Quarterly Price Updates October 2026

Every quarter Clear Estimates updates the material price for every region in the U.S., across all 10,000+ parts in our database. These updates are automatically available in your Clear Estimates Software.

Check out how the cost of a 300 sq. foot kitchen remodel has changed since last quarter:

• Northeast: +0.5%
• Southeast: +0.6%
• Midwest: +0.7%
• Southwest: +0.8%
• West: +0.9%

See how the cost of a 600 sq. foot two-story addition has changed since last quarter:

• Northeast: +2.0%
• Southeast: +1.9%
• Midwest: +2.5%
• Southwest: +2.1%
• West: +2.8%

Why kitchen costs moved less

Both projects measure 15 by 20 feet, yet the addition rose more than three times as much as the kitchen (+2.3% versus +0.7% nationally). The difference comes down to what goes into each one.

An addition is built from framing lumber, sheathing, drywall, concrete and block. Those materials are heavy and expensive to ship, so their prices follow local supply and demand, and this quarter they moved. A kitchen remodel spends most of its material budget on appliances and cabinets, which sell at much the same price nationwide. Those prices held steady.

About 89% of the kitchen's material cost goes to nationally priced goods like appliances and cabinets, compared with 60% for the addition. Locally priced materials make up 35% of the addition's material cost but only 5% of the kitchen's.

Part Analysis "Deep Dive": floor joists

We're committed to delivering the most accurate and up-to-date pricing data in the residential construction industry. This section offers a behind-the-scenes look at the data behind it.

Floor joists are the backbone of almost every addition and new-construction project, and this quarter they tell an interesting story. Framed with 2" x 10" lumber at 16 inches on center, a floor costs an average of $2.51 per square foot in materials nationwide, up 5.1% from last quarter. The map below shows how that cost varies across the country, and the chart beneath it tracks the national average since 2017.

The West remains the most expensive place to frame a floor, averaging $3.07 per square foot, with the Northeast close behind at $2.81. Prices run from about $1.64 in San Antonio, TX to $4.73 in Hilo, HI, where nearly all lumber arrives by ship.

The biggest move came from the Midwest. It is still one of the least expensive regions at $2.10 per square foot, but the cost rose 14.2% this quarter as framing lumber prices there climbed. The South followed a similar but milder path, while the West, already the priciest, rose just 2.7%. The gap between the most and least expensive parts of the country is narrowing.

The longer view puts this in context. Before 2021, this floor framing cost about $1.64 per square foot in materials. The lumber spike that followed pushed it to a peak of $3.20 in late 2022, nearly double. Prices have since settled into a band of roughly $2.20 to $2.50, still about 40% above where they were before the spike.

We look forward to bringing you new and exciting information on pricing trends every quarter! Stay tuned for the next update.