# 2x4 price?



## wolfgang953 (Jun 30, 2018)

Feels odd even asking this on a forum honestly.. but has 2x4 prices changed all over the country? 
Granted, its been a couple years since i bought my last big batch but i certainly don't recall then being almost $7.50 a stud. Even the 'cheap messed up studs' where much higher then normal near me... 











The 'cheap ones'


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

Yikes! I thought they were still under or around 4 bucks. I was fixen to build a shop, and start researching priced. This is in my area.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

They are around $6.00 ea. here, even the curved ones for boat building. 😀


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Yea, I was shocked a couple days ago I bought 4 10' boards and it was more than 45 bucks. I don't see how they are doing it, they haven't slowed down building houses in my area.


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## Badgerstate (Jan 18, 2021)

wolfgang953 said:


> Feels odd even asking this on a forum honestly.. but has 2x4 prices changed all over the country?
> Granted, its been a couple years since i bought my last big batch but i certainly don't recall then being almost $7.50 a stud. Even the 'cheap messed up studs' where much higher then normal near me...
> 
> View attachment 423214
> ...


I bought a 96" 2x4 at Home Depot today and it was around $5. I believe that Lowes is a bit more expensive than that usually but it seems like Lowes' lumber is a bit better quality on average than HD is.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Yea, I was shocked a couple days ago I bought 4 10' boards and it was more than 45 bucks. I don't see how they are doing it, they haven't slowed down building houses in my area.


Yes, construction lumber price has gone way up. I see two reasons. The increased number of natural disasters around the country (tornados, fires, hurricanes, etc.) have created an unforeseen demand for reconstruction work. The housing boom driven by low interest rates (currently 2.13% apr.) has also increased demand for 2by lumber and sheet goods. The new 12 lot plat next to ours was opened last year and has just three lots left. Home builders around here have gone over to finger joined 2by lumber just to get straight wood. They have long since stopped using plywood for sub flooring. The prime stuff has really gotten too expensive.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Jim Frye said:


> Yes, construction lumber price has gone way up. I see two reasons. The increased number of natural disasters around the country (tornados, fires, hurricanes, etc.) have created an unforeseen demand for reconstruction work. The housing boom driven by low interest rates (currently 2.13% apr.) has also increased demand for 2by lumber and sheet goods. The new 12 lot plat next to ours was opened last year and has just three lots left. Home builders around here have gone over to finger joined 2by lumber just to get straight wood. They have long since stopped using plywood for sub flooring. The prime stuff has really gotten too expensive.


What I've heard is the main reason the cost of lumber has gone up is some of the major mills have shut down because of the virus.


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> What I've heard is the main reason the cost of lumber has gone up is some of the major mills have shut down because of the virus.


That too. I've read that a lot more lumber is coming in from Canada to fill some of the demand.


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

I mentioned to my wife this thread going on about the cost building materials, and she suggested cutting down the 4 large popular trees we have in the yard and building my work shop from that wood. Smart @##.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Yea, until you look into the cost of a saw mill and a tractor to put the logs on it.


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

i think roybrew should just have the sawmill and tractor delivered with a big hug for the wife
"good idea honey" 😂


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## SonnyAgain (Dec 5, 2020)

In 2018-2019 plywood manufacturers anticipated a down turn in construction, so they reduced production. When the down turn didn't occur, there was a shortage. The first sign of increased prices (late 2019, early 2020) was with the plywood... doubled in price. Subsequent production of framing lumber followed suit, hence price increases, later. Other indicators and price increases have followed suit, as well.

I have always bought ply and other lumber even when not needed, specifically anticipating the need during hurricane season. I'm lucky that I have a good cache of an assortment of lumber... and a place to store it. Back in 2005-2007, I did a lot of dumpster diving, having bought an old rent house, moved it to location and used the salvaged lumber to remodel it for a wood shop. Lots and lots of lumber was salvaged. Some contractors asked 'what do you need.... help me clean up, here, and you can have such and such (new lumber)'. Some contractors are helpful. I think I hit that salvage market at a good time, as a new high end subdivision was being built. Lots of good lumber available and the contractors were really generous. Quite a bit of tools, electrical supplies, new saw blades and other unused construction stuff had been tossed, as well, and I got while the getting was good.

Search around the construction sites, you might can salvage the lumber you need. Maybe not fashionable, but DD is easy, cheap and worth the effort. Always ask the foreman for permission, as some companies don't allow DD for insurance reasons. Asking permission doesn't cost a thing, either.

Sonny


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Sheetrock was the same. It was $2.50asheet. After all the tornados, etc. Manufacturers got caught with their pants down and a lack of stock increased it to $5.00 a sheet.

Home Depot buys they stock a year I advance. What do you think these Covid checks did for their lack of stock. Just wait..


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

Hey I'll take all the sawmill lumber I can get! I just hope that old feller I've been buying off of is still there. I enjoyed just shooting the bull with him. Built my canoe out of his sassafras, cherry and black walnut.


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## wolfgang953 (Jun 30, 2018)

Rebelwork said:


> Home Depot buys they stock a year I advance. What do you think these Covid checks did for their lack of stock. Just wait..


How do you know they buy a year in advanced? Is that only for the 2x4s or is that for most of there woods? Only for regular woods or for pressure treated woods as well?
Cause god knows there pressure treated woods are usually still very wet in store. Even the cheap 1by furring strips i got recently were wet. After sitting inside my place for a week or two, i went to drill them into what i needed, and water bubbles came out....


