NAHB Keeps Lumber Prices in the Headlines

Advocacy
Contact: Alex Strong
astrong@nahb.org
(202) 266-8279

Prices of lumber and other wood products used in residential construction have been especially volatile in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Similarly, persistent disruptions in the building materials supply chain continue to cause significant construction delays and exacerbate housing affordability.

NAHB continues to seek prompt action from the Biden administration and other lawmakers by calling on domestic lumber producers to ramp up production to ease growing shortages, as well as removing trade barriers and seeking solutions to port congestion, and truck and rail transportation delays.

Recent Lumber- and Supply Chain-Related News Coverage

Please note that some articles may require a subscription to view.

Spectrum News: ‘It’s very frustrating’: Home builders struggle with supply chain issues
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is quoted.

Bloomberg: Lumber Sinks for Seventh Day as Lofty Prices Cancel Home Builds
NAHB Senior Economist David Logan is quoted.

MarketWatch: Volatility of lumber prices hits high not seen since end of World War II — why home buyers should be concerned
NAHB Chief Economist Rob Dietz is quoted.

Business Insider: Home builders are desperate for quick and inexpensive materials, so they’re turning to Home Depot and Congress for help
NAHB Chief Economist Rob Dietz is quoted.

Fox Business, Varney & Co.
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard was interviewed.

CNBC: Homebuilder confidence drops for the first time in four months, as inflation hits materials
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke and NAHB Chief Economist Rob Dietz are quoted.

Seattle Times: Tariffs on Canadian lumber are driving up home prices
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke’s op-ed was published.

Mortgage News Daily Lumber Prices Soaring Again
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

Washington Post.com: Experts predict what the 2022 housing market will bring
NAHB Chief Economist Rob Dietz is quoted.

USA Today: Will there be a housing market correction in 2022 after two years of ‘hyper-growth’?
NAHB Chief Economist Rob Dietz is quoted. See attached.

Realtor.com: Lumber Prices Add More Than $18,600 to Price of New Home
NAHB data is mentioned.

Motley Fool: Is the Christmas Tree Shortage a Bad Sign for Homebuilding?
NAHB data is mentioned.

Forbes: 2021 Was One Of The Best—And One Of The Toughest—Years For Housing. 2022 Will Not Be So Different
NAHB data is mentioned.

View more articles below.

December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021

Fox Business: Cavuto: Coast to Coast segment on the latest housing data.
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is interviewed.

Fortune: Lumber’s price has fallen 71%
NAHB First Vice Chairman Jerry Konter is interviewed.

Fox Business: NAHB CEO warns supply chain must be fixed ‘quickly’
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and Chief Economist Robert Dietz are quoted.

CNBC: Home builder sentiment falls to lowest level in over a year as buyers face sticker shock
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and Chief Economist Robert Dietz are quoted.

July 2021
June 2021

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Housing Market Booms, but Small Business Contractors Miss Out
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

New York Times: High Lumber Prices Bring New Urgency to Old Trade Fight
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke and Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

USA Today: ‘They’re hitting the pause button’: Lumber price roller coaster forces Americans to delay costly renovations
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke, CEO Jerry Howard and Senior Economist David Logan are quoted.

Fox Business: Segment on the HMI and lumber prices
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard was interviewed.

Yahoo Finance: Segment on the HMI and lumber prices
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard was interviewed.

Fox Business: Lumber prices plunge, Sherwood Lumber COO explains what’s driving the decline
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is quoted.

CNBC: Homebuilder sentiment drops to 10-month low, as construction costs drive prices higher
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke and Chief Economist Robert Dietz are quoted.

Forbes: A Lesson in Lumber Shortages, Buyer Preferences and Supply and Demand
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

Bloomberg: Steel’s Massive Rally Hits All Parts of the Global Economy
NAHB Third Vice Chairman Carl Harris is quoted.

Marketwatch: An inflation storm is coming for the U.S. housing market
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

MSN: Lumber prices fell for the 8th straight day
NAHB is mentioned.

CBS Moneywatch: Consumer prices are rising. Here’s what’s increasing the most and why
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

Los Angeles Times: Lumber is wildly expensive now. Even picnic table prices are through the roof
NAHB is mentioned

CBS News: Surging lumber prices put buying a home out of reach for many Americans
NAHB Second Vice Chairman Alicia Huey is quoted.

