Homebuilders’ Pain to Spell Record Earnings for Lumber Producers

  • Wood suppliers to report first-quarter revenues this week
  • West Fraser, Weyerhaeuser, Interfor shares rise to records

Lumber at a Home Depot store

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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When Kris Taylor set out to build a lake house last October, he budgeted $40,000 for lumber. But a pandemic-fueled homebuilding frenzy that’s catapulted lumber prices into uncharted territory more than doubled his expected costs.

Taylor ultimately moved forward, joining a chorus of homebuilders fanning the flames of lumber’s remarkable rally. Since June, lumber futures have more than tripled to a record $1,326 per 1,000 board feet.