Material Prices Come Up Shaky in April

The latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) dropped this week showing prices for materials used in door and window manufacturing up and down across the board, not only from March to April, but on a year-over-year basis.

In April, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category fell 1.9% from the previous month and by 0.4% 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.”

However, the index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification had more mixed results. The numbers were stagnant from March 2025, but clocked a 3.7% increase 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 had small increases, up 0.2% from March and 1.7% over the April 2024 report. Prices for metal doors and frames also increased slightly from March to April, rising 0.7%, while clocking a 4.4% bump over last year. Prices for wood window units flatlined from the previous month but were up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications fell in April 2025—down 0.5% from March. That carried over to a drop of 4.5% over April 2024 pricing.

The price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials had a small bump from March 2025, up 0.4%, and saw more traction over April 2024, logging an increase of 3.3%. Prices for fiberglass plastic products showed no change from the previous month but had an increase of 5.5% over the previous April.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, dropped by 0.2% from March to April, but rose by 2.8% from April 2024.