WASHINGTON – Homebuilders are paying 74 percent more for softwood lumber used in an average single-family home than they did in April 2020.
While that’s down from the peak in spring 2021, when softwood prices added some $36,000 to the average new home, it’s enough to increase the single-family home price by an average of $14,345 and the market value of an average new multifamily home by $5,511.
The National Association of Home Builders estimates the higher cost adds $51 a month to the rent for a new apartment.