Material Prices Up in June Minus Drop in Plastics

Prices for materials used in door and window manufacturing mostly increased from May 2020 to June 2020, while rising on a year-over-year basis, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In May, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category went up by 0.4% from the previous month and 1.8% compared to the previous year. According to BLS, the commodity classification “organizes products and services by similarity or material composition, regardless of the industry classification of the producing establishment.”

The index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification also went up by 0.4% from May 2020 and went up by 0.5% on a year-over-year basis. The industry classification measures “changes in prices received for the industry’s output sold outside the industry (that is, its net output).”

The PPI for metal windows stayed the same from May 2020, but grew 3.3% from the June 2019 report. Prices for metal doors and frames improved by 0.1% in May, while growing 1.4% year over year. Prices for wood window units remained the same in May, and rose 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications were down from May 2020 by 1.1% while also decreasing by 0.2% compared to last year’s June 2019 pricing.

The price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials went up by 1.1% from May 2020, and also decreased by 10.8% compared to June 2019. Prices for fiberglass plastic products remained the same since May and went down by 0.2% year over year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, was up 0.2% from April to May, while rising by 2.4% year over year.

Monthly and Yearly Change in Door and Window Material Prices