According to the National Association of Home Builders, prices paid for goods used in residential construction advanced 0.2% in December (not seasonally adjusted), citing the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Building materials prices increased 0.1% per month, on average, in 2019. The price of goods used in residential construction rose 1.5% over the year, representing a 0.4ppt slowdown from the pace of increases in 2018 (1.9%). The last year building materials prices increased less than 1.5% was 2015—a year in which prices actually declined 1.8%.
NAHB cites a PPI report showing that softwood lumber prices increased 0.1% (seasonally adjusted) in December and 6.7% over the course of 2019. Although this is directionally consistent with Random Lengths data, that data shows softwood lumber prices rising 14.5% in 2019.