At conventions, on Zoom calls, and in casual conversation, it’s the only thing contractors talk about anymore. Everyone wants to know how everyone else is dealing with the rapid escalation of material prices, a crisis that revved up last spring and shows no signs of slowing down for at least another year.
COVID-19-related disruptions devastated global production and supply chains, which continue to be ravaged, but that’s only one of many factors causing prices to spike. China’s new emissions-reducing limits on metal production, factory closures throughout Asia, a disruptive winter storm in Texas, a natural gas shortage in Europe, global transport problems and labor shortages have all contributed to skyrocketing costs — and construction firms locked into contracts based on 2020 and pre-2020 prices are feeling the heat.
