4 Key Steps Home Builders Can Take To Minimize Lumber Costs in 2022

Over the course of the pandemic, lumber prices have fluctuated dramatically, prompting builders to take a more proactive approach when ordering building materials in 2022, according to ECI Software Solutions. First, builders can (and should) verify lumber drops against purchase orders to ensure that what arrives on site matches the order that was paid for, especially if 40 missing sheets of OSB can amount to over $1,000 at current rates.

To reduce waste, lumber deliveries can be scheduled in increments that coincide with the pace of building activity so that lumber materials are used immediately as needed and not exposed to weather or used as walking surfaces in storage.

Schedule your lumber deliveries wisely and monitor waste. Lumber packages can be broken into multiple purchase orders and dropped on separate days. Why drop the first and second floor on the same day, exposing the materials to weather, and more importantly, theft, if you can have them delivered when needed? How many sheets of OSB end up being used as walking surfaces? Concrete forms can be used multiple times. Blocking should be cut from scraps, not full-length pieces of wood. What other ways do you see lumber being wasted on your site? Take the time to review what is in the dumpster—it will tell you a lot about how the materials are being used.

For more steps to control lumber costs …

Read more