PPI: Prices a Mixed Bag in May

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 rising on a year-over-year basis, while, overall, monthly changes remained relatively flat.

In May, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category increased by 0.2% from the previous month but dropped 0.6% from 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 showed an upward trend, with a 0.5% bump from April 2025, and a full 3% 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 also increased by 0.5% from April, clocking in at 1.9% over the May 2024 report. Prices for metal doors and frames flatlined from April to May, while rising 4.3% since last year. Prices for wood window units also showed no change from the previous month yet clocked a 3.6% increase on a year-over-year basis. The third price to stagnate from the previous month was that of wood doors for interior and exterior applications, and that carried over to a decrease of 4.3% from May 2024 pricing.

The price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials flipped the trends, recording a 1% drop from April 2025, while notching a jump of 2.1% from May of last year. Prices for fiberglass plastic products was part of the “no change” trend from the previous month and also had an increase of 4.5% over the previous May.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, showed the largest change, up 2.7% from April to May, as well as 5.3% over May 2024.