Carrying out work in 2024 remains expensive as prices for most materials used – such as insulation wool, plaster and even paint – have increased over the last five years.
The Quebec Hardware and Construction Materials Association (AQMAT) compiled the data provided by hardware stores and renovation centers in February 2019, 2021 and 2024, before, during and after the pandemic.
Although the price of lumber has finally fallen since the pandemic, the same cannot be said for insulation wool (+42%), plaster (+40%), asphalt shingles (+62%), concrete (+25%) and even painting (+21%) %), which have increased since 2019.
“If a consumer were to purchase a single item from each of these categories, it would cost them $301 today, rather than $305 in February 2021 and $234 in February 2019,” AQMAT noted Wednesday.
This cumulative price increase would therefore be around 28.5% over the last five years.
According to AQMAT President Richard Darveau, the shortage does not justify these high prices as the supply of these materials exists.
“The important element is the oil, it is the fuel and everything that makes up the composition of the product, except the transport,” he stressed to TVA Nouvelles.
For its part, the Quebec Construction Association (ACQ) confirmed that these prices have a major impact on the decline in housing starts.
“We have proposed various measures to the Quebec government to find ways to increase productivity,” explained Guillaume Houle, head of public affairs at the ACQ, adding that those responsible for the purchase and delivery of materials are also involved responsible must participate in the efforts.
Quebec wood is preferred
Lumber from Quebec and even Eastern Canada is selling at almost the same price as 2019, which would make it a “bargain” in the context of inflation.
“This would prove right those who argue that the more local a product is and the less processed it is, the better it can be protected from external factors that affect production and transport costs,” AQMAT said.
“Our collective attitude toward buying local is inevitably changing,” Mr. Darveau added.