Why the cost increase?


I went to buy materials for a speaker project. I also priced some T-111 siding on 8" centers, 5/8 thick, Ship lap.
I hadn’t picked up any sheets or anything in over 18 months.

48" x 96 x 5/8 wood siding was 19-26.00 and on sale 15-20.00 per sheet, NOW 74-84.00 per sheet.

MDF 3/4" 48 x 96" if you can find it. 45-55.00 per sheet it was 22.00 to 27.00 per sheet.

2x4x8 DF stud grade 1.99-3.00 per. Now 4-6.00 per stud,

There is no shortage but there sure is a LOT of price gouging. NOTHING changed. Just the price..

The quality is worse. The workers aren’t paid worth a crap...Why the increase?

I’m getting ready to finish my home out. WOW.. I might have to rethink this a bit..

The price all most tripled in 12-18 months.. This kind of stuff is NOT cool at ALL.

Just my opinion of course. Any projects you’re doing get put on hold or STOPED?

YES I’m very frugal. Money never came easy, and it leaves the same way..

oldhvymec
Didn't read other responses but I am in the industry and represent companies in CE, Computing, Audio Video and all vendors have spoken to component increases across the board . Wood, Metal, Plastics, Chips,  Panels  all  have increases in prices.  Demand is outpacing supply in almost all cases due to sales as well as logiistics which i will get into in more detail.

There are also Tariffs that went into place that are still in place on certain goods out of China which have contributed to the increase.  I have had manufacturers raise 2 and 3 times during covid.  Some only once but none with no price increases.

Now to the logistics which is killing everyone.  Prior to covid I had vendors paying around $2,000 for a 40Ft container . During covid cost increased to $4,000 to $6,000 in the last two months containers went to $11,000- $15,000 and then in the last few weeks quotes are now $22,000 to $25,000 a container out of asia.  Lets say you can even get space on a ship.  The goods are sitting on the docks in asia for weeks before getting on the ship.  Then when they get here they sit off the cost for a few more weeks.  Then when they get to the docks they sit there for a few more and all of these delays have to do with lack of personal to move the product.  .   Now you are in the US with goods and logistics to move from the port to DCs has also skyrocketed.    Net net time and money has caused increases accross the industry and is also affecting all other industries as well.  Our vendors give you estimates with the caveat that it could swing up to a month

No one wants to talk about inflation but think about it,  Your grocery bill is at least 25% more , if you go to dinner meals are out of control.  Ok places charging $40 plus for an entree , high end places $60 plus.  Gas and oil prices which then seep into all goods made with petroleum products.  Lumber although has come down a bit was up 4 X cost.    Lots of products OOS on items you need to build.  Try to get a pool contractor these days they will tell you 2 years.  Cant even get the fence to put around the pool.

Crazy times and the expectations are Q4 will be horrible this year as majors are decommitting quantity of goods to major retail and only promising 45% of delivery.  Many manufacturers are caught trying to decide to build goods at a much higher cost and get stuck if prices normalize.  Others taking the risk and others just not building. 

Maybe back to normal next year
nonoise7,463 posts07-28-2021 8:43pm
When the government allows people to take a voluntary lay-off in the name of Covid fears, then boosts their unemployment to $4400/month, there are a lot of workers missing from the workforce.
How does $300/wk work out to $4,400 a month?

Maximum unemployment is $500/week, at least here in Oregon. The Federal add-on is another $600. That's how.
The GAO estimates that 40% of stimulus checks were used to pay down debt or saved in bank accounts.  Both of which stimulates nothing.

A friend in Boston was furloughed (company still paid health, life etc benefits) so technically not "laid off".  Friend still qualifies for Massachusetts unemployment at a staggering (to me) $800+ per week.
This same person also qualifies (just barely) for the $600 Fed program.
That's $1400+ a week or $5600 monthly or $72,000+ yearly!

Crazy times we live in.

Regards,
barts 
Be patient; Covid put quite a dent in spending and income but this wasn't a case of a housing market collapse or other situation where the recovery will be slow, but a lot of companies laid off their workers who had to find employment elsewhere and couldn't afford to wait around until their former employers decided to hire people back.  It might have been ruinous for them but if they could've kept their workers even semi-employed they'd still have them to increase their hours; now they're running into delays trying to ramp up again without their experienced workers.  Out of employment benefits come payments for the crappy insurance you buy through the ACA plus the extra medical bills that come from such crappy insurance.  Most people don't want to be unemployed and be handed money, knowing that your temporary benefits are going to run out and most likely NOT at a good time.  For those of you out there working, I (like myself) would rather have the security and benefits that a steady job provides as opposed to a short-term unemployment payment.  A side thought: the businesses that are bemoaning that they can't hire enough workers at $12 an hour ($24,960/year, take 1/3 taxes/ins out leaves $16,623, $319 a week clear) with no benefits shouldn't be surprised that they can't compete with the extra money the unemployed are getting right now (which states are trying to pull to fund other things).  What could trip up the recovery is, the unvaccinated are causing spikes all over the US and could hose things up again for a bit longer.  You want this to go away faster? Get vaccinated and hound everyone around you to do so - so tired of hearing people moan about masks and quarantining who are part of the problem, and give the same bogus reasons for not getting it day after day as the medical experts (no, not something you read on Facebook from "some guy who seems pretty smart") explain again and again that what you've heard/read isn't true.
oldhvymec

You did the classic "I don't like the guy so anything good he did must have been fake" bit. Sorry, but Clinton had 4 balanced budgets and even ran a surplus. It wasn't fake and he and Kasich deserve the credit. Just because Bush II came along and blew that out of the water by starting two wars doesn't mean Clinton doesn't deserve credit.