To keep up with the rising cost of materials, North Bay construction companies are in a panic.

The company's owner, Sandy Bird, has been a contractor in Marin County for the better part of four decades. She's witnessed the industry's ups and downs over the years, but the current state is unprecedented in her experience.

The arrival of windows and doors has been delayed. Tariffs are having an effect on the market for engineered flooring, which is primarily imported from China. The price of drywall, concrete, and mortar has increased since last year. According to Bird, costs have increased by at least 20% since the year 2020's beginning.

Inadequate warehouse space is the result of goods arriving at random intervals. Construction workers are accustomed to having supplies delivered on demand. Since Bird lacks adequate storage space, she has begun requesting that customers temporarily hold onto their purchases.

For Sandra Bird Designs, the length of time required to acquire a building permit is an additional bottleneck.

Nave lamented, "It took eight to ten weeks to get the permit for a bathroom remodel we did in Corte Madera, when normally I would get it right at the counter." There are further restrictions on the construction industry and others because municipal government offices are still in COVID mode.

Copper wiring is the main commodity in the solar industry, and its price has been steadily rising as a result of rising demand.

Solar panels will be required in all new California homes as of January 2020.

Simply Solar California's Ben Goldberg noted, "The value of copper has tripled since January." The Petaluma-based company has 90 employees who work throughout the Bay Area "It adds tens of thousands of dollars to a half-million-dollar project, and that's where it really shows its worth in the big commercial projects." ”

Recently, Goldberg provided a quote in McKinleyville, Humboldt County, for a 40,000-square-foot project that was $30,000 higher than what it would have been at this time last year.

Due to the smaller area involved, residential solar projects are less vulnerable at this time. About a hundred dollars could be added to the price tag there compared to where it was six months ago.

Goldberg says the North Bay fires in recent years and the pandemic together drove up the price of solar panels for new homes.

Inflation in the cost of lumber is especially problematic.

The lumber issue, to begin with, is completely absurd. For as high up in the atmosphere as we might be able to get lumber, the price is astronomical. According to Christopherson of Christopherson Properties, "it is not even close to anything I have seen." For the past 42 years, he has been a successful home builder, focusing primarily on the North Bay area.

He forked over $364 per thousand board feet on April 24, 2020. On Nov On January 20, 2020, the price was 1. on March 22, 2021, 8 and on March 26, 6

Christopherson admits that the supply chain came to a halt when the mills shut down last spring, but he is not convinced that this is the only factor influencing lumber prices.

A commodity, he reasoned, "I smell Wall Street buying futures." "But that's just a guess." ”

The CEO of Design/Build Specialists, Inc. is Mark Labourdette. Novato residents concerned about a possible economic bubble

Everything is off, he said, including the stock market, the supply chain, tariffs, and the shadow banking industry. Everything seems to be slanted at once." And the government is stimulating the economy to the tune of trillions of dollars. Even though I like to think of myself as an optimist, my gut tells me this recession could be as bad as 2008–2009. ”

He runs an architectural and construction company that specializes in renovations.

For $300,000, we can completely transform your kitchen. Kitchen renovations that used to cost ,000 are now $150,000, and bathroom renovations that used to cost $20,000 are now $50,000, Labourdette said. "Nobody gives a damn about anything" A year has passed since they moved in, and they have continued to make the house their permanent residence. They are aware of the requirements. ”

Central Valley Lumber, with its seven locations mainly in the North Bay, is where Christopherson purchases his lumber. In addition, that firm believes that high prices will persist.

Reschke from Central Valley Lumber stated, "We are reforecasting to August for when we see prices coming down, but I don't think it will be a huge swing — maybe a few hundred dollars per thousand." What I believe will bring about significant change goes far beyond the industry at large. There will be a major event in the economy on a national scale. ”

An employee named Arata from Healdsburg Lumber stated, "It's one thing when prices go up five, 10 bucks a thousand board-feet." Now, however, it can increase the price of a home by as much as ,000. ”

Framing isn't the only part of a house that is impacted by lumber costs. Buildings with a roof, deck, or fence

According to Jose Jimenez, proprietor of Jimenez Construction in Rohnert Park, "one of the things that is really hard to get is the trusses for the roofing." Ordering them "six months before you start" is a must. In the past two or three years, you placed the order before beginning the job, and it arrived promptly. ”

Simply Solar California, where Goldberg works, is also a roofing company.

“On the roofing side the biggest thing is lumber itself has gone up, but plywood has tripled in less than six months He then added, "That is literally one of our largest expenditures. Almost at the break-even point, we are installing roofs. Financially, we are just about to break even. ”

A 22-square-foot roof is typical for a house that is 1,800 square feet. When compared to the fall and end of summer, Goldberg's plywood prices are now $4,200.

The increased costs are making home improvement projects out of reach for a lot of people.

Arata said, "Lumber and even the labor aspect of it could be five or six times that price, so a homeowner who just wants to redo a fence it was $1,200 last year." Middle-class and low-income people are hit harder than the wealthy by this. ”