Author Topic: Building Materials  (Read 1775 times)

Nick1911

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Building Materials
« on: March 07, 2021, 09:40:40 PM »
I went to purchase some 3/4 conduit - Electrical Metallic Tubing - today from Menards.  I was surprised to see that a single 10 foot piece was $7.70.  In my head I recalled purchasing them for more like $3-4ish.

Pondering if I was crazy or not, I punched up the wayback machine and pulled up menards site from 2015.  It's a little clunky to navigate since the search functions obviously don't work, but I was able to pull some prices.  These items were identical, and had identical SKU's in 2015.

3/4 EMT
2015: $4.06
2021: $7.70
89% price increase

2x4x92-5/8  Douglas Fir Stud
2015: $3.66
2021: $6.84
86% price increase

1/2in plywood
2015: $17.39
2021: $24.91
43% price increase

12/2 romex
2015: $55.91
2021: $88.55
58% price increase

Confirming that yes, building materials have gone nuts.  Officially, we would expect to see a 9.3% increase in price due only to inflation.

cordex

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2021, 10:47:45 PM »
And I picked this year to remodel a house.  =|

Good thing it is a small one.

Kingcreek

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2021, 11:22:47 PM »
I know someone who wanted a new 2+ car garage last year. They are capable of doing their own framing and construction. They took their material list to menards a year ago and got prices - $13k for everything above the concrete slab.
They got the building permit, prepped the ground, poured the slab, and went back in June and the same material was $26k, exactly double.
Pandemic, fires in lumber land, Midwest derecho storms, all working against you.
What we have here is failure to communicate.

Hawkmoon

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2021, 11:24:18 PM »
I have a friend who is a small residential contractor. He and his brother have been planning to do a small subdivision. Just while they went through the zoning approval process (which took, IIRC, a bit less than six months) he said the costs of building materials has skyrocketed.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2021, 02:59:15 AM by Hawkmoon »
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100% Politically Incorrect by Design

kgbsquirrel

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2021, 12:25:09 AM »
Welcome to inflicted scarcity.

tokugawa

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2021, 01:09:31 AM »
We buy crating material from local suppliers, not much at one time but every other week or so.
 This time last year, 3/4" CDX ply was about $25 a sheet, from Lowes. Today, $45 a sheet. Same with 2x stock.

 

zahc

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2021, 09:49:16 AM »
There's no inflation. It's just that everything is getting more expensive.

Around here people are having their homeowners insurance shoot up because their rebuilding cost has doubled.
Maybe a rare occurence, but then you only have to get murdered once to ruin your whole day.
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K Frame

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2021, 10:05:17 AM »
I'd better bet that a lot of these price increases have happened since the start of COVID.

My contractor has said that since last year his material costs have increased significantly and, in some cases, he's had to postpone jobs because stuff has been either in very short supply or has been unavailable.

I was going to have some additional work done on my house last fall but I had to postpone it because the windows that I wanted weren't available.
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Ben

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2021, 10:22:13 AM »

I was going to have some additional work done on my house last fall but I had to postpone it because the windows that I wanted weren't available.

I was just looking to buy some replacement vinyl siding panels. My color and type are backordered through May.
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cordex

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2021, 10:41:19 AM »
I've got new windows ordered.  I was quoted up to 18 weeks to delivery.

PEfarmer

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2021, 12:57:16 PM »
Meanwhile, we have Jerome Powell telling everyone that any inflation is temporary, and they have no plans to increase interest rates.  This to me is a clear consequence of the fed.gov being borrowed to the hilt.  They can't afford anything above near zero percent interest rates, so the fed games the system to protect that.  Which leaves savers no choice but to gamble in the vastly overinflated equity market to generate retirement income.  And when the house of cards falls..... 

As to the definition of inflation, as has been pointed out, building materials, steel, oil, food, housing, basically everything is increasing rapidly, but I can buy a 19" tv for $50, so I guess there's no inflation. 

And getting further back on topic, I've heard a number of stories of banks refusing to loan at numbers necessary to support the current building material cost due to a fear that they'll be upside down on loan to value if prices correct.  Result:  projects unfunded and grinding to a halt.

kgbsquirrel

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2021, 02:59:25 PM »
Meanwhile, we have Jerome Powell telling everyone that any inflation is temporary, and they have no plans to increase interest rates.  This to me is a clear consequence of the fed.gov being borrowed to the hilt.  They can't afford anything above near zero percent interest rates, so the fed games the system to protect that.  Which leaves savers no choice but to gamble in the vastly overinflated equity market to generate retirement income.  And when the house of cards falls..... 

As to the definition of inflation, as has been pointed out, building materials, steel, oil, food, housing, basically everything is increasing rapidly, but I can buy a 19" tv for $50, so I guess there's no inflation. 

And getting further back on topic, I've heard a number of stories of banks refusing to loan at numbers necessary to support the current building material cost due to a fear that they'll be upside down on loan to value if prices correct.  Result:  projects unfunded and grinding to a halt.

As I recall the banks refusing to loan money was one of the precipitating factors for the Great Depression.

230RN

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2021, 04:09:28 PM »
All as well-planned.

What's bad for the Dollar is good for the Yuan.

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dogmush

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2021, 04:12:41 PM »
As I recall the banks refusing to loan money was one of the precipitating factors for the Great Depression.

Not a problem.  As soon as they are finished fixing the minimum wage issue, Congress will just make it illegal to refuse to loan to someone trying to build.  Or they could just get the .gov to buy any mortgages the banks don't feel comfortable with after closing.

