Crow's Construction Materials Cost Index (CMCI) Reports 35% Drop in Building Materials Costs

BOSTON, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Crow's Weekly Market Report (Crow's) today reported that the total cost of lumber and panels for construction of a 2,116 sq ft home has decreased by 35% since April of this year. Based on the Crow's Construction Materials Cost Index (CMCI), the wholesale cost of lumber and panels for framing an average home has dropped from $7,511.80 on April 30, 2010 to $4,951.44 today. This dramatic drop is the result of a steep, supply-driven run-up in prices during the first quarter of the year.

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Ken Tennefoss, Executive Editor of Crow's Weekly Market Report, commented, "Once buyers filled up inventory needs and production volumes became more in line with demand, prices began a continuous decline to the point we are at today." He continued, "The market dynamic can change in a very short period of time. That's why it is imperative that lumber and panel users and producers have the most accurate and up-to-date market intelligence available."

Crow's CMCI is published each Friday in Crow's Weekly Market Report.

About Crow's Weekly Market Report

Crow's Weekly Market Report, part of the Crow's Market & Price Service, is the longest-running source of prices in the North American softwood lumber and panel industry. Crow's provides objective wholesale pricing and detailed market reports designed to give a quick but accurate understanding of each week's market.

Crow's Weekly Market Report is published weekly. Yearly subscriptions are available now for $595. To order or for more information, please visit www.risi.com/crowsprices.

About RISI

RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the wood products, timber, wood biomass, pulp and paper, tissue and nonwovens industries to help them make better decisions.

Headquartered in Boston (Bedford), Massachusetts, RISI operates offices in Brussels, Belgium; Atlanta, Georgia; San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; São Paulo, Brazil; Shanghai, China; Singapore; and Charlottesville, Virginia. More information can be found at www.risi.com.

SOURCE RISI