Timber Prices are Still Increasing

Plywood prices have gone up nearly 82% on last year!

We feel like a broken record with the number of times we have mentioned this, but it doesn’t show signs of changing. We understand this is a frustrating time with projects and sites put on hold due to shortages and increasing prices of lumber. So we wanted to give you an update and how it’s impacting construction.

According to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), imported plywood was nearly 82% higher now than it was back in August 2020. Material prices had risen by 4.5% in July this year and prices for certain imported timber was up by 23%. This is paired with the shortages in HGV drivers, meaning that a lot of builder’s merchants are being asked to collect their orders because suppliers are finding it difficult to complete deliveries.

From a production cost point of view, is this sustainable for the construction industry both financially and environmentally?

From a financial standpoint, many can’t justify these prices for timber in a one-time use format, such as hoarding. With its perishable nature, known to rot after long periods of time, and the inability to reuse on another site are all factors contributing to the unachievable prices set out for wood.

Many companies previously, didn’t mind the fact that timber for hoarding can’t be reused or recycled. It wasn’t expensive or difficult to source and construction sustainability wasn’t in the forefront of everyone’s minds. However, due to COVID it’s proving more difficult to source and with plywood specifically increasing up to 82%, is it time to look for alternatives. Not only with COVID causing so many disruptions, but many more businesses becoming more environmentally aware of their processes nowadays. They want to help the construction industry hit its net zero carbon achievements.

Now is the time for the industry to use alternative hoarding solutions such as FenceSafe Hoard. It’s easier to source, can be reused and moved numerous times before being recycled down at its end of life. Questions such as does the ease and sustainability outweigh the comparative cost of timber need to be asked daily so that changes can be made tomorrow not in a years’ time.

If you’d like to read our pervious blogs on the increasing timber prices read our blog ‘Navigating the Increasing Timber Prices with Alternatives’ or read another blog from CLD ‘Wood’ now be the Right Time for a Sustainable Alternative to Timber?’