# What DID a 2x4 Cost in 2019?



## wilschroter

Like everyone else, I'm trying to time the build of a new house around the cost of materials.

I watch the commodity prices like a hawk, but was trying to remember what a 2×4 @ 8ft USED to cost pre pandemic.

In the Midwest at Home Depot the current cost is $3.75 as of August, 2021.

Anyone have a sense for what they used to cost?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/2-in-x-4-in-x-96-in-Prime-Whitewood-Stud-058449/312528776


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## bigblockyeti

You're certainly not in the same boat. While I can't remeber exactly what various sizes of 2x* lumber cost in '19 I do remember buying maybe a couple dozen 2×4 at some unmemorable price and a dozen or so sheets of 7/16" x 4' x 8' OSB for $8.95/sheet in 3/19 for building garage shelving.


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## rwe2156

They were around 3 bucks.


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## therealSteveN

Last home I built for us was in 1980 2×4's were right at $1.79

Not long after we were done the cost bumped to $2.39

Between then and until recently they were fairly steady from $2.39 to around $2.69

Covid pricing sorta changed that gentle upswing in pricing. At least in SW Ohio where I am, at no time during this supposed "shortage" due to Covid were any of the local building supplies short of inventory, so the BS story I keep hearing as being responsible for the price changes is just that, BS.

Somebody at Lumber central said, finally we gettin us a pay raise. Gonna blame it on Covid.


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## MadMark

My purchase history shows the price for a 2×4x8 stable at HD for $3.11 each since, umm, 2016?


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## 1thumb

About half of todays price

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU081106013


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## xedos

$3 seems to be my recollection.


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## WoodenDreams

I was paying $1.99 for construction grade 2×4x86 two years ago. The boards were stamped "made in Canada". At the same time I was paying $2.59 for the boards milled here in the Black Hills.


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## hotbyte

Found a receipt for Aug 2019…2×4x8 was $3.05. They're $3.35 today.


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## CaptainKlutz

Started building a small shed in Jan of 2020 just before lock downs started. Have a receipt from Feb that I paid 2.89 for 'premium' kiln dried Doug Fir 2×4x8 studs. The 'white wood' was cheaper, but inventory at the time was twisted mess, and not worth savings.

Bought a couple 2×4x8 sticks last week of Doug Fir, and paid $3.75. 
Noticed that white wood was more expensive now, priced at $4.25?

By my feeble memory, and calculation; current prices are ~20-25% above pre-Covid prices.

FWIW - Seem to remember paying ~$2.50 in early 2019 for 2×4x8?

Construction lumber retail prices surged winter 2019, due the wild fires in CA and NW on top of strong housing market. Sellers didn't want to buy Canadian lumber, as it had much higher prices thanks gubermint tariffs. Some softwood was imported from S. America and Asia, until gubermint decided north American lumber was better than alternatives, and reduced Canadian tariffs. Prices reduced by 10% for short time with tariff change early 2020. Only remember this change, as I was happy to see price drop between time I checked by budget and when I finally bought shed wood.

Best Luck on construction project!


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## SMP

depending on if kiln dried or green, doug fir or whitewood etc, last ones i remember buying were in the $2.39 - $2.79 range.


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## RClark

Around me (Southwest Iowa), pre-pandemic prices for framing 2X4s were about $2.50-$3 each.

Same lumber topped out at about $12 each back in the Spring.

This morning, it's running about $3.35.

7/16 OSB 4X8 sheet was about $12-$13 pre-pandemic. Topped out at about $47/sheet. Back to $14 this morning.


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## LittleBlackDuck

Pay what you have to… NOW!... tomorrow it's gonna be dearer!


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## Mike_D_S

From my Home Depot account, #2 pressure treated on 9/2019 in Houston $3.27 each.


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## kelvancra

If you're building a house, you should be buying by the sling. Too, you should be buying from a real lumber yard and not a big box. Those two things can get you a lot of discount.

NEXT, no matter where you live, even if code allows it, don't build with 2×4's. You should be building with AT LEAST 2×6's for the ability to crank up the insulation, to cut down on the cost of electricity, gas or whatever you'll be using, none of which is going down in the future either. And there is just that it's nice to be able to coast a bit when power goes down.

If I had the money, my walls would be 2×8's or even 10's, for the reasons stated.


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## JCamp

Man it seems like they were high even in 2019. Seems like I remember paying $5/6 even then but I go to a limber yard not HD. I remember in the mid 90s when Lowe's would have them on sale for 89 cents


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## Jimarco

8/28/21

For a white wood 2×4x8

Home Depot $3.25

Lowe's $4.98


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## MadMark

*Kelly:*
Best insulation doesn't have studs that touch outer & inner walls. Use offset 2×4's on a 2×6 plate. Outer studs only support/contact outer sheathing. Inner studs support sheet rock. Both support 2nd floor.


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## rustfever

In 1977, I build a number of homes. Paid $0.64 each for KD 2×4 studs, [94.5"]


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## hotbyte

Built sound room for my nephew using that technique for recording audio books.



> *Kelly:*
> Best insulation doesn t have studs that touch outer & inner walls. Use offset 2×4 s on a 2×6 plate. Outer studs only support/contact outer sheathing. Inner studs support sheet rock. Both support 2nd floor.
> 
> - Madmark2


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## kelvancra

That is true, hotbyte. It's the same technique used in sound proofing. However, it's far more expensive than straight 2×8's.


