Prices for materials used in door and window manufacturing stayed fairly unchanged in October 2019 but continue to go up slightly on a year-over-year basis, with the exception of thermoplastic resins and plastic materials, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In October, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category fell by 0.4% from the previous month but rose 1% from October 2018. According to the 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 dropped 1.5% from September 2019 and are up only 1% 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 rose 0.4% from the September 2019 level and grew 5.7% from the October 2018 report a year ago. Metal doors and frames rose by 0.1% in September and 1.3% for the year. Prices for wood window units remain the same for another month this year but are up again 6% year-over-year. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications are up 0.2% from September 2019 and down 0.3% since October 2018.

The price of thermoplastic resins and plastic materials is up this month by 1% from September 2019 but down by 11.4% from October 2018. Fiberglass plastic product prices are down by 0.5% since September and rose 0.5% for the year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, remained unchanged from September to October and that price is 1% higher than in October 2018.

Monthly and Yearly Change in Door and Window Material Prices