According to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), prices for materials used in door and window manufacturing were overwhelmingly positive from November 2020 to December 2020, and results were consistently better on a year-over-year basis, with some categories showing significant increases.

The December PPI for flat glass in the commodity category continued to climb, going up 2.6% from November and increasing 3.9% over 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 saw an increase of 5.4% from November 2020, and clocked in 6.1% more than in December 2019. 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 carried on with it’s climb with a 1% from November to December and an overall increase of 3.7% compared to last year. Prices for metal doors and frames were also up by 0.1% from November to December, and retained its 1.2% increase over the previous year. Prices for wood window units remained the same in December—the eighth straight month without significant change—but also continued the steady increase on a year-over-year basis, with 2.3%. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications also showed no change from November 2020, but the year-over-year comparison remained steady at .5% over December 2019 pricing.

The price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials showed the biggest increases, rising 2.7% over November 2020, and a full 7.5% compared to December 2019. Prices for fiberglass plastic products took the only hit in December, dropping 1.4% from November 2020, but that still put the prices 0.9% higher than the previous year.
The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, remained steady without change from November to December, but saw a .1% increase from December 2019.

Monthly and Yearly Change in Door and Window Material Prices: