President Trump announced additional tariffs of 50% on a variety of Canadian goods. This move will likely broadly affect the residential construction industry’s bottom line, already facing higher construction material costs throughout 2026. Canadian goods affected in this deal are lumber, including plywood and engineered wood products, cermets, plastic, rubber, furniture, among other items. The administration announced that this move is to hold Canada accountable for its continued discrimination against and unreasonable and unequal treatment of U.S. commerce. It will go into effect beginning August 19, 2026. “While contractors remain…
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Vinyl siding leads exterior wall materials
Research from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that vinyl siding is the most used exterior wall material for single-family homes. The material is used on over a quarter of all homes, overtaking stucco for only the second time since 2018. The study also shows a strong trend of growth for fiber cement siding, steadily increasing from 3.20% to 22.61% over the past 25 years. The use of brick siding declines, falling from 24.5% in 2012 to 16.76% in 2025. The popularity is divided geographically, on par for…
Read MoreInput prices fall, builders to expect stronger margins
According to a recent release from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), input prices in residential construction declined 1.1% month over month in June. While overall input prices are up 7.6% compared to a year ago, energy prices fell 12.1% for crude petroleum and 8.1% for unprocessed energy materials. Natural gas prices did increase 16.6% in the month but could cool off in the next few months as oil prices fall globally. The slight decrease in June allows for cautious optimism for the building community in Q3, with a return…
Read MoreResidential building material prices increase
Wholesale prices of materials used in residential construction increased in May 2026, a direct result of rising energy costs. Residential building material prices rose at their highest yearly rate since January 2023, as prices were up 4.4% from 2025 and up 0.7% over May. The price index for inputs to new residential construction rose 1.3% in May and was up 6.9% from last year. The price of goods used in new residential construction, including energy, was up 2.1% over the month and up 8.3% from last year, while the price…
Read MoreCanadian lumber duties expected to decline
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) published its plans to lower antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber. This comes as a scheduled review process of existing tariffs. The DOC presented a decrease of antidumping duties by nearly 10%, from 20.56% to 10.66%. While the countervailing duties are only expected to decrease by less than half a percent from 14.63% to 14.17%, the combined rate would decrease from 35.16% to 24.83%. DOC will likely issue final results of the plans in 120 days, around when lower duties would take…
Read MoreUnderstanding construction material costs
The elevated building material costs is a current headwind for the industry. However, understanding where the rise comes from, building close relationships with dealers and transparency with clients can help you keep your projects on track. According to analysis from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) construction input prices are 2.8% higher than a year ago. For small and mid-sized firms, simply absorbing these costs is not an option. Many ABC Carolinas members reported their projects were cancelled, rebid or significantly scaled back after updated quotes with higher budgets. “Start with…
Read MoreNLBMDA opens entries for 2026 ProDealer of the Year
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) announced nominations are open for its 2026 ProDealer of the Year Award. This awards recognizes a company that demonstrates exceptional growth, innovation and leadership in the LBM industry. NLBMDA is also recognizing the Independent ProDealer of the Year which celebrates a standout dealer with five or fewer locations that exemplifies the values and business acumen of the independent lumberyard sector. NLBMDA is the recognized voice and resource of the Lumber and Building Material industry to federal legislators and regulatory agencies in…
Read MoreIncreasing the domestic timber supply
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced their efforts to increase the domestic timber supply. 2.5 million acres of timberlands in western Oregon are apart of this plan to sell, cut, and remove timber to be used in projects such as housing development and renovation. BLM reported that the program supports an estimated 2,000 local jobs and generate more than $1 billion for local economies. “Bringing timber production back to historic levels is essential for reviving local economies and reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires,” said Acting BLM Director Bill Groffy.…
Read MoreUSDA guarantees $115.2M for timber production advancement
On March 23, 2026 at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service J.R. Claeys announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is guaranteeing $115.2 million across eight states through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) to ensure sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand, or improve their operations. The states receiving the advancement include California, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin. “We cannot allow wildfires to devastate and…
Read MoreBuilding material price growth up 3% from year before
Building material price growth saw a slight decline at the start of the year, only to grow in February. This data comes as the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Producer Price Index. Analysis from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) reports that the price index for inputs to new residential construction are up 0.7% for the month. Compared to the month before, the price of goods used in new residential construction are also up 1.1% while the price of services are up 0.1%. While looking at the year before,…
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