Home improvement material prices (Q1 2026)
National-average wholesale prices for the materials inside most residential projects. Quarterly trend data lets you confirm whether your contractor's "material costs went up" line is accurate.
| Category | Material | Unit | Q1 2024 | Q1 2025 | Q1 2026 | YoY trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | Architectural asphalt shingles | per square (100 sq ft) | $105 | $118 | $124 | +5.1% |
| Roofing | 3-tab asphalt shingles | per square | $78 | $88 | $92 | +4.5% |
| Roofing | Standing seam metal panel (24-ga) | per square | $380 | $425 | $444 | +4.5% |
| Roofing | Synthetic underlayment | per square | $22 | $26 | $28 | +7.7% |
| Roofing | Ice & water shield | per square | $38 | $44 | $47 | +6.8% |
| Lumber | 2×4×8 SPF dimensional | each | $5.20 | $5.85 | $6.10 | +4.3% |
| Lumber | 2×6×8 SPF dimensional | each | $7.40 | $8.55 | $8.95 | +4.7% |
| Lumber | 4×8×½" CDX plywood | sheet | $32 | $38 | $41 | +7.9% |
| Lumber | 4×8×½" OSB sheathing | sheet | $18 | $22 | $24 | +9.1% |
| Concrete | Ready-mix concrete (4000 psi) | cu yd | $165 | $180 | $188 | +4.4% |
| Concrete | Concrete bag (60lb, 4000 psi) | each | $5.80 | $6.50 | $6.85 | +5.4% |
| Metals | Copper wire (12 AWG, per 250') | roll | $105 | $138 | $152 | +10.1% |
| Metals | Copper pipe (¾", type L) | per ft | $6.20 | $8.10 | $8.95 | +10.5% |
| Metals | Steel rebar #4 | per ft | $1.45 | $1.62 | $1.68 | +3.7% |
| Insulation | R-13 fiberglass batts | per sq ft | $0.75 | $0.86 | $0.92 | +7.0% |
| Insulation | R-30 fiberglass batts | per sq ft | $1.65 | $1.85 | $1.98 | +7.0% |
| Insulation | Closed-cell spray foam | per sq ft (R-13) | $1.85 | $2.10 | $2.22 | +5.7% |
| Drywall | ½" gypsum board (4×8) | sheet | $14 | $16 | $17 | +6.3% |
| Drywall | ⅝" Type X fire-rated (4×8) | sheet | $18 | $21 | $22 | +4.8% |
| Siding | Vinyl siding (D4) | per sq ft | $1.85 | $2.10 | $2.20 | +4.8% |
| Siding | Hardie fiber-cement plank | per sq ft | $4.20 | $4.65 | $4.90 | +5.4% |
| Siding | Cedar clapboard (8" exposure) | per sq ft | $5.85 | $6.30 | $6.55 | +4.0% |
| Plumbing | ½" PEX-A tubing (per 100') | roll | $32 | $36 | $38 | +5.6% |
| Plumbing | 50-gallon gas water heater | unit | $720 | $820 | $870 | +6.1% |
| Electrical | 14/2 NM-B Romex (per 250') | roll | $78 | $92 | $98 | +6.5% |
| Electrical | 12/2 NM-B Romex (per 250') | roll | $110 | $132 | $142 | +7.6% |
| Electrical | 200A main breaker panel | unit | $360 | $430 | $460 | +7.0% |
What's actually moving in 2026
Copper has been the standout. Wire, pipe, and panel hardware all jumped 7–10% YoY driven by global demand from EV manufacturing and grid expansion. If your electrician's quote came in higher than last year's reference figure, this is why.
Lumber stabilized after the 2020–2022 spike but plywood and OSB are still trending up — sheet goods supply has been constrained by mill capacity, not raw lumber.
Asphalt shingles are up but at a moderate pace now (~5%/yr) after a much sharper 2023–2024 jump driven by oil-derivative input costs.
Sources
Material prices are aggregated from BLS Producer Price Index data, the National Association of Home Builders' Building Materials Index, and quarterly distributor surveys (ABC Supply, Beacon Building Products, US LBM). Prices reflect typical wholesale-channel costs that contractors pay, not retail markup at home centers.