As lumber sales and construction activity went into true summer slow-down, the ongoing situation of lack of solid wood inventory throughout the supply chain served to keep lumber prices firm.
In a good consistency from the past year, benchmark lumber item Western S-P-F 2×4 prices matched exactly that of one year ago. Given that sawmills across North America were operating at lower manufacturing rates, this tenuous supply-demand balance so far teetered at a equilibrium.
As August continued and much of Canada and US were occupied with fires in forested areas, attention was often on the loss of timber and access to fibre.
Logistically, operators were spending more time sourcing trucks and rail cars as well as tracking down lumber already in delivery, than they were on selling more wood.
Many sawmills started looking toward September, after Labour Day, which is often a slight pop in sales and home renovation in advance of looming winter weather.
In the week ending July 24, 2026, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$510 mfbm. This was up +$10, or +2%, from the previous week when it was $500, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was up +$15, or +3%, from one month ago when it was $495.
As the dog days of summer arrived, many players felt there was a supply-driven undercurrent keeping commodity prices firm.
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KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• For Western-SPF suppliers in the US the apparent summer slowdown was belied by strong commodity prices and ongoing limited supply.
• Many builders in key regions quietly admitted they were much busier than they expected for the time of year.
• Demand for Western-SPF in Canada decreased.
• Producers kept their inventories tightly controlled.
• Variable production schedules helped maintain healthy order files roughly in the range of two- to three-weeks.
• Eastern-SPF players pointed to climbing sawmill prices.
• Prompt options few and far between, as sawmill order files in the northeast were as far as four weeks in some cases.
• Demand for Southern Yellow Pine felt disconnected.
• Sawmill asking prices in the south slid on a weakening summer market.
• Eastern stocking wholesalers reported retail customers in the tri-state area stuck to their hand-to-mouth buying strategies.
Madison’s Benchmark Top-Six Softwood Lumber and Panel Prices: Monthly Averages
