Why Lumber Prices Still Matter in 2025 — and What You Should Know

Fresh-cut framing pine in the raw — this is where every home begins

Lumber pricing may have cooled since its dramatic COVID-era peak, but it remains a major driver of construction costs in 2025.

At its all-time high in May 2021, framing lumber reached $1,711 per 1,000 board feet. Today, that number is closer to $486 — a significant drop of over 70%, but still well above pre-pandemic levels of around $370.

So, what’s keeping prices elevated?

• Tariffs on Canadian Lumber: Roughly one-third of U.S. softwood lumber is imported from Canada. Ongoing tariffs function like a tax, inflating the price before it ever reaches a job site.

• Supply Chain Lag: When prices fall at the mill level, it can take weeks (or months) for those savings to reach builders due to existing supplier inventory and contracts.

• Housing Material Demand: A typical home uses over 15,000 board feet of framing lumber, along with OSB, plywood, and other wood products — so even modest price swings ripple through the entire build.

For homeowners, this means the cost of building remains sensitive to market shifts. And while the headlines may suggest prices are "down," the actual cost to build remains elevated because of how slowly those changes reach the ground.

At Hewn Build Co., we stay ahead of these trends by working directly with suppliers, forecasting builds with precision, and educating clients along the way.

Have questions? We’re here to help you build smarter, not just bigger.