Given the different market situation for the forest products’ industry compared to historical seasonal price trends, mid-year 2026 is a good time to recap where benchmark lumber prices are now compared to recent years:
Western S-P-F 2×4 currently US$500 mfbm
Two Years Ago $384: +$116 or +30%
Three Years Ago $390: +$110 or +22%
Eastern S-P-F 2×4 currently US$620 mfbm
Two Years Ago $475: +$145 or +23%
Three Years Ago $492: +$128 or +21%
Southern Yellow Pine 2×4 East Side currently US$518 mfbm
Two Years Ago $360: +$158 or +44%
Three Years Ago $417: +$101 or +19%
In the context of ongoing significant sawmill curtailments and lowered lumber production volumes, together with what seems like still muted new housing construction activity, it will be interesting to see where solid wood prices go for the remainder of this year.
In the week ending June 19, 2026 the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$500 mfbm, which was up +$10, or +2%, from the previous week when it was $490, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was up +$10, or +2%, from one month ago when it was $490.
Bare field inventories ran up against ongoing limited supply, creating a low-key early-summer buying frenzy.
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KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• The Western-SPF market in the US demonstrated tight overall supply, burgeoning demand, and tricky trucking.
• Construction was humming along at good levels, with weather conditions not yet prohibitively hot in TX, CO, AZ, and other key markets.
• Western-SPF producers in Canada extended order files into early-July, while keeping positive price trajectory measured.
• The strengthening trend in S-P-F prices percolated into Hemlock/Douglas fir items, with studs’ increases leading the charge.
• Scant availability of several specific long lengths was exposed, particularly in Western SPF 2×6.
• A large contingent of underbought customers came to the trough after several weeks of running their inventories down to bare pavement.
• The reality of limited supply was hitting Eastern-SPF buyers hard, with several macro-economic factors contributing to those shortages.
• Southern Yellow Pine buyers were unable to get what they wanted on their preferred timelines.
• Many customers capitulated to higher-priced SPF or Hem/Fir just to land some material in their inventories.
Madison’s Benchmark Top-Six Softwood Lumber and Panel Prices: Monthly Averages
