The latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) dropped last week and it shows that most prices for materials used in door and window manufacturing continued to increase, not only from November to December 2021, but on a year-over-year basis as well.

In December, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category continued to climb, rising by 1.1% from the previous month and up 7.3% 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 continued the positive trend with a 3.1% jump from November 2021, and a full 12.7% increase on a year-over-year basis. 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 but increased by 1.7% from November and clocks in at 26.9% over the December 2020 report. Prices for metal doors and frames also increased from November to December, improving 0.9% as well as 37.9% since last year. Prices for wood window units stalled from the previous month but continued the upward trend with an unadjusted 8.4% increase on a year-over-year basis. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications also increased in December 2021, up 1.6% from November, and that carried over to an increase of 17.6% over December 2020 pricing.

The price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials dropped 3.3% over November 2021, but continued the overall upward trajectory with a 39.7% from December of the pervious year. Prices for fiberglass plastic products increased by 0.9% from the previous month but had an increase of 9.9% over the previous December.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, remained steady from November to December, and rose by 17.7% from December 2020.

Monthly and Yearly Change in Door and Window Material Prices