YORK, Pa. — At the top of Patti Foster’s to do list for this year are some home renovations.
“We’re having a front entrance put on to our home. but we were also going to have a deck extended and you know the fencing and stuff that goes up with it," said Patti Foster from York.
However some of those projects had to be put on hold.
"We’re only doing one of four projects because the supplies are so expensive," said Foster.
Foster says prices for the lumber, which is being used for the current project, tripled.
“It’s frustrating of course, for anybody that works hard for their money. my husband works very hard, but what can you do? said Foster.
Businesses have also been impacted by this sudden surge and shortage.
“It’s a core construction material. It’s in everything," said Seth Hughes, the Chief Operating Officer for Mowery Construction.
Mowery construction says prices today are up 278% from this time last year.
Some of that is directly pandemic related.
“You have an increase in demand on the product. with the lack of production and the lack of labor to reinforce the production," said Hughes.
As for when this will end…
“We won’t see any significant change positively for a year," said Dan Durden, the Chief Executive Officer for the Pennsylvania Builders Association.