A jump in lumber prices and a concurrent rise in thefts of lumber are leading police to ask builders and residents to take added precautions and secure their construction materials.

Police are seeing increases in thefts from construction sites, including lumber products, compared to last year

People know the price of lumber has skyrocketed and it’s being stolen and sold on Facebook Marketplace and similar platforms.

With a jump of construction site thefts already reported in the first five months of the year, experts say it’ll likely “skyrocket” as the weather becomes nicer and there’s more lumber out, more construction and more renovations going on.

The reason for the price increase is “supply and demand,” there has been increased activity in home renovations and new builds recently.

Lumber prices at present are in the range of $2,000 to $2,200 per 1,000 board feet, compared to an average of about $400 per 1,000 board feet in 2019. A check on Lowe’s Home Improvement site shows a 3/4 inch 4X8 sheet of plywood selling for $70.00.  A single 2×4 – ten footer is $13.00