New England Material Cost & Lead Time Trends – SEPTEMBER 2021

Raw Materials

• Metals continue to rise with a strong demand and no show of leveling off.

Construction Materials

• Steel steady rises as demand for wide-flange, angle and tube pipe steel is high. Steel mills are continuing to struggle to meet the demand with lead times as long as 40 weeks for decking and bar joists. LGMF has seen a jump in pricing due to the rise of raw material and supply factor.
• Lumber prices have backed down to near pre-covid pricing.  At the local big box stores you can find 2”x4” for around $3.25, whereas, at covid’s peak they were $8.45.
• Glass/storefront may see another price increase come November.
• Insulation (roofing and mineral wool) delivery times have jumped to 20-24 weeks.

MEP Equipment

• Mechanical equipment pricing is staying steady and lead times seem to be dependent on size of order. Larger mechanical equipment are seeing longer lead times than usual.
• Electrical equipment has seen little change over these past few months due to steady supply and demand. Certain equipment like panel boards, transformers and switch gears may have a little price increase due to the high metal demand. Lighting fixtures are running around 4-8 weeks depending on the style. Typical electrical gear lead times are around 8-10 weeks for standard equipment. Any specialized equipment may see up to double the time, 16-20 weeks.
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