Material Prices

**Bobber** · 05-27-2009, 09:12 AM

Just curious if anyone has priced out building a new home or addition this year and how it might have compared to last year? With the economic slow down I've heard material prices are down, but haven't seen any hard data.

I just bought some OSB board for my garage and paid between $5 and $6 per sheet and a buddy of mine said that stuff was between $12 and $15 not that long ago.

**cytech** · 05-27-2009, 09:14 AM

I know concrete has gone in price quite a bit since last year.

**DaddyMac** · 05-27-2009, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by cytech

I know concrete has gone in price quite a bit since last year.

Boy - that helps....

(gone which way?)

**GeronimusClone** · 05-27-2009, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by cytech

I know concrete has gone in price quite a bit since last year.

As in it left?

**cytech** · 05-27-2009, 09:24 AM

Ooooops guess I left something out there. It has gone down. Bids we were getting last years for our job were between 3.00 and 3.50 per sqft now we are looking at the 2.75 to 3.00 per sqft

**jaretac** · 05-27-2009, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by DaddyMac

Boy - that helps....

(gone which way?)

It is just gone, there is no price anymore

Last I heard prices were still high, but going down. Lumber would go down the fastest, it is the steel and cooper that are high.

**cyeah** · 05-27-2009, 10:05 AM

I just completed a round of bidding for a new home construction. I can't say I have seen the decrease in concrete mentioned above, that said the lumber prices are about as low as I have seen them in the last few years.

Shop around and there are deals to be had. Check Home Depot and if you have more than $2k or so ask them to run it through the bid room they are typically knocking 10 - 15% off through the bid room.

**MJAnderson** · 05-27-2009, 10:13 AM

Building materials for the most part have gone down. Shingles are pretty much the only thing that is still high. It's a good time to build, interest rates and materials are low, and there are a lot of gov't incentives.

**cytech** · 05-27-2009, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by cyeah

I just completed a round of bidding for a new home construction. I can't say I have seen the decrease in concrete mentioned above, that said the lumber prices are about as low as I have seen them in the last few years.

Shop around and there are deals to be had. Check Home Depot and if you have more than $2k or so ask them to run it through the bid room they are typically knocking 10 - 15% off through the bid room.

I should mention my use is for replacing asphalt drives with concrete ones. I think it also has to do with the contractors that are in need of more work now, than at this time last year.

**CycoCyclone** · 05-27-2009, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by jaretac

It is just gone, there is no price anymore

Last I heard prices were still high, but going down. Lumber would go down the fastest, it is the steal and cooper that are high.

steal would be cheap

**Covenant Clone** · 05-27-2009, 10:22 AM

I am a home builder in the Des Moines area and I can confirm that material prices have gone down almost across the board. The only exception is shingles, they are still high compared to what they used to be. I just did a take off on a house and the material quote came back far cheaper than I was expecting (and I was expecting a good number). It is a great time to build a house. Sub-contractor rates have come way down too with the competitive (almost cut-throat) nature of trying to stay busy.

**DaddyMac** · 05-27-2009, 10:25 AM

Not to hijack - but anyone in the DSM area know of a aluminum recycler that pays out? I have aluminum siding on my house and it's looking fairly rough.

Looking into residing and selling it as scrap - should've done it last year when prices were probably higher.

Also, I'm toying with tearing down and rebuilding a detached garage. If anyone could recommend a concrete contractor to pour some footings, short walls and the floor.....

**jaretac** · 05-27-2009, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by CycoCyclone

steal would be cheap

Spelling Nazi

**Bobber** · 05-27-2009, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by bhoodjer

I am a home builder in the Des Moines area and I can confirm that material prices have gone down almost across the board. The only exception is shingles, they are still high compared to what they used to be. I just did a take off on a house and the material quote came back far cheaper than I was expecting (and I was expecting a good number). It is a great time to build a house. Sub-contractor rates have come way down too with the competitive (almost cut-throat) nature of trying to stay busy.

So what do you think as a %? 20 or 30%?

Or do you increase labor by half?

(That's a joke

)