Here is another monthly update on lumber prices.
SPECIAL NOTE: The CME group discontinued the Random Length Lumber Futures contract on May 16, 2023. I’ve now switched to a new physically-delivered Lumber Futures contract that was started in August 2022.
Unfortunately, this impacts long term price comparisons since the new contract was priced about 24% higher than the old random length contract for the period when both contracts were available.
Click on graph for larger image.
This graph shows CME random length framing futures through last August (blue), and the new physically-delivered Lumber Futures (LBR) contract starting in August 2022 (Red).
LBR is currently at $489.50 per 1000 board feet, down 4% from a year ago.
Click on graph for larger image.
There is somewhat of a seasonal demand for lumber, and lumber prices frequently peak in the first half of the year.
We didn’t see a significant runup in the Spring of 2023 due to the housing slowdown, and we didn’t see much of a pickup in the Spring of 2024 either.