Baltimore Sun: ‘We’re in the fog of war’: Soaring lumber prices are contributing to rising home costs in Maryland and beyond
NAHB Senior Economist David Logan is quoted.

CBS This Morning: Segment on lumber prices
NAHB second Vice Chairman Alicia Huey is interviewed.

Charlotte Observer: Lumber prices still sky-high amid COVID shortage
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

CNN: Steel and lumber prices are sky-high. Lifting Trump’s tariffs could help.
NAHB is mentioned.

May 2021

Fox Business: Cavuto Coast to Coast
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is interviewed.

CNBC: Segment on homeownership
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is interviewed.

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Home-Price Growth Surges as Demand Overwhelms Supply
NAHB is mentioned.

Motley Fool: How Builders are Coping with High Material Costs (You May Not Like the Answer)
NAHB is mentioned.

Fox Business: Varney & Co. discussion on building materials prices and labor shortages
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is interviewed.

Business Insider: The price of lumber is wild right now and it’s a disaster for the already disastrous housing market
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

CNBC: Homebuilder confidence is high, but rising costs of materials present major risks
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke and Chief Economist Robert Dietz are quoted.

NBC News: Should Biden worry about soaring lumber prices?
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is quoted.

Reuters: U.S. trade chief pressured to lift duties on Canadian lumber
NAHB Chief Lobbyist Jim Tobin is quoted.

MSN: Soaring Lumber Prices – What Residential Investors Should Know
NAHB is mentioned.

Wall Street Journal: Despite Lumber Boom, Few New Sawmills Coming
NAHB is mentioned.

Bloomberg: Why Lumber Remains King in American Homes Despite a 300% Surge
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

CNBC: As the U.S. economy restarts from the pandemic, parts of it are severely broken
NAHB is mentioned.

Slate: Logjam! A journey to the heart of the lumber shortage.
NAHB is mentioned.

Las Vegas Review Journal: Spiking lumber prices add thousands of dollars to cost of new homes
NAHB is mentioned.

CNN: New homes cost $36,000 more because of an e[pic shortage of lumber
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

Business Insider: Lumber prices top $1,600 for the first time ever as the ongoing homebuilding craze drains supply
NAHB is mentioned.

Bloomberg: Lumber Futures Extend Record Rally to Top $1,500 for First Time
NAHB is mentioned.

Bankrate.com: Lumber prices are sky high – Here’s what it means for homeowners and homebuyers
NAHB is mentioned.

The Globe & Mail: US Home Builders Push for New Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

Arlington Sun Gazette: Lumber prices bedeviled new-home builders, buyers
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

April 2021

USA Today: Fact check – COVID-19 to blame for spike in lumber prices, not Biden
NAHB is mentioned.

Business Insider: Expensive lumber costs have added $36,000 to the average price of a new home
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted. 

CNBC: Soaring lumber prices add $36,000 to the cost of a new home
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

Woodworking Network: Home builders respond, say lumber producers are misleadingly underrating cost of lumber
NAHB responds to U.S. Lumber Coalition.

Housing Wire: Housing starts are rising, despite cost to buyers
NAHB is mentioned.

Bloomberg: Lumber Extends Record Rally with Order Surge Straining Sawmills
NAHB is mentioned.

Business Insider: The red-hot-housing market isn't likely to crash soon
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

The Atlantic: Why Dead Trees are the ‘Hottest Commodity on the Planet’
NAHB is mentioned.

Reuters: Soaring lumber prices reverberate through U.S. housing market
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

Bloomberg: Lumber’s Unusual Price Surge Inspires TikTok Videos and Sticker Shock
NAHB is mentioned.

Business Insider: 325% surge in lumber prices of the past year has pushed new-home prices up by $24K
NAHB is mentioned.

Popular Mechanics: Lumber is ridiculously expensive right now. Here’s why, and what you should do.
NAHB is mentioned.

Bloomberg TV: Record Lumber Prices Build as U.S. Housing Booms
NAHB data is referenced.

Fox Business: Cavuto Coast-to-Coast on the state of housing
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is interviewed.

MarketWatch: Is the U.S. housing market heading for a crash?
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz describes the core drivers of rising lumber prices.

