The end of construction silence? The prices of these materials may skyrocket

Prices of construction materials have remained stable for two years – but this may change soon. September brought the first signs of recovery in the industry. More and more manufacturers point to rising raw material costs and wage pressure, which may drive price increases. For now, these are still subtle signals, but construction may be one step away from a breakthrough.

Changes in the prices of building materials – still the majority of declines

Experts from the RynekPierwotny.pl portal note that the latest data on the dynamics of building materials prices for September this year do not yet indicate the long-awaited crisis on the market. According to data from the PSB Group, average material prices decreased by 0.7%. year to year. In the retail channel, discounts amounted to 0.3 percent, and in the wholesale channel – 0.8 percent. This result is slightly better than in the previous month, but still insufficient to talk about a permanent change in the trend.

– Price increases in September 2025 compared to September 2024 were recorded, similarly to the month before, in only four commodity groups, while decreases were recorded in the remaining 16. This proportion has been maintained almost continuously for several months, confirming that the market is still in the phase of price stagnation and limited demand – says Jarosław Jędrzyński, expert of the RynekPierwotny.pl portal.

He emphasizes that the largest declines concerned waterproofing (-3.4%), lighting and electricity (-3.3%) and finishing materials (-3.4%). In turn, increases were recorded in four categories, of which only two were significant: OSB boards and wood (+10.5%) and paints and varnishes (+3.4%).

– The clear predominance of overvalued categories and the larger scale of declines than increases indicates that disinflationary pressure still dominates. At the same time, as the expert of the RynekPierwotny.pl website emphasizes, what is noteworthy is the growing discrepancy, which means that where prices increase, they increase quite significantly – notes Jędrzyński.

Data from the Central Statistical Office, covering both housing construction and construction and assembly production – which have a decisive impact on the economic situation of the construction materials market – in September recorded a clear recovery from the recent declines. The increase in prices of OSB boards and wood was particularly visible.

Prices of building materials – OSB boards and wood are becoming more expensive

The “OSB boards and wood” group stands out among the entire market – prices increased by 10.5%. year to year, and in the third quarter alone by approximately 20%. This is the first such clear signal of a change in direction in the selected segment of building materials.

The price increase is due to the growing demand for wooden and prefabricated construction, including modular houses, garden buildings and frame structures, which increase the demand for wood and OSB boards. Additionally, the limited supply of local raw materials and the decline in processing in sawmills increase price pressure. This is also accompanied by a return of export demand – part of the production goes to European markets, which reduces domestic availability and supports further price increases.

– As a result, the wood-OSB segment acts as a potential leading indicator, being the first signal of a change in the price trend in construction. An identical situation occurred during the last boom in the building materials market, when this product group was the absolute leader in price increases – explains Jędrzyński.

Prices of building materials – is this a sign of a crisis?

According to the expert, the rising prices of OSB boards and wood are the first signal in many months that may herald a change in the trend on the building materials market. The wood-based segment often responds faster than other materials because it is more closely associated with prefabrication, housing construction and exports.

– The price increase is influenced by three main factors: greater demand for wooden and modular construction, limited supply of raw materials and the return of export purchases. If construction data confirm a revival in investment in the coming months, OSB and wood may turn out to be the first segment that sets a new direction for prices in the entire industry, comments Jędrzyński.

As he notes, September has not yet brought a breakthrough, but there are several visible elements suggesting that the market may be approaching a turning point. Price declines continue to dominate, but the first clear exceptions are emerging – and the OSB and wood sector stands out as one that could start to break new ground.

– The market remains stagnant, but the first signs of a possible breakthrough are visible on the horizon. The September signal of recovery in construction and assembly production, with housing construction at the forefront, and the rising prices of OSB and wood may be a harbinger of an upcoming change and a signal that the deepest phase of stagnation is slowly coming to an end – sums up the expert from the RynekPierwotny.pl portal.