Those rebuilding after L.A. fires will likely face higher lumber prices as Trump tariffs loom

Devastating, often tragic as the Los Angeles wildfires have been, rebuilding could bring nightmares all its own, including murky insurance rules, material shortages and potentially higher cost for everything from lumber to bathtubs.

In terms of economic upheaval, it could be the construction industry equivalent of what the COVID-19 pandemic did to the economy just a few years ago.

The incoming Trump administration’s plans to slap new tariffs on imports from many countries including Canada — by far the biggest foreign supplier of lumber for the U.S. market — could set off new waves of inflation in home building.

Lumber is the single biggest component of homebuilding materials, accounting for about 15% of overall home construction costs. Southern California builders use wood for framing homes that’s sourced mostly from Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-01-16/trumps-tariff-plans-add-to-worries-of-rising-rebuilding-costs-in-wake-of-fires-lumber-prices