Mortgage News Daily: Most Builders Locking in Lumber Prices or Passing Increases Through
NAHB Economist Paul Emrath is quoted.

Minnesota Public Radio: White Hot Housing Market
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz cites lumber as a top challenge for the industry.

NPR Marketplace: All Kinds of Materials are Getting More Expensive
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is interviewed.

Fox WSAW: Lumber Prices Triple Over the Last Year
NAHB Chief Lobbyist Jim Tobin is interviewed.

Financial Times: Lumber prices soar on booming home sales, beetles and bottlenecks in sawmills
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

Fox 32 Chicago: Building industry calls out timber industry as lumber prices continue to spike (view video here)
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is quoted.

National Post: Lumber frenzy depletes inventory, drives up prices; Multiple factors
NAHB data is referenced.

Indianapolis Star: Having your home built will be costly this year; New homes costing more
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

MarketWatch: How could Biden easily boost homeownership? First, end Trump’s tariffs on raw materials
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

Wall Street Journal: Home Price Rise is Not Explained by Duties
NAHB data is referenced.

Fox Business: Varney & Co. discussion on the HMI and lumber prices
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard was interviewed.

Yahoo Finance Live TV: Homebuilders Under Pressure
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard was interviewed.

MarketWatch: Home builders are growing more confident about the housing market despite rising costs of materials
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

CNBC: Homebuilder confidence rises despite record-high lumber prices
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke and Chief Economist Rob Dietz are quoted.

Bloomberg: U.S. Homebuilder Confidence Increased Slightly in April
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

Housing Wire: Builder confidence jumps despite crazy lumber prices
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

Politifact: Yes, the price of plywood is up in the range of 252% with market factors to blame.
NAHB Economist David Logan is quoted.

Business Insider: Lumber prices hit a record high after soaring more than 250% in the past year
NAHB data is referenced.

Fortune: The price of lumber is up 193% and about to spike even higher
NAHB data is referenced.

MarketWatch: If Biden wants to boost homeownership, he should immediately end Trump’s tariffs
NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke is quoted.

MSN: What to Consider When Choosing Construction and Building Materials
NAHB data is referenced.

Marketwatch: Why is there a shortage of lumber, steel, microwaves and even refrigerators?
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz is quoted.

Arkansas Online: Lumber prices rocket on demand surge.
NAHB data is referenced.

Wall Street Journal: Why are home prices soaring? One reason is a tariff on Canadian lumber that Biden can kill.
NAHB data is referenced.

SiriusXM Business Radio: State of the Housing Market (part 1 and part 2)
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard is interviewed.

Vancouver Sun: Canada/U.S. lumber dispute might be helped by pandemic lessons, diplomat argues
NAHB data is referenced.

WJR: Lumber Prices Soar 112% Since 2020; Does this Affect Your Next Building Project?
NAHB data is referenced.

KOLR-TV: Price of lumber through the roof since shortage due to COVID-19
NAHB data is referenced.

WBTV Charlotte: Why is lumber becoming so expensive?
NAHB economist David Logan is quoted.

North Bay Business Journal: Lumber price inflation helps drive up California North Coast construction costs
NAHB data is referenced.

KRCG-TV Columbia: Lumber prices skyrocket causing new homes to cost $24,000 more
NAHB data is referenced.

Multi-Housing News: Lack of Home Supply, Rising Costs Keep Renters in Place
NAHB data is referenced.

KTV2: As lumber prices soar, OSU professor develops way to predict price changes
NAHB data is referenced.

St. Albans Messenger: See what the USDA is proposing to mitigate rising building costs
NAHB data is referenced.

KABC: Price of lumber continues to skyrocket due in part to pandemic
NAHB data is referenced. 

Fox News Dallas: Texas builders say supply shortage continues to spike costs
NAHB Second Vice Chairman Alicia Huey was interviewed.

Digital Journal: Lumber shortage adds thousands of dollars to price of new house
NAHB data is referenced.

Erie News Now: Building material costs reach all-time highs
NAHB data is referenced.

Main Street Clarksville: Record-high lumber prices impact local Habitat for Humanity home construction
NAHB data is referenced.

Northern Virginia Daily: Lumber prices see historic highs during pandemic
NAHB data is referenced.