LAUREL, Del. - BUILDING A HOME ON DELMARVA IS A DREAM OF MANY PEOPLE. However, if you want to, you may end up paying a bigger price.
LUMBER PRICES ARE EXPECTED TO POSSIBLY DOUBLE AND LOCAL CONTRACTORS ARE not looking forward to it. The United States IS GETTING READY TO DOUBLE A TARIFF ON CANADIAN SOFTWOOD and it's MAKING LUMBER MORE EXPENSIVE. KOLBY DUKES, THE MANAGER AT DUKES LUMBER COMPANY, SAYS he's concerned since CANADA SUPPLIES THEIR COMPANY WITH LUMBER. "We're looking at already double prices from before pandemic levels and looking to see them go even higher as the tariffs are put in place," says Dukes. WE SPOKE WITH A CUSTOMER WHO SAYS HE'S IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A NEW SHED AND SAYS HE'S NOT HAPPY ABOUT LUMBER PRICES GOING BACK UP. "The cost of it has impacted me negatively to the point that I can't build it as fast as I usually would be able to. So I have to buy the material in increments rather than buying everything at one time saving money," says Samuel Delice. IN JANUARY of this year, lumber prices were nearly $800 THEN SPIKED TO $1500 IN MAY. PRICES DID GO DOWN AFTERWARDS; however, THEY ARE STILL TWICE AS MORE THAN WHAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR. ONE INDUSTRY PUBLICATION SAYS WOOD SUPPLIES COULD GET TIGHTER IN THE FUTURE AND THAT COULD DRIVE UP PRICES EVEN MORE.