August 31, 2026
Market Overview:
In our Northeast market, Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) remains the most important category to watch. Eastern SPF into Boston has softened in some 2×4 items, but 2×6 and wider widths remain more supply-sensitive, especially where customers need specific tallies or quicker shipment. Western SPF has also come off its strongest tone from July, but 2×6 and 2×10 remain more supported than 2×4. Overall, SPF is not falling uniformly; item, length, tally, and shipment timing still matter. Southern Pine remains the weakest part of the framing lumber market, with pressure especially noticeable in #2 dimension and wider widths where mills are still working to find trading levels. That said, Southern Pine timbers remain more resilient than 2-inch dimension due to limited production and larger-log constraints, which is important for treated lumber and timber-related replacement costs.
Panel markets continue to tell a different story than framing lumber. OSB remains relatively stable, with Eastern Canadian OSB holding near recent levels and most buyers continuing to rely heavily on contract volume. Even though open-market demand is limited, scheduled downtime and tighter supplies have helped producers resist counters. CDX and plywood remain firmer than OSB. Western plywood and select CDX items have continued to move higher, while Southern plywood has generally held firm as mills maintain quotes. Tariff uncertainty around Canadian and Brazilian wood products, along with shipping costs and transportation reliability, continues to add complexity to replacement costs and availability.
Housing and construction demand remain active but selective. National single-family construction has weakened, and elevated mortgage rates continue to weigh on affordability and buyer confidence. At the same time, our local Northeast markets continue to see projects move forward, especially where work is already committed and customers are focused on keeping schedules intact. The current market is not a runaway demand market, but it remains product-specific and supply-sensitive. For upcoming projects, we continue to recommend planning ahead on SPF, wider-width framing, treated lumber, CDX, and plywood where availability, freight, and replacement costs can still change quickly.
Key Takeaways
- Customers should continue to plan ahead on SPF, CDX, plywood, treated lumber, and wider-width framing items.
- Framing lumber has softened from late-July highs, with buyers focused mostly on immediate needs.
- Eastern SPF into Boston is mixed, but 2×6 and wider widths remain more supply-sensitive than 2×4.
- Southern Pine dimension lumber remains under pressure, while timbers are holding better due to limited production.
- OSB remains mostly steady, including Eastern Canadian OSB, while CDX and plywood remain firmer.
- Tariff uncertainty, freight costs, and shipment timing continue to affect availability and replacement costs.
Vendor Spotlight: U.S. Lumber + Trex Decking
At Hancock Lumber, we are proud to highlight two important partners that continue to support our growth in the outdoor living category—U.S. LUMBER and Trex. U.S. LUMBER is our preferred Trex supply partner, and Trex continues to be one of the most recognized and requested names in wood-alternative decking and railing. Together, they provide our teams and customers with a strong combination of brand recognition, product depth, availability, and service support.
U.S. LUMBER is a key specialty building products partner for Hancock. Their decking and railing platform includes Trex decking, Trex railing, and Trex accessories, supported by the distribution strength, product knowledge, and logistics needed to serve our yards and customers well. As part of Specialty Building Products, U.S. LUMBER brings the scale of a national distribution platform while continuing to support local dealer relationships, which is especially important in a category where product availability, color selection, accessories, and lead times all matter.
Trex remains a category leader for good reason. Its decking lineup offers options across multiple price points, from Enhance to Select to Transcend and Signature, while providing low-maintenance performance, strong aesthetics, and long residential warranty coverage. Trex composite decking is made from recycled and reclaimed materials and is designed to avoid many of the maintenance concerns associated with traditional wood decking, including sanding, staining, painting, rot, decay, and splintering.
This partnership is becoming even more important as Trex realigns its North American distribution network. With Specialty Building Products named Trex’s sole national distributor of decking and railing products, U.S. LUMBER plays an even larger role in supporting the Trex supply channel. For Hancock, this gives us a clear path to continue growing with one of the strongest brands in outdoor living while providing our customers with the service, product availability, and support they expect.
As always, please reach out to me directly or to the entire team at [email protected] with any procurement questions, comments, or concerns.
James Gigliotti | Commodities Purchasing Manager | 207-713-0237 or [email protected]