• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026
Financelumber

The lumber bubble finally pops—erasing all of its 2021 gains

By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 20, 2021, 10:30 AM ET
Video Poster
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Lumber prices came down nearly as fast as they soared up to record-breaking levels this spring.

For the seventh consecutive week, the “cash market” lumber price, what sawmills charge distributors and wholesalers, is down. Last week, the cash price of lumber fell $114, to $575 per thousand board feet, according to data provided to Fortune by Fastmarkets’ Random Lengths, an industry trade publication.

That represents not just a pullback, but a massive correction. The price is down 62% from its $1,515 all-time high set on May 28. In fact, it has completely erased all of its 2021 gains. The price of lumber is still above its pre-pandemic range, when it usually traded between $350 to $500, however, it’s lower now than the $582 peak price hit during its 2018 run.

Why are lumber prices falling? Exorbitant price levels reached in the spring corrected as homebuilders and do-it-yourselfers backed off a bit. In June, home improvement sales and new home construction were down 9.8% and 5%, respectively, from their March highs. That cooling has given sawmills and the lumber supply chain breathing room to catch up on the supply side.

While prices are coming down at big box retailers, like Lowe’s and Home Depot, the decline isn’t as quick as the decline on the wholesale side. But they will catch up. Michael Goodman, director of specialty products at Sherwood Lumber, recently told Fortune that each wholesale dip will take “about 60 to 90 days to get into the market.”

The lumber pullback wasn’t a huge surprise in the industry. It was really basic economic theory: Elevated demand—from DIY projects and homebuilding—at some point would cool as the price for limited supply soared. Which it did. Only now that lumber has erased all of its 2021 gains, industry insiders are surprised buyers aren’t returning faster to scoop up the discounts.

“I’m not surprised by a correction…But it is remarkable we are not seeing more buyers step in at these levels. Brings into question how strong demand actually is,” Dustin Jalbert, a senior economist at Fastmarkets RISI, where he covers the lumber market, told Fortune.

But that doesn’t mean prices are going to fall back to their pre-pandemic levels. Prices could even tick up again. Many homebuilders are sitting on the sidelines as prices drop, but if they all rush back in, it could drive another surge. Industry insiders also point to hurricane and wildfire seasons as potential disruptions.

“I think over the next 30 days it goes back up again…Two hurricanes, back to back, and next thing you know it’s over $600. That’s okay, though—the market is fine with that; it’s $1,000 wood the market isn’t okay with,” said Chip Setzer, director of trading and growth for Mickey Group, a commodity trading platform.

As Fortune has previously reported, this historic lumber shortage was spurred by a perfect storm of factors set off during the pandemic. When COVID-19 broke out in spring 2020, sawmills cut production and unloaded inventory in fears of a looming housing crash. The crash didn’t happen; instead, the opposite occurred. Americans rushed to Home Depot and Lowe’s to buy up materials for do-it-yourself projects, while recession-induced interest rates helped spur a housing boom. That boom, which was exacerbated by a large cohort of millennials starting to hit their peak homebuying years, dried up housing inventory and sent buyers in search of new construction. Home improvements and construction require a lot of lumber, and mills just couldn’t keep up.

More must-read finance coverage from Fortune:

  • Female migrant workers and the families they support are being abandoned by the money-transfer industry
  • This Trump appointee bet big on the markets after Biden’s win
  • IRS child tax credits could be an unexpected burden for some taxpayers
  • Is China’s Bitcoin crackdown cutting mining’s emissions—or shifting them somewhere else?
  • Social Security payments could rise over 6% next year

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
By Lance LambertFormer Real Estate Editor
Twitter icon

Lance Lambert is a former Fortune editor who contributes to the Fortune Analytics newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Young shopper in store
SuccessPersonal Finance
Bed Bath & Beyond will splash out $100,00 on a home renovation for the thriftiest couponer of 2026
By Emma BurleighJune 23, 2026
1 hour ago
ks
PoliticsUnited Kingdom
10 years of Brexit means 7 Prime Ministers and a broken British politics
By Jill Lawless and The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
2 hours ago
iran
EnergyIran
The Strait of Hormuz is ‘open’ — but it’s mined, half-empty, and subject to tolls both sides say they might charge
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Mae Anderson and The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
2 hours ago
burnham
PoliticsUnited Kingdom
Britain poised for ‘Manchesterism’ under presumptive next Prime Minister Andy Burnham
By Jill Lawless and The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
2 hours ago
Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan clasps his hands and looks off to the far right.
CryptoCryptocurrency
Polymarket allegedly faked trades. Chances are slim Trump admin investigates, says sports-betting attorney
By Camila Grigera NaónJune 23, 2026
2 hours ago
merz
EuropeGermany
The German government thinks ‘failure is not an option’ in its quest to raise the retirement age
By Geir Moulson and The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
1 day ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
7 hours ago
The Fed is fed up with inflation and will bring down the hammer with a series of rate hikes this year, reversing earlier cuts, BofA says
Economy
The Fed is fed up with inflation and will bring down the hammer with a series of rate hikes this year, reversing earlier cuts, BofA says
By Jason MaJune 22, 2026
1 day ago
By 7 a.m., Bank of America’s CEO has already read 5 newspapers, his email inbox, and hit the gym—he says if you’re late to meetings, you’re ‘selfish’
Success
By 7 a.m., Bank of America’s CEO has already read 5 newspapers, his email inbox, and hit the gym—he says if you’re late to meetings, you’re ‘selfish’
By Preston ForeJune 22, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.