At the Home Hardware Building Centre in Witless Bay, south of St. John’s, the owner Art Hicks is at a loss.

Every day, he has to convey bad news to his clients, telling them how much it costs to repair terraces, repair fences, and even build houses.

"It's very frustrating. I have been telling people for 12 or 13 months, listening, the material is still increasing," Hicks said. "It's not good. It feels different."

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of wood has risen sharply. Hicks said that in most cases, today's costs are three to four times what they were before timber prices began to climb in 2020.

"And it keeps on rising. We get new numbers every week, and it's still increasing."

Although his business relies on timber sales, Hicks said he has always advised people to postpone construction projects as much as possible. But he said that some people can't help but build. 

Watch | Art Hicks explains how the price of wood soared, and some of the reasons:

"We are telling people not to build, but people must build," he said. "People need to repair their fences, people need to build houses, people need to lay tiles, they need to repair. This will only cost them more money. I just feel sorry for them."

Looking around his logging yard, Hicks can make huge price changes for almost every commodity he sells.

“Last year, the customer paid a retail price of $3.39 for a 2×4 pre-cut block. If we increase our inventory, the price of each pre-cut block may be closer to $13. Dicing locally in Newfoundland."

Then comes the oriented strand board (OSB) or oriented strand board brought from another province. "This went from $13 last year [to] $62 a week ago."

The plywood has tripled, from $21 to $65-if you can buy it.

"If we can get it, it may take three months to deliver. [Timber] that has been pressure-treated is difficult to buy, and these numbers have risen sharply."

Customers with work that must be done have no choice but to complain and bear high costs.

For example, Trevor Poole went to the shop and took a piece of plywood to repair his boat. He said that the price on the cash register was $73.

"Extreme, isn't it? I don't want to build a house," Poole said. "I need to get it, so no matter the price, you have to pay to have it. I think that's the way it is."

Hicks said that, like many major changes in the past year, there is an important factor behind the price spike.

"Due to labor shortages, the pandemic was after it was promoted," he said. "People just can't go to work because in areas hit by the new crown virus, buildings and employees have been cut due to social distancing. This will only put pressure on others."

Hicks said retailers have no choice but to pass on the increased costs to customers. He said that some people accepted his suggestion and delayed the construction project. But he felt sorry for those who couldn't. 

"Young couples who have to build houses will only spend more money. I just pity them because it won't help those people at all. The younger generation? It will only make them spend more money."

Hicks believes that high timber prices will not drop soon.

"I think we will have a difficult year this year, maybe even before everything returns to its original condition next year. And it may be longer than that."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

Zach Goudie is a CBC reporter and video producer based in St. John's.

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