Building material price trends
Why projects cost what they do in 2026: a decade of building-material inflation. Overall construction input prices are up 70% over the last 10 years, and steel mill products have climbed 155.9% — both at their highest in 20+ years. Each chart below is monthly BLS data, 2013 to 2026.
The numbers behind the charts
| Material | 1-year | 5-year | 10-year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel mill products | +40.1% | +63.2% | +155.9% | highest in 13+ years |
| Nonferrous metals | +8.1% | +46.1% | +93.4% | highest in 13+ years |
| Iron & steel | +7% | +7.4% | +85.1% | 3-year high |
| Inputs to construction industries | +5.6% | +18.7% | +70% | highest in 13+ years |
| Heating equipment | +3.9% | +48.3% | +66.3% | highest in 13+ years |
| Concrete ingredients | +3% | +39.5% | +63.7% | highest in 13+ years |
| Plastic construction products | -1.2% | +28.9% | +60% | near recent levels |
| Gypsum products | -0.7% | +30.9% | +59.6% | near recent levels |
| Construction machinery & equipment | +3.5% | +33.3% | +48.2% | highest in 13+ years |
| Lumber & wood products | +4.2% | -39.2% | +38.3% | 3-year high |
| Paints & coatings | 0% | +19.4% | +37.8% | near recent levels |
What it means
Two things stand out. First, materials never fully gave back the 2021–2022 spike — most sit near or at decade highs, which is why 2026 quotes feel high versus a few years ago. Second, the pain isn't even: steel mill products and metals lead, so steel- and copper-heavy work (structural, roofing fasteners, wiring, plumbing) absorbed the most, while lumber has cooled off its peak. For this year's snapshot, see the material price tracker.
Use this data
Free to republish or chart with a link back. Cite it as:
Project Cost Range, "Building Material Price Trends," projectcostrange.com (2026-06-26), from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics PPI data.
Pairs with the 2026 Construction Cost Report.
Source
Monthly BLS Producer Price Index (commodity data), 2013 to 2026. Series are screened for recoding discontinuities. Changes are vs. the same month in prior years. See our methodology. Data pulled 2026-06-26.