Prices for materials used in door and window manufacturing are generally positive from September 2020 to October 2020, and results were consistently better on a year-over-year basis, even in categories that had a few slips, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The October PPI for flat glass in the commodity category climbed for the first time, going up .1% from the previous month and a full 1.1% increase compared to the previous year. According to BLS, the commodity classification “organizes products and services by similarity or material composition, regardless of the industry classification of the producing establishment.”

The index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification also reversed, with an increase of 0.4% from September 2020, the same margin of increase over the previous year. The industry classification measures “changes in prices received for the industry’s output sold outside the industry (that is, its net output).”

The PPI for metal windows dipped for the first time in four months, dropping 0.1% but still increased 2.4% compared to the October 2019 report. Prices for metal doors and frames were also down by 0.1% from September to October, but reflected an overall improvement of 1.1% over the previous year. Prices for wood window units remained the same in October—the sixth straight month without significant change—but also maintains a steady increase of 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications continued to drop slightly in October 2020, down another .1%, but the year-over-year comparison, remained steady at 1.1% over October 2019 pricing.

The price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials rose by 4.2% over September 2020, and that brought the year-over-year difference up by 1.5% compared to October 2019. Prices for fiberglass plastic products rose slightly, up 0.4% from September 2020, as well as being up by 0.8% over last year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, remained steady without change from September to October, but saw a 2.6% increase from October 2019.

Monthly and Yearly Change in Door and Window Material Prices