CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Lumber prices are sky-high, and it’s thanks to low supply in 2020 and high demand.

What You Need To Know

  • According to NASDAQ market commodities, lumber prices are $1,157 per thousand board feet

  • That is double, if not triple, the price in 2020

  • According to the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, home builds hit a 14-year-high, contributing to the high demand for lumber

Dan Jones is the general manager at 84 Lumber in Charlotte. The company helps supply and distribute lumber to local contractors. He has worked in the industry for 30 years and says the last year has been one of the busiest.

“We are shipping out material faster than we can replenish it,” Jones says. “Normally products that would take two to four weeks to get, we are having to wait anywhere from 10 to 16 weeks to get.”

Jones says the delays are partly due to trucking and railcar shortages in 2020.

“It’s also a COVID-related issue where there were restrictions as to how many people could work in an area, and this has affected some of the production capabilities,” Jones says.

This coupled with the demand for housing has made lumber prices skyrocket. It’s why 84 Lumber is now hiring dozens of workers in Charlotte and thousands across the country. Jones says they are trying to work at a faster pace to meet the demand.

“We are trying to take care of our customers and keep America building,” Jones says.

But the question most people are wondering, will lumber prices go down anytime soon?

“That is the million-dollar question,” Jones says. “We would all love to know exactly, but it is supply and demand related, and it’s a commodity.”

84 Lumber is holding a hiring event Wednesday at its Huntersville location. The event will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It is hiring 50 to 80 positions.

Those interested should bring their resume, a mask and should come in casual clothes. Candidates are asked to preregister. Click here to learn more.