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 October 2020 to November 2020, and results were consistently better on a year-over-year basis, even in the categories that dipped.

The November PPI for flat glass in the commodity category climbed again, going up .1% from October and increasing .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 0.1% from October 2020, but had the only decrease for categories that fall in the fenestration industry purview, dropping .4% from November 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 bounced back after an October drop, coming back .4% with an overall increase of 2.7% compared to last year. Prices for metal doors and frames were also up by 0.1% from October to November, and retained its 1.1% increase over the previous year. Prices for wood window units remained the same in November—the seventh straight month without significant change—but also maintains a steady increase of 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications clocked no change from October 2020, but the year-over-year comparison remained steady at 1.1% over November 2019 pricing.

The price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials rose by 1% over October 2020, and that kept the year-over-year difference ahead by 1.9% compared to November 2019. Prices for fiberglass plastic products rose slightly, up 0.4% from October 2020, as well as being up by 0.8% over last year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, remained steady without change from October to November, but saw a 2.6% increase from November 2019.

Monthly and Yearly Change in Door and Window Material Prices