SLAM Construction Services continues to monitor New England construction materials for pricing and availability. Volatility remains an issue as a resurgence of COVID-19 explodes in other parts of the country. Our team’s continual conversations with local supply chains and subcontractors will continue to bring accurate up to date news on the ever changing material costs and lead times affecting our designs and construction projects.
Most raw material costs being tracked continue to be fairly stable over the period evaluated, with minimal up or down fluctuations, with the exception of oil and lumber. Petroleum continues to recover from the significant price drop during the initial Covid-19 crisis.
A conversation with a lumber buyer revealed that the lumber market is quite volatile right now. Prices are up, month over month, and are forecasted to keep increasing. Discussions with subcontractors who rely on these raw materials, and the construction materials derived, state that the supplies are good.
Contractors are starting to see things settle down from a procurement standpoint. Lead times may still be fluctuating for off-the-shelf orders due to demand. However, electrical domestic equipment is starting to bounce back with shorten lead times. Meanwhile, the imported items are still having heavy to moderate delays depending on the manufacturer.
Jared Cormier 