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Pressure-Treated Lumber Prices in 2026: The Latest NAHB Reading
NAHB's framing lumber reading for 30 October 2026 is down 7.2% week over week and 4.4% year over year. Here's what it means for your deck budget.
If you're pricing a deck build this autumn, the most recent lumber data points the other way from the summer coverage. NAHB's framing lumber page now features the Madison's Lumber Price Index, and its latest reading, published 2 November 2026, shows framing lumber falling. Pressure treated lumber is still the frame under most US decks, so that movement reaches the first big line item on your quote.
TL;DR
- The framing lumber reading for 30 October 2026 was $459.10 per 1,000 board feet, down 7.2% week over week, 9.4% month over month and 4.4% year over year.
- Lumber futures were $520.00 on the same date: up 0.4% on the week, but down 1.3% on the month and 3.5% on the year.
- Preliminary Canadian softwood duty rates fell from a combined 35.2% to 25.9%. A separate 10% Section 232 tariff remains, which takes the total on Canadian imports to 35.9%. The duty rates are not final.
- A falling index does not automatically mean a lower quote. Check when the price in your quote was set and how long it is valid for.
- Composite and hardwood boards are priced separately, but the pressure treated frame underneath them still tracks this index.
What the Latest NAHB Reading Shows
The framing lumber price fell from the previous week to $459.10 per 1,000 board feet as of 30 October. That is down 7.2% on the week, 9.4% on the month and 4.4% on the year. A single weekly figure is a weak signal, so the monthly and annual changes are the more useful read. Together they show a market that has moved down from earlier in the year, not a short dip.
Lumber futures, a separate price benchmark, were $520.00 on the same date. They rose 0.4% on the week but were down 1.3% on the month and 3.5% on the year. The two measures do not move in lockstep, so a quote is better judged against the framing index than against futures.
What's Behind the Move?
The NAHB page does not explain the October decline. It describes softwood lumber prices as volatile because of increased demand, rising tariffs, supply-chain bottlenecks and insufficient domestic production. Those factors pull in different directions, so treat a falling index as a change in direction to watch, not as a settled trend.
The Tariff Picture: A Lower Duty Rate, Still a Tariff
Preliminary antidumping and countervailing duty rates on Canadian softwood lumber have been announced. The antidumping rate falls from 20.6% to 10.7% and the countervailing rate from 14.6% to 14.2%, a combined 25.9% against the earlier 35.2%. According to the NAHB page, these rates are not final and would take effect in August. A separate 10% Section 232 tariff remains in effect, which takes the total on Canadian imports to 35.9%.
A lower duty rate applies to future shipments more than to lumber already sitting in yards. That is why the index can keep easing while the policy picture is still unsettled, and why a rate change in either direction is worth checking against your own quote.
“The 10% section 232 tariff will remain in effect, resulting in a 35.9% rate on Canadian imports.”
What This Means for Your Deck Budget Right Now
The practical impact depends on what you're building. A deck framed and decked entirely in PT pine feels the framing index directly, in both the joists and the visible boards. A composite deck still sits on a PT frame, so it sees the same movement underneath, even though composite boards follow their own cost curve. Only fully steel-framed systems sidestep this pressure, and those remain a small share of residential decks.
Nationally, installed decking still runs a wide $30 to $60 per square foot depending on material and labour market, per Angi's cost data. The table below shows roughly where each material mix tends to sit within that range, and how exposed each one is to the framing lumber index.
| Decking material | Where it typically lands in the $30–$60/sq ft range | Framing lumber exposure |
|---|---|---|
| PT pine decking + PT frame | Lower half of the range | Highest: both frame and boards track the framing index |
| Composite decking + PT frame | Mid to upper half of the range | Partial: frame tracks the index; boards are priced separately |
| Exotic hardwood + PT frame | Upper end of the range | Partial: frame tracks the index; hardwood boards are priced separately |
Run your own project numbers through the deck cost calculator with current framing costs in mind, rather than working off a quote from earlier in the year.
Two Practical Moves Worth Making Now
A falling index does not make an old quote cheaper on its own. Many contractors price lumber when they buy it, so ask whether your written quote reflects current framing costs, how long it is valid for, and whether it carries a market adjustment clause. If the quote predates October, ask for the framing line to be re-priced. Comparing it with labor cost to build a deck breakdowns shows how much of the total is materials at all.
If you are buying framing lumber yourself, check the price on the day of purchase rather than against an older quote, and buy the whole frame in one order so every board is priced on the same day. Waiting for a further fall is a bet on the market, not a plan.
What to Watch Before Your Next Quote
Three things will tell you more than any single weekly reading. First, whether the monthly and annual declines hold across the next few NAHB releases, rather than being a one-off move. Second, whether the preliminary Canadian duty rates become final and take effect in August, as the NAHB page says they would. Third, whether the 10% Section 232 tariff changes. Each of these would move the framing line of a quote in a different direction.
For a homeowner, the practical check is simple. Look at the date the framing price on your quote was set. A quote written before the October readings may be priced above the current index, and it is reasonable to ask the contractor whether they will re-price the frame to match. Asking that question costs nothing and can change the total more than any other line you negotiate.
Are pressure treated lumber prices going down?
The latest NAHB framing lumber reading, as of 30 October 2026, was $459.10 per 1,000 board feet: down 7.2% week over week, 9.4% month over month and 4.4% year over year. One reading is a snapshot, not a forecast, and the NAHB page does not say what comes next.
Why are lumber prices falling when tariffs are still in place?
The 10% Section 232 tariff remains, and the preliminary Canadian antidumping and countervailing rates are not final. NAHB attributes volatility to demand, tariffs, supply-chain bottlenecks and limited domestic production, but its page does not explain the October fall specifically.
How much of a deck's total cost is framing lumber?
PT materials typically run around $3 to $6 per square foot against labour of $15 to $35 per square foot, so framing lumber is a real but not dominant share of the total, though it moves the fastest when the index shifts.
Will composite decking be affected by pressure treated lumber prices?
Indirectly. Composite boards are priced separately from the framing index, but almost every composite deck still sits on a pressure-treated frame, so the framing index still feeds into total project cost.
Check the NAHB framing lumber page before you sign: its weekly figure is the cleanest public reference for the frame line of a quote. Use the deck cost calculator to see how a lumber price move changes your bottom line, and find a deck builder if you still need quotes.
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