In the past year, it's gotten a lot more expensive to buy a house or a backyard fence. So why are lumber prices up more than 200 percent?
"This car of lumber a year and a half ago was probably $25,000," said Tom Powers co-owner of Holt Lumber in Fresno. "That car load of lumber sitting there right now is probably $80,000."
Holt Lumber sales near downtown Fresno is a family-owned and operated business.
Powers says the blame for rising lumber costs begins with COVID-19.
"The mills have trouble getting the workers into the forest to harvest the logs," said Powers. "At the mill level, they have trouble getting workers to run the machinery."
"The prices for fence materials in particular, posts, 2X4's, pickets, they've all tripled this season," said John Moore with J&D Fence Company.
He says despite the rising prices, he's staying busy. "They're getting some stimulus money. I guess it's a gift so they don't mind going out spending that money," said Moore.
Holt Lumber supplies many builders in the Fresno area and business has remained brisk. "We see them, they'll pump the brakes and they wait but the demand is still there," said Powers. "The home buyers are still knocking on their door."
With prices surging for more than a year, Powers has no idea when things will level off.
One more example of the price hikes... a sheet of plywood that sold for $12 a year ago will cost you $50 now.
