Construction materials prices saw gains last month almost across the board, according to a new report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The overall .5% gain is being attributed to the impact of President Trump’s tariff policies, forcing increased prices on some products even before those policies were officially announced.
The price of natural gas led the way with a hefty increase of 10.4% over the month before, followed by steel mill products with a 7.1% price jump.
Two separate categories, iron and steel along with copper wire and cable, saw price increases of 5.5% each; with softwood lumber up by 4.7%.
The overall gains, noted an analysis of the latest numbers by the Associated General Contractors, came after “upwardly revised gains of 0.6% in February and 0.8% in January.”
Smaller price increases were posted in fabricated structural metal products, with a 2.3% gain between February and March; and in switchgear, switchboard, and industrial controls equipment, which recorded a 2.1% increase.
Despite the overall trend line, prices in some categories showed declines, with prepared asphalt and tar roofing down by 0.2%; concrete products also down by 0.3%; and unprocessed energy materials showing a price decline of 3.3%.
While prices in general have been more on the upside than the downside in the last year, the numbers still pale when compared with the average 4% to 5% increases during the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022.
April 14, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