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## Nick2727 (Jun 14, 2020)

I work at a plywood mill, that supplies a good portion of the plywood to home depot Canada at least. 

From my understanding there is a sales team that essentially auctions off our products that have yet to be made. When times are good for the Forrestry industry, like right now, we have sales months out that we need to make the plywood to fill the orders. 

Last march/April, literally no one was buying plywood. We couldn't move it. The warehouse filled up so we needed to shut down. Because of no sales. As a result of covid 19. There was no where's to put the plywood we made.


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## wolfgang953 (Jun 30, 2018)

Nick2727 said:


> I work at a plywood mill, that supplies a good portion of the plywood to home depot Canada at least.
> 
> From my understanding there is a sales team that essentially auctions off our products that have yet to be made. When times are good for the Forrestry industry, like right now, we have sales months out that we need to make the plywood to fill the orders.
> 
> Last march/April, literally no one was buying plywood. We couldn't move it. The warehouse filled up so we needed to shut down. Because of no sales. As a result of covid 19. There was no where's to put the plywood we made.


Well that makes a little more sense. Having large orders to fill is one thing. I was envisioning hd with a huge warehouse with a years worth of lumber sitting there waiting to be sent out a year later...


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## Nick2727 (Jun 14, 2020)

Ya I assume they just have contacts with many different lumber mills, plywood, osb... buying months in advance, they secure there price from future price hikes. And my company ensures future revenue.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Always make certain that you understand exactly what it is that you plan to buy.
Any 2 x 4 x 8' SPF ought to be exactly 96" in length.
If you really meant to buy "studs," you get studs which are, by definition, 92 5/8" long.
With the top and bottom 2x4 cross pieces, they result in a stick wall exactly 8' high.

Here in my village, the hardware store has studs and the next length is 10'.
You want 8'? Buy 10's and cut them up.


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## Peng8 (Jan 28, 2021)

I happened to be in the lumber section of Home Depot a couple weeks agp and heard two men talking about how the price of lumber has gone up. Then walked into a different Home Depot last week and two other men were having a conversation about the high price of lumber. 
i guess this is the wrong time to get into woodworking,


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

That’s construction lumber. Most ww’ers are into hardwood & it hasn’t been hit so bad, at least by me. I bought S2S cherry for $3.60 and 15/16 soft maple for $4. Admittedly they are nice guys and let me open a commercial account. 

Plywood is another story.....


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Whenever I can avoid places like the big box stores I do and buy any volume at all from a small yard across town. At the local HD I MIGHT buy a 2x10-12 and rip it down to 3.5 or whatever, but almost never buy just 2x4 studs.. What do I care if it has round corners? I don't..


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

There is a small-ish local plywood and construction lumber yard near us. I like the people there. Prices are better than the big box stores. My spouse likes them for their wide variety of inexpensive MDF moldings. 

I wish they carried hardwoods and baltic birch plywood, but I have to go elsewhere for those. 

My point is that often the small local businesses are better, cheaper, and give quality service, compared with the big box stores that suck your money out of the community. The same is true for plumbing supplies, electrical, etc. Many of those businesses have had the same family owners in our area since the 1950s or 1960s.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I was in HD yesturday picking up some DC stuff. Pretty crazy pricing. I was I HF today and saw nitrile glues around $10. Sign says "In demand"


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Peng8 said:


> I happened to be in the lumber section of Home Depot a couple weeks agp and heard two men talking about how the price of lumber has gone up. Then walked into a different Home Depot last week and two other men were having a conversation about the high price of lumber.
> i guess this is the wrong time to get into woodworking,


The price of lumber that you find in Home Depot really has nothing to do with woodworking.

George


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

GeorgeC said:


> The price of lumber that you find in Home Depot really has nothing to do with woodworking.
> 
> George


Last I looked my lumber rack, storage rack and shop table came from home depot...
Woodworking can be 1 of 1000 different meanings...

Commercial cabinet maker, cabinet maker, furniture maker,boat maker, etc all different fields in woodworking...


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

There is a new home being framed on our street. Yesterday, the framers erected the roof rafters. the main runs are 2x8 timbers that are at least 30 feet long. Anyone want to guess what one of those cost?


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Last long ones we used were 24' special order. A garage with not post in center..


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## Peng8 (Jan 28, 2021)

GeorgeC said:


> The price of lumber that you find in Home Depot really has nothing to do with woodworking.
> 
> George


sorry, I am new. They were just talking about wood so I didn’t know.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

It's all good
My daughter wanted a diy tv cabinet. Material straight from construction grade lumber.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

My recent trips to Houston Hardwoods, my hardwood/exotic wood supplier has not changed much in price over the last several years. Seems like most of the major increase in prices is in the construction lumber.industry


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## wolfgang953 (Jun 30, 2018)

GeorgeC said:


> The price of lumber that you find in Home Depot really has nothing to do with woodworking.
> 
> George





Peng8 said:


> sorry, I am new. They were just talking about wood so I didn’t know.


Dont apologize. That statment is quite subjective depending on what you consider 'woodworking'.
Some might see it as more a skilled ccraftmen type of thing. While others might look at it more as and project involving a good bit of any wood. - The line between construction and craftsmanship can be thin and often cross over imo. - I myself have asked many a questions here that could be considered more construction then fine craftsmanship. (Hell, even the word 'craftsmen' can be debated.)
And it was a thread titled '2x4' so i guess that really qualifies under the head topic line of 'wood' as opposed to woodworking.


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