Lumber Prices Are Climbing Again — Here’s What It Means for Your Project
If you’ve been putting off that deck, fence, or home addition, it’s time to pay attention to what’s happening with lumber. Prices across the region have climbed roughly 5.1% year-over-year, and if you’re planning a build in Spokane, Colville, Kettle Falls, or Airway Heights, that trend is worth understanding before you finalize your materials list.
At Builders Supply & Home Center, we’ve been stocking yards and answering lumber questions for Eastern Washington builders and DIYers since 1979. We’ve seen prices rise, fall, and everything in between over the decades, and we’ve learned that the national headlines rarely tell the whole story about what’s happening on the ground here. So let’s cut through the noise: here’s what’s actually driving prices right now, and what you can do about it today.
Why Lumber Prices Are Climbing This Season
A handful of real, measurable factors are pushing prices higher this summer, and none of them are going away overnight:
Sawmill output is down. Mills throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada have scaled back production, which tightens the supply of framing lumber and Douglas-Fir hitting our yards in Spokane, Colville, and Kettle Falls.
Softwood trade costs are up. Changes affecting Canadian softwood imports are adding pressure throughout the supply chain, from the mill all the way to your local counter.
It’s peak building season. Summer in Eastern Washington means decks, fences, sheds, and additions are all competing for the same shrinking pool of framing lumber and Douglas-Fir.
Freight costs more than it used to. Getting material into our Airway Heights, Colville, and Kettle Falls yards costs more than it did a year ago, and that shows up on the shelf price.
Put it together, and the honest answer is this: lumber is likely to cost more in August and September than it does right now. That’s not a sales pitch — it’s what we’re seeing week to week on our own purchase orders.
What This Means for Your Summer Build
If you’ve got a deck, fence, shed, or addition penciled into your summer plans, timing your purchase matters more this year than usual. A project that fit your spring budget could run noticeably higher if you wait until fall to buy materials — especially framing lumber and Douglas-Fir, which are both moving fast in our region right now.
Right now, local Douglas-Fir/Larch is running between $825 and $1,250 per MBF depending on grade and availability. That’s a wide range, and it shifts week to week depending on what’s coming off the trucks. The takeaway: locking in your purchase while current pricing and stock are still available is one of the simplest ways to protect your budget.
How to Buy Smart in This Market
Whether you’re building in Airway Heights, Colville, Kettle Falls, or anywhere in between, here’s what we’d tell a neighbor walking into our yard today:
Buy your framing lumber early. Don’t wait until the week you start framing to place your order — by then, pricing and availability may have shifted.
Consider buying in bulk for multi-phase projects. If you’re tackling a project in stages, purchasing your full lumber list now can lock in today’s pricing before the next increase hits.
Ask about in-stock domestic species. Douglas-Fir is often a better value and easier to get right now than imported alternatives, and our yard staff can point you toward what’s actually in stock.
Talk to our team about grade selection. Choosing the right grade for framing versus exposed structural work can save real money without cutting corners on quality — this is one of the easiest conversations to have with our yard staff before you buy.
Ask about our Price Lock option. More on that below — it’s one of the most useful tools we offer right now for anyone not quite ready to build.
Lock Your Price Before It Climbs Further
Given how fast things are moving, we’re offering a simple way to protect your budget: our Price Lock program. Pre-purchase your Douglas-Fir or framing lumber at this week’s price, and pick it up anytime within the next 30 days. No guessing games about what prices will look like by the time you’re ready to swing a hammer — just certainty for your project budget, locked in today.
Your Local Lumber Experts Since 1979
National headlines about lumber prices rarely account for what’s actually happening in Eastern Washington. Our team lives here, builds here, and stocks our yards based on what our neighbors in Spokane, Airway Heights, Colville, and Kettle Falls actually need for their projects. When you’ve got questions about grades, pricing, or timing, you’re talking to people who’ve been doing this in your community for over four decades — not a call center.
If a deck, fence, or addition is on your summer list, don’t wait for prices to climb further. Stop by one of our Builders Supply & Home Center locations in Airway Heights, Colville, or Kettle Falls to talk with our lumber team, check current Douglas-Fir availability, and ask about locking in your price today. You can also browse inventory anytime at bldrsupply.epicor-inet.com.