The end of price silence. A wave of prices in the construction industry

After many months of relative stability on the construction market, there are clear signals of change. The latest data indicate that the prices of construction materials have started to increase again, and the scale of increases is the largest in a long time.

Experts from the RynekPierwotny.pl portal point out that the increases no longer concern individual product categories, but cover an increasingly larger part of the market. This may be important not only for construction companies, but also for people planning to build a house, renovate or buy an apartment.

The building materials market is emerging from the period of stagnation

Data from the PSB Group show that in May 2026, the prices of construction materials were on average 3%. higher than a year earlier. This is another month of increases, which confirms the change in the trend observed since spring.

Importantly, materials sold in wholesale become more expensive than in retail. In retail sales, prices increased by 1.4%. year to year, while in the wholesale channel the increases reached 5%.

– In this way, the period of price stagnation that has been going on for many months has most likely ended. The building materials market has entered a phase of moderate, but increasingly visible growth – predicts Jarosław Jędrzyński, expert of the RynekPierwotny.pl portal.

According to analysts, the difference between wholesale and retail prices may mean that the increases will gradually be transferred to individual customers in the coming months.

These building materials are becoming more expensive the fastest

The largest increases were recorded in product groups used both in the construction of houses and in the implementation of development investments. The growth leaders included: thermal insulation, OSB boards and wood, waterproofing, roofs and gutters.

The largest price changes in May 2026 (year to year) were recorded in the following groups of building materials:

• thermal insulation – +17%,

• OSB boards and wood – +8%,

• waterproof insulation – +7%,

• roofs and gutters – +7%,

• dry construction – +4%,

• tiles, bathrooms and kitchens – +4%,

• paints and varnishes – +3%,

• walls and chimneys – +3%,

• installations and heating – +2%,

• construction chemicals – +2%,

• automotive – +2%,

• carpentry – +1%,

• tools – +1%,

• lighting and electricity – +1%,

• cement and lime – 0 percent,

• decorations – 0 percent,

• garden and hobby – 0 percent,

• equipment and household appliances – -1%,

• finishing – -1%,

• house surroundings – -1 percent..

On average, building materials prices were 3% higher in May. higher than a year earlier.

In total, price increases were recorded in as many as 14 product groups. Only in three categories prices remained unchanged, and in the next three there were slight decreases of one percent.

Why are the prices of building materials rising?

Experts from the RynekPierwotny.pl website indicate that there are several factors behind the current situation. On the one hand, manufacturers face higher costs of energy, fuel and transport. This is particularly felt by industries related to the production of energy-intensive materials and those based on wood or petrochemical raw materials.

– There are currently several overlapping cost and demand phenomena behind the strengthening upward trend in building materials prices. On the one hand, producers are increasingly feeling the effects of higher energy, gas and fuel prices. On the other hand, symptoms of a revival in investment activity are becoming more and more visible, notes Jarosław Jędrzyński.

This is also confirmed by the Central Statistical Office data. Construction and assembly production, taking into account seasonal factors, was 4.8% higher in May. higher than a year earlier. Companies engaged in the construction of buildings and specialized works were particularly active.

What does the price increase mean for apartments and investments?

Although the current increases are not yet dramatic, they may have a significant impact on the entire real estate market. Rising prices of construction materials increase the costs of housing investments, which in the long run may hinder the decline in prices of new apartments.

Experts from the RynekPierwotny.pl portal point out that the construction market is increasingly responding to its own industry factors, and not only to the general level of inflation. Additionally, in the coming quarters, the demand for materials may be increased by infrastructure investments financed by EU funds and the National Reconstruction Plan.

– There are many indications that the period of stabilization in prices of construction materials, which has lasted almost two years, has come to an end. For now, we are still talking about a moderate upward trend, but its sources are becoming more and more permanent and multi-threaded, concludes Jędrzyński.

If this scenario is confirmed, both construction companies and people planning to purchase apartments or build a house will have to prepare for higher investment implementation costs.