The prices of lumber skyrocketed this past year due to supply shortages because of the workforce disruption during covid.
Now it finally appears those prices are dropping to levels last seen before the pandemic.

Softwood prices for things used to frame houses like 2X4's and plywood have finally dropped but the costs of other important building materials have gone way up this summer.

According to the National Association of Home Builders prices for framing lumber per 1,000 board feet had an average cost of $600 last November and then skyrocketed to a high of $1500 in May. Thankfully, it's now back down to $600.

That's the kind of wood most commonly used for houses, things like OSB pre-cut panels.

"The big box stores had it at $40 a sheet. It's dropped to $12 a sheet last week," said Herb Soss, Ace Lumber in Youngstown.

Soss says while that framing wood is going down other things are still hard to get.

"Specialty doors for your front entrance and that sort of thing, replacement windows, those are out 12 weeks, shrunk back to ten weeks," added Soss.

So while framing material prices are back down, home builders still have to deal with supply issues for just about everything else.

And the prices for common building supplies other than lumber has gone up over 20% between April and July.

That includes Laminated veneer lumber, plastic water pipes, fabricated structural material and copper pipe and tube.
Even metal screws and roofing are up.

So if you're thinking of building a new home don't expect a lower price because of a drop in the cost of lumber, higher prices on everything else plus a shortage in workers hasn't helped bring the final costs down to pre-pandemic levels.