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## xedos

> If you re building a house, you should be buying by the sling. Too, you should be buying from a real lumber yard and not a big box. Those two things can get you a lot of discount.
> 
> NEXT, no matter where you live, even if code allows it, don t build with 2×4 s. You should be building with AT LEAST 2×6 s for the ability to crank up the insulation, to cut down on the cost of electricity, gas or whatever you ll be using, none of which is going down in the future either. And there is just that it s nice to be able to coast a bit when power goes down.
> 
> - Kelly


This is really dependent on the supply chain in your town . In ATL, I've been able to get better quality 2×4's more consistently from the big boxes than from the family run local lumber yards.

Sheet goods and trim is an entirely different story.


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## Knockonit

> This is really dependent on the supply chain in your town . In ATL, I've been able to get better quality 2×4's more consistently from the big boxes than from the family run local lumber yards.
> 
> Sheet goods and trim is an entirely different story.
> 
> - xedos


DITTO on the big box stores beating out some of the big yards quality of material, my main framer tends to buy his studs from Lowes of all places, says they are straighter, and drier and doens't have near the issues with trips back to clean up bad studs or straighening walls
rj in az


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## splintergroup

> *Kelly:*
> Best insulation doesn t have studs that touch outer & inner walls. Use offset 2×4 s on a 2×6 plate. Outer studs only support/contact outer sheathing. Inner studs support sheet rock. Both support 2nd floor.
> 
> - Madmark2


+1
This is what one of the "green" builders in the state does. Much better insulation potential since the fiberglass or whatever can be snaked through for zero gaps and these is no "short circuit" through the wood for heat conduction.


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## Knockonit

> *Kelly:*
> Best insulation doesn t have studs that touch outer & inner walls. Use offset 2×4 s on a 2×6 plate. Outer studs only support/contact outer sheathing. Inner studs support sheet rock. Both support 2nd floor.
> 
> - Madmark2


before new energy code, this was the design for sound walls, used thru out the commercial industry for years. 
although wood transference of temperature from interior to exterior i believe is much less than any other product.

i built a steel stud home entirely about 30 years ago, i questioned the mechanical engineer how the steel frame work related to heating and cooling, his first comment, is why do you ask, and i said well the steel wont it xfer or hold more heat than conventional wood, he looked like a deer in headlight, we had new calcs next day.

it does make a difference for sure
good luck, lumber is coming down, now one can afford to effectively build something without remorse of loss of $$$
rj in az


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## brtech

> *Kelly:*
> Best insulation doesn t have studs that touch outer & inner walls. Use offset 2×4 s on a 2×6 plate. Outer studs only support/contact outer sheathing. Inner studs support sheet rock. Both support 2nd floor.
> 
> - Madmark2


What spacing does this typically use? Are you effectively doubling the number of studs or is it less because they are spaced out farther?


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## splintergroup

The ones I've seen plans for have the usual spacing of 16", just that the exteriors are offset from the interiors by 8".

The 2×6 versions also share the standard 24" spacing with the 1/2 offset.


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## kelvancra

Just for reference, I did not go down the double wall road because the mere mention of 2×4 construction suggested we were not talking about a structure built with a mind to insulation, or power consumption keeping it cool and warm.

Going down that road, we should be including higher insulation values, such as comes with spray in, and which, ALSO, seals better, so stops more air transfer. . . .


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## Knockonit

Plates for this type of wall construction are usually next size up or sized to accommodate the size insulation, so say you wanted r19 , then plate size would be 2×6 with offset studs on each side, 
or go to 2×8 plates. one could just as well, do 2×6 frame wall and foam it, end result is almost identical and probably same value for install. once calculating labor, and material for wall build
i'd have to do the numbers due to the new values on lumber but it used to be at the old prices barely a 3% difference
rj in az


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## Tony1212

Been watching Matt Risinger on YouTube. He put his insulation on the OUTSIDE, between the sheathing and the exterior siding. He uses mineral wool which is hydrophobic so it doesn't hold water. At that point, the only penetrations are the windows and doors, so it minimizes air leaks.

He normally builds in Austin, Texas but us northerners can add more insulation between the studs and there is little, if any, thermal transfer from the studs.


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## JackDuren

I'll pull material receipts for that year and see what I was paying. .


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## splintergroup

> I ll pull material receipts for that year and see what I was paying. .
> 
> - JackDuren


I just need to dig amongst the petrified fries and dried mud under the old pick-em-ups front seat. I usually stuff the lumber yard receipts between the seat split bench seat cushions so they don't blow out the window. Gotta be 20+ years worth down there 8^)


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## Dark_Lightning

> I ll pull material receipts for that year and see what I was paying. .
> 
> - JackDuren
> 
> I just need to dig amongst the petrified fries and dried mud under the old pick-em-ups front seat. I usually stuff the lumber yard receipts between the seat split bench seat cushions so they don t blow out the window. Gotta be 20+ years worth down there 8^)
> 
> - splintergroup


Sound deadening and insulation from the near-molten roads there in Arizona, yes?


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## splintergroup

> I just need to dig amongst the petrified fries and dried mud under the old pick-em-ups front seat. I usually stuff the lumber yard receipts between the seat split bench seat cushions so they don t blow out the window. Gotta be 20+ years worth down there 8^)
> 
> - splintergroup
> 
> Sound deadening and insulation from the near-molten roads there in Arizona, yes?
> 
> - Dark_Lightning


NM, but close! More for having food in case of being stranded and material to patch the adobe walls 8^)


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