Building supplies just got a lot pricier. And the full hit hasn't landed yet.
Steel, aluminum, and copper now carry a 50% tariff on finished goods after the April 2 order. A 10% tariff on lumber kicked in last October. Kitchen cabinets from some countries face up to 25%, with that rate set to rise to 50%.
Framing lumber - the wood that goes into walls and roofs - sits at about $872 per thousand board feet. That's up nearly 13% from a year ago.
But lumber is just one piece. Building cost inputs surged at a 12.6% yearly rate in the first two months of 2026 - the fastest pace since the supply-chain mess of early 2022.
JPMorgan says the tariffs will cut both supply and demand in housing. Builders facing higher costs either raise prices or build fewer homes.
One study says the tariffs could mean 450,000 fewer new homes built through 2030. For buyers, it's a double hit - pricier supplies get baked into the cost, while rates above 6% keep monthly payments high.
Most experts see the worst price pressure landing between April and October 2026 as the tariffs work through the supply chain. Builders who locked in supplies early may dodge the worst. Everyone else faces higher costs on a tighter clock.
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