Nick1911

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2021, 04:49:25 PM »
Meanwhile, we have Jerome Powell telling everyone that any inflation is temporary, and they have no plans to increase interest rates.  This to me is a clear consequence of the fed.gov being borrowed to the hilt.  They can't afford anything above near zero percent interest rates, so the fed games the system to protect that.  Which leaves savers no choice but to gamble in the vastly overinflated equity market to generate retirement income.  And when the house of cards falls..... 

As to the definition of inflation, as has been pointed out, building materials, steel, oil, food, housing, basically everything is increasing rapidly, but I can buy a 19" tv for $50, so I guess there's no inflation. 

And getting further back on topic, I've heard a number of stories of banks refusing to loan at numbers necessary to support the current building material cost due to a fear that they'll be upside down on loan to value if prices correct.  Result:  projects unfunded and grinding to a halt.

In the same 2015-now timeframe (which I picked somewhat randomly), steel has slightly more than doubled, retail gasoline is about the same, the food index I can find suggests food is about the same price, and average house closing price in my area has increased 45%.

Steel caught me off guard the other day.  I went to a steel supplier to pick up a sheet of 18 gauge cold roll - it was substantially more than when I had purchased it a few years ago.


Jim147

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2021, 07:07:34 PM »
Yeah steel went crazy last yeah whit many other materials.

I'm waiting on a walk-in cooler unit to show up that is late. First big job since I got well a year ago and I'm just waiting.

I did trade a few acres of hay land for a cow this evening. Go barter system.
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

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PEfarmer

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #16 on: March 08, 2021, 07:56:29 PM »
Steel is up crazy, even just from last fall.  Very glad we put up new grain bins last year instead of this.

tokugawa

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #17 on: March 08, 2021, 09:14:29 PM »
Now this is weird- same supplier, a few hundred BF of hardwood each time. A big increase from March to Sept, then a drop. Go figure.  So apparently the hardwood market is not tracking with the softwood building product market.  Rounding up to an actual 2x4 x 96", that is 5.33 BF, - so in cherry, it would cost  $18.76. So by the time lumber doubles again, we can build frame our houses with fine hardwood! yay!  Years ago in Forks, I knew a guy who built his house log cabin style with fir 2x6's stacked flat -they were that cheap.

 8/4 cherry- 3-20  $4.22      8/4 maple  $3.68
                  9-20  $5.21                       $4.59
                  3-21  $3.52                       $4.33

Grandpa Shooter

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #18 on: March 09, 2021, 08:52:34 AM »
I've been told it isn't so much the cost of the actual goods as it is the cost of shipping them that is inflating retail costs.  I ordered a 6" decal last night that cost .99 and was charged $5.00 shipping and tax at 6% for a total of $6.35.  Yup that is right, I was taxed not on the .99 but rather on cost plus shipping.  I know the stuff my wife orders used to come free shipping but now is paying shipping and it comes weeks later.

Kingcreek

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #19 on: March 09, 2021, 09:17:52 AM »
I've been told it isn't so much the cost of the actual goods as it is the cost of shipping them that is inflating retail costs.  I ordered a 6" decal last night that cost .99 and was charged $5.00 shipping and tax at 6% for a total of $6.35.  Yup that is right, I was taxed not on the .99 but rather on cost plus shipping.  I know the stuff my wife orders used to come free shipping but now is paying shipping and it comes weeks later.
You are correct that shipping has shot way up, especially over the road truck freight. My SIL manages a logistics company and he has had a lot of challenges keeping drivers, moving loads, and trying to treat his loyal regular clients reasonably at the same time.
What we have here is failure to communicate.

tokugawa

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #20 on: March 10, 2021, 01:18:37 AM »
That 3/4" cdx ply that last year was $25, and two weeks ago was $45? Up to $52 today.  A doug fir 2x4x8 was $7.35, a sheet of 3/8" osb was $32!!!!!
 

Ben

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #21 on: March 10, 2021, 08:35:30 AM »
That 3/4" cdx ply that last year was $25, and two weeks ago was $45? Up to $52 today.  A doug fir 2x4x8 was $7.35, a sheet of 3/8" osb was $32!!!!!

Crap. I need to redo the surface of my smaller bridge (stupid cows!) and I guess it's gonna cost me twice what it would have last year. I might only fix the busted areas. There is a post and pole place in town that also does rough cut lumber. They seem to have in-state sourcing for their wood. I wonder if their local rough cut stuff would be cheaper? Wouldn't matter for my application.
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Grandpa Shooter

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2021, 10:26:10 AM »
The locally owned wood mills in our area get their logs from independents so there really is no middleman.  It is time to put an end to the near monopoly of the huge wood processors and huge box stores.

tokugawa

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #23 on: March 10, 2021, 11:23:46 AM »
Crap. I need to redo the surface of my smaller bridge (stupid cows!) and I guess it's gonna cost me twice what it would have last year. I might only fix the busted areas. There is a post and pole place in town that also does rough cut lumber. They seem to have in-state sourcing for their wood. I wonder if their local rough cut stuff would be cheaper? Wouldn't matter for my application.

 Probably better wood too. Wonder if they have juniper? good for rot resistance.

charby

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Re: Building Materials
« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2021, 02:26:01 PM »
Crap. I need to redo the surface of my smaller bridge (stupid cows!) and I guess it's gonna cost me twice what it would have last year. I might only fix the busted areas. There is a post and pole place in town that also does rough cut lumber. They seem to have in-state sourcing for their wood. I wonder if their local rough cut stuff would be cheaper? Wouldn't matter for my application.

Are you just putting down the tire path boards or just need to redeck the whole bridge?

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