Materials Trends
Prices are updated monthly by ENR's price reporters who call a single source for each product in 20 U.S. cities. The price represents that paid by a contractor for a specified large order. Monthly prices appear on the weekly rotating cycle.
Cement/Concrete/Aggregate
Prices for 21 products covering asphalt, cement, aggregates, concrete, brick, concrete block and mason's lime
 | Higher Oil Prices Impact Asphalt-Paving Costs The recent upsurge in oil prices is starting to work its way through asphalt-paving costs. ENR’s 20-city average price for PG-58 asphalt-paving oil jumped 1.8% this month, following monthly increases of 0.9% in March, 0.4% in February and 0.5% in January. The string of hikes has lifted asphalt-paving oil prices 9.3% above a year ago. In February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index for asphalt- paving mixtures jumped 2.3% following a 1.5% monthly increase in January. These price hikes helped to push the PPI for asphalt-paving costs 11.2% above a year ago. |
Pipe
Prices for 20 pipe products covering reinforced concrete pipe, corrugated steel pipe, vitrified clay pipe, PE underdrain, PVC sewer and water pipe, ductile iron pipe and copper water tubing.
 | Pipe Prices Post Mixed Results Prices for pipe products posted mixed results this month. Reinforced-concrete pipe prices increased about 0.2% this month, while corrugated-steel pipe prices averaged a monthly increase of 0.1%. However, prices for PVC sewer and water pipe declined between 0.3% and 0.6% during the month. Prices for ductile-iron pipe and copper water tubing also declined between 0.1% and 0.5% this month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index for plastic construction products in February was up 5.4% for the year. That index is composed primarily of PVC pipe. ENR’s April price for PVC pipe is up 0.6% to 3.4% for the year. |
Lumber/Drywall
Prices for 18 products covering lumber, plywood, plyform, particle board, gypsum wallboard and insulation.
 | Lumber Prices Start To Rebound After years of decline due to the depressed housing market, lumber prices finally are starting to inch up. In February, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce reported that the dollar value of residential construction in the first two months of this year was 6.1% above the same period in 2011. As a consequence, ENR’s 20-city average price for the most commonly used species of 2X4 increased 2.5% during the past three months. Tracked by Eugene, Ore.-based Random Lengths, mill prices for framing lumber increased 11.6% during the first quarter of this year. However, mill prices are still 5.1% below March 2010’s level. |
Steel
Prices for 16 products covering structural steel, reinforcing bar, steel plate, metal lath, aluminum sheet, stainless steel sheet and plate and H-piles.
 | Structural Steel Prices Continue To Climb Prices for structural steel jumped another 1.2% this month, pushing ENR’s 20-city average price for channel, wide-flange and I-beams 6.1% above a year ago. Likewise, ENR’s 20-city average price for grade-60 concrete reinforcing bar leaped 2.8% this month, lifting prices 11.9% above a year ago. Steel prices, however, are expected to start to ease, according to a forecast by IHS Global Insight, Washington, D.C. It predicts that structural steel prices will decline to $805 per ton by the end of this year, down from a peak of $915 a ton in the fourth quarter of 2011. Rebar prices are expected to fall 8.6% this year. |
Materials Price Index
The Materials Cost Index is the materials component of ENR’s building and construction cost indexes. It tracks the weighted price movement of structural steel, portland cement and 2 X 4 lumber.
