Page 22 - BusinessWest June 9, 2021

many products,” he noted. “In the past, we’ve seen oil prices drive up the cost of roofing shin- gles, but never across the board with nearly every building material.”
As someone who builds medical and dental offices, Sweitzer uses steel studs in place of 2-by-
“My advice is to build it sooner rather than later because we are more likely to see further price increases. Also, with lead times so long, the sooner you get in the queue for your project, the better off you’ll be.”
4 wood studs for interior wall partitions. At one time, the two products were close in price. While prices for both have increased, a steel stud is now far less expensive than wood.
“While the price of a steel stud has increased about 30%, it’s well below the double and triple price hikes we’ve seen with wood,” he said, add- ing that he’s also experienced shortages in ran- dom materials such as joint compound to finish walls, acoustical insulation, and interior doors. “There’s a particular style of door we use that once took a week to get. Now it can take eight weeks, and the price has increased.”
Steady On
Despite shortages and price hikes, the con- struction managers we spoke with are all grateful to have plenty of work scheduled.
“I’m fortunate to be busy, and at the same time, it’s incredibly stressful to keep everyone happy and meet deadlines,” Riley said. “It’s a crazy time right now.”
To manage some of that craziness, he has invested in a new tool, a CRM (customer rela- tionship management) system.
“Through our system, we can keep everyone on the same page, and it allows customers to check in on their project,” Riley said. “By stay- ing in closer contact with our customers, they’ll know immediately about any issues that might slow down a project.”
Managing expectations becomes essential when prices and timelines are uncertain. When someone wants a fast turnaround on a project, Bradbury gives them straight talk. “We’re honest and upfront with our customers as to what’s real- istic,” he said.
Some customers have chosen to delay their projects, anticipating that prices may come down. Bradbury said that may work for some, but when a company needs a building to grow their business, they can’t always wait it out.
“My advice is to build it sooner rather than later because we are more likely to see further price increases,” he said. “Also, with lead times so long, the sooner you get in the queue for your project, the better off you’ll be.”
Beyond materials, shortages have also extended to the human element. Riley said find- ing laborers for home building has always been challenging, and the increased demand for
The price of a basic 2-by-4 has risen by 175% in recent months.
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