Record lumber prices adding thousands of dollars to new home building costs

Soaring lumber and wood panel prices are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of building a home in Canada as strong renovation and new housing demand outstrip supply.

The latest price list from research firm Random Lengths released on Aug. 13, shows SPF (spruce, pine, fir) two-by-four boards at a “mindboggling” record level of $760 US per thousand board feet, up $82 on the week, according to Kevin Mason, managing director of ERA Forest Products Research. | READ MORE