John Burns Research & Consulting (JBREC) recently reported in their Building Products Dealer Survey, building product orders rose 7% year over year. This reporting indicates the strongest growth reading since the fall. Additionally, a little over half of dealers (54%) surveyed relayed accelerating orders compared to the prior month, citing more favorable weather and the previous decline in mortgage rates.
However, analysts propose that this increase is not from demand, rather an elevated cost adjustment.
“But dealers project full-year 2026 volume growth of less than 1%, with revenue gains of +5.2% expected to come primarily from price increases rather than meaningful demand recovery,” said Chris Beard, Vice President, Building Products Research at JBREC. “Amid ongoing competitive pressures from industry consolidation, new market entrants, and builder bargaining power, dealers are prioritizing operational efficiency and product streamlining over expansion.”
