Local construction company advises homeowners as material prices increase

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The owner of a local construction company is advising homeowners with improvement projects to do their research as new tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico could increase the price of lumber, steel and other materials.

Kevin Morris, the owner of Star Construction Sheds, has noticed a slight increase in prices for materials, but he said it’s been minimal.

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“Right now, we’ll know more probably in a month if things are going to increase, but still not to the level where I think someone needs to worry about doing a project right now,” Morris said. “I know for us, we’ve raised prices a little, but we’re still not near pandemic levels like we were before.”

Morris said if homeowners don’t want to risk potential price hikes, they should book projects now.

“I would get signed with your contractor sooner than later. Like us, we’re buying stock. We have a stock on lumber, anybody coming in, our prices are held for them,” he said. “If you do wait and it does go up, you could be paying a little more.”

If people are looking to make improvements to their homes, Morris said the prices shouldn’t deter them. He said it’s more important that people do their research before signing a contractor to ensure they don’t raise construction costs unnecessarily.

“Do your homework. Find a really good reputable contractor that’s been around a while — someone that’s been in the business a long time, they know the pricing,” he said.

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Morris suggested researching a company as a way of preventing being overcharged on a project as the price of building materials from other countries goes up.

“Let the contractor, or whoever you’re working with, explore other options, because there are,” he said. “There’s other options for us to get lumber and material.”

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Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.

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