With lumber prices in Canada rising by over 400 percent in the last two years, many property owners are rethinking any roofing projects they might have been planning. And, of course, that’s if the lumber shortage hasn’t forced them to postpone their projects first.

To put it simply, there have been better (and less expensive) times for the construction industry. The lumber shortage’s impact is felt by business owners, construction workers, and property owners alike.

There’s no doubt that this has been a frustrating time for many. A few primary factors explain this lumber shortage and price increase.

Please keep reading to learn exactly how it got to this point and how the lumber shortage impacts roofing projects.

What Caused the Lumber Shortage? The last few years have been difficult for so many people and so many reasons.

In 2020, when many businesses closed for months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the production of lumber and other building materials was reduced dramatically. Particularly in Canada, where so much lumber is produced, this caused serious stock issues.

But even after businesses opened back up, many experienced serious and prolonged labour shortages. Between workers getting sick and quarantining and many deciding not to enter back into the workforce, it was (and still is) a challenge for a lot of businesses to get back to their pre-covid levels of production.

This alone would have been enough to disrupt the construction industry on a global scale. Unfortunately, when production was at an all-time low, demand was at a high point during this time.

With so many people working from home during the pandemic, the construction industry saw a boom in housing projects. People saw it as a great time to build an addition to their house or get the new roof they wanted.

What Does It Mean for Your Roofing Project? For many, all house projects that are not immediately necessary are on hold right now. Newly built homes are far behind building schedules, largely because of this lumber shortage.

There’s no way around it, and lumber is now difficult to source. If you can find it, chances are you’ll pay a steep price.

While there has been a slight decrease in price from its high point in 2021, it’s still much higher than it was pre-covid and much higher than people are used to. Many property owners opt to restore their current roof rather than do a full replacement.

Many companies, including Shake Experts, are unable to offer roof replacements at all right now due to these supply chain issues. It’s a challenging time for the construction industry, not just in Canada but all over the world.

Does Your Roof Need Attention? At Shake Experts, we understand that your roof doesn’t care if there’s a lumber shortage. Roofs still need to be maintained and repaired even during these trying times.

With over two decades of experience, we’re confident we can take a look at your roof and come up with a solution you’ll be thrilled about.

To learn more about how we can help, contact our team of experts here at Shake Experts to get your roof the attention it needs.