2020

Residential has surged here in the last year I am sure this lumber market will slow it some curbing demand but at all the material that will go to hurricane rehabs and rebuilding entire neighborhoods from fire damage its anyone's guess

Here we have no lumber mills anymore just pallet yards and firewood wholesale most of our timber has been ruined for building from bug damage and years of bad forest management with drought so almost everything here comes from pac west area

Old Doug · Sep 21, 2020

Most of the trees here are made into pallets and most of them are one time use. I want to build 1 more shop and it will be 90 to 100% steel.

Spud_Monkey · Sep 21, 2020

Old Doug said:
Most of the trees here are made into pallets and most of them are one time use. I want to build 1 more shop and it will be 90 to 100% steel.

I'm with you, the other 10% will be of concrete for me.

mitch504 · Sep 21, 2020

Believe it or not, this thread almost makes me feel good. I was planning to have my new shop done by Christmas, and start the house right afterwards. I just found out I won't be able to start anything until April.

I say almost makes me feel good, because it has been my experience that once something goes way up, it doesn't come all the way back down.

colson04 · Sep 22, 2020

mitch504 said:
Believe it or not, this thread almost makes me feel good. I was planning to have my new shop done by Christmas, and start the house right afterwards. I just found out I won't be able to start anything until April.

I say almost makes me feel good, because it has been my experience that once something goes way up, it doesn't come all the way back down.

Lumber is a commodity, and like all commodities, it is very cyclical. Working for my dad years ago, I've seen lumber rocket right up in one year (2007). Prices tripled on sheeting products, framing lumber doubled, etc. During the crash in 2009, they sold for less than they did in early 2007. When I built my house in 2016, lumber prices dropped about 15% from when we priced out our framing materials to when we actually put in our order.

In 2007, we had $7/bushel corn, $100+/barrel oil, and $3+ /gallon gasoline and today in 2020, corn is under $3/bushel, oil hovers around $40/barrel and I paid $1.99/gallon last night to fill up my truck. Year over year, I would expect prices to rise 2% +/- for inflation, but commodities don't always follow that model very well.

DMiller · Sep 22, 2020

When built our place in '14/15 prices were not so bad even the steel for shop and barn siding was low. Been told same materials lists today are Double what we spent at bare minimum and on a waiting list to procure.

Bumpsteer · Sep 22, 2020

I know of one house being built right now, they just poured the basement (used those insulated Styrofoam forms). Will be interesting to see if the build continues. Last weekend there was no lumber on site....

Ed

colson04 · Sep 22, 2020

I'm building a pole barn for a customer. She placed her order for materials mid August and the framing lumber arrived, as scheduled, 2 weeks later. I drive past 2 new house sites that started their excavation around first of September and both have their stacks of framing lumber already. Our local lumber yard is full, but they are prioritizing full packages over piecemeal sales.

hosspuller · Sep 22, 2020

I mentally track the price of OSB at the local Lowes Hardware. Their stack of the stuff is always right at the entrance.. With the price per sheet in a big sign. The price has cycled from $6 to (last time I checked) $28.

Hurricanes, state of economy, interest rates, floods, and now riots affect the price change.

Bumpsteer · Sep 22, 2020

Went past the job I mentioned up thread....trusses were there.

Guess its a go.

Ed

chroniekon · Sep 22, 2020

I used to work with a guy that had previously worked at a mill that made OSB. He was well aware of the cyclical nature of the business. He made a fair amount of money each year in the stock market buying and selling based on the price fluctuations revolving around hurricane season.

cuttin edge · Sep 26, 2020

7/16 OSB was 13 bucks a sheet here, now it's over 24. A 2x4 stud is 7 bucks. I have a cousin with his own mill, he can't keep up with orders as he is selling cheaper than the stores

Pixie · Sep 26, 2020

I have my own portable mill, also but many places require kiln dried and graded and stamped lumber for houses. Not as big a deal for sheds and garages.

DMiller · Sep 26, 2020

New neighbor across our Valley is regretting the use of a Portaband sawmill using his own timber to build his house. Every stick he cut for architectural show beams is twisting splitting and zipper cracking, made 2 1/2" thick stair treads and they are all bolted to control the warping, rough cut stringers he has stated can hear them pop in middle of the night.

colson04 · Sep 26, 2020

I wanted to put a lean too on my barn this year, but I don't see that happening anytime soon with these new prices.

Bumpsteer · Sep 26, 2020

7/16 osb is $22 at home depot...had some projects to do this fall, ain't gonna happen.

Ed

DMiller · Sep 27, 2020

Had to have a couple 2x6 for scrap control on the 18’ trailer
$65 for four

Had considered building a hay shed near the barn but cost of truss and lack of 6x6 16’s then the price of the 6x6s shut that down.
Red iron currently is cheaper to build.

cuttin edge · Sep 27, 2020

even steel roofing. Work buddy put a steel roof on his home last year. His garage burnt through the winter. He worked through the winter on a building project and managed to throw together enough scrap lumber to build a new one. The steel had almost doubled for the roof.

Spud_Monkey · Sep 29, 2020

DMiller said:
Had to have a couple 2x6 for scrap control on the 18’ trailer
$65 for four

Had considered building a hay shed near the barn but cost of truss and lack of 6x6 16’s then the price of the 6x6s shut that down.
Red iron currently is cheaper to build.

You can’t buy 6 x 6’s out here at that size much less a 4 x 4 so I figure either trees or steel, I took the trees down. One and only wood structure will be here that had to be rushed is the pole barn if I can get back in time to build, major splits in the trees now but will band them on both ends

Flat Thunder Channel · Sep 29, 2020

I was chatting with the gentleman who helped deliver my fill dirt. He was contacted to dig a basement for a new home earlier this year. Due to the surge in everyone refinancing the customers project was delayed 3 months. He said each month the lumber package increased by $7k. The customer still opted to complete the project even thought the lumber portion of the job will be $21k more. That's crazy talk! I would definitely hold off on any major projects. I also heard some local barn builders decided to no longer quote builds. I think they are building on material expense accounts since the lumber process fluctuate so much.

Lumber Prices

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