Florida Lumber Costs Surge 15% as Canada Tariff Bites

MIAMI — Florida homebuilders and contractors are absorbing a 15 percent surge in framing lumber costs since January 2026 as new federal tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber — raised to 34.7 percent in February — work their way through the supply chain, adding an estimated $18,000 to the cost of a typical single-family home.

Fort Lauderdale lumber distributor South Florida Building Materials reported its 2×4 SPF framing lumber price has risen from $325 per thousand board feet in January to $410 per MBF in March, with futures contracts suggesting further price pressure through the summer construction season.

“There’s nowhere to hide from this,” said South Florida Building Materials President Craig Kaplan. “Canada supplies 30 percent of U.S. softwood lumber, and when you add a 35-percent tariff on top of base prices that were already elevated by housing demand, the math is brutal.”

The Florida Home Builders Association estimates the tariff-driven lumber increase will force homebuilders to raise prices or compress margins on the 130,000 homes expected to start construction statewide in 2026. The association is lobbying the Florida congressional delegation for tariff exemptions on construction-grade lumber.

Several large production homebuilders have responded by increasing use of engineered lumber products, which carry different tariff classifications, and by extending frame-drying periods to reduce warping losses from green lumber purchases.

Centex Homes Florida Division Vice President of Construction Kurt Andersen said the company has locked in forward pricing contracts with two Southeast U.S. sawmills through August 2026 to partially insulate its Florida division from further spot market volatility.

Author: Marcus Webb

Materials & Supply Chain Analyst. Tracks pricing trends, tariff impacts, and supply disruptions affecting Florida's construction market. Former procurement manager for a Top 50 ENR contractor.