Found out a basic poplar board costs 40% more than it did in 2021 and I just stood in the aisle doing math | Carpenters - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Found out a basic poplar board costs 40% more than it did in 2021 and I just stood in the aisle doing math
I was at the lumber yard over in Mesa last Tuesday picking up material for a set of built-in shelves, and the guy at the counter handed me the slip and I nearly dropped my coffee. A plain 1x8 poplar board that I used to grab for around $18 back in 2021 was ringing up at $25 and change. I pulled up an old invoice on my phone from a job two summers back just to check I wasn't losing my mind, and sure enough there it was, $17.80. The yard guy shrugged and said the mills are pushing what they can while supply is still tight, and that hardwood prices have been creeping up all year on stuff nobody even talks about. The kicker is this was for a paint-grade job, so I'm eating the cost or having a tough talk with the homeowner about my quote. I get that everything costs more now but I had no idea plain poplar jumped that hard. Has anyone found a decent way to price this stuff into a bid without scaring people off, or are we all just eating it and hoping it levels out?