On March 1, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing regulations on timber harvesting in the United States. This move is expected to significantly impact lumber costs—a key factor in the price of newly constructed homes. But what does this mean for homebuyers, builders, and even those planning renovations? Those that are interest in buying a home, especially new construction need to know how lumber costs affect new home prices. Let’s break it down.
The High Cost of Lumber and Its Impact on Housing
Lumber has long been one of the most expensive components of homebuilding. The price of wood affects everything from framing and flooring to cabinets and trim. When lumber prices rise, home prices follow. Supply chain disruptions and regulatory constraints have often kept prices high, making it more expensive for builders to bring new homes to market.
The new executive order aims to change that. By directing the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to issue guidance for increasing timber production and streamlining the supply chain, this policy could lead to a greater supply of domestic lumber and, ultimately, lower costs.
How the Executive Order Aims to Reduce Lumber Prices
This policy isn’t just about cutting red tape—it specifically outlines methods to improve timber production and distribution, including:
- Good Neighbor Authority Expansion – Allows for more cooperative forest management between federal and state agencies.
- Stewardship Contracting – Encourages long-term agreements for sustainable timber harvesting.
- Tribal Agreements – Expands partnerships with Native American tribes to improve forest management and harvesting.
Each of these initiatives is designed to increase the timber supply, reduce delays in delivery, and minimize price fluctuations—three key factors that drive up home costs.
What This Means for New Homebuyers
If you’re planning to buy a new home, lower lumber prices could work in your favor. With reduced construction costs, builders may be able to offer more competitive pricing. We may also see an increase in new housing developments as lower material costs make projects more financially viable. However, it’s important to remember that lumber isn’t the only factor in home pricing—land, labor, and market demand still play a major role.
How Builders and Developers Can Benefit
For builders, this policy shift presents an opportunity. Lower timber costs mean better profit margins and the ability to complete more projects at a competitive price. If you’re in the industry, consider how this could impact your pricing strategy in the coming months.
Additionally, with fewer regulatory delays, projects could move faster from planning to completion. If you’ve been holding off on starting new builds due to unpredictable material costs, now might be the time to reassess.
Renovation Costs Could Drop Too
It’s not just new homes that will see a potential benefit—anyone planning a renovation could see cost savings as well. Lower lumber prices could make it more affordable to update kitchens, add extensions, or build that backyard deck you’ve been dreaming about. Contractors should keep a close eye on pricing trends and adjust their estimates accordingly.
The Executive Order
The executive order aims to boost domestic timber production by reversing restrictive federal policies. It highlights the importance of timber for construction, energy, and wildfire prevention while criticizing reliance on foreign imports.
Key directives include:
- New Guidelines – The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture must issue updated guidance to facilitate timber production and streamline forest management within 30 days.
- Faster Approvals – Agencies must expedite forestry projects under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) within 60 days.
- Annual Timber Targets – A four-year plan for timber sales from federal lands must be submitted within 90 days.
- Regulatory Reforms – Agencies must evaluate and adopt categorical exclusions to simplify environmental reviews and reduce approval times within 180 to 280 days.
- Streamlined Permitting – Agencies must eliminate delays and revise or rescind burdensome regulations.
- ESA Review – The Endangered Species Committee must assess obstacles posed by the ESA and suggest regulatory improvements.
The order emphasizes balancing environmental laws with economic and national security interests while ensuring compliance with existing legal frameworks.
This executive order has the potential to reshape the housing market by making home construction more affordable. While we won’t see the full impact overnight, an increase in timber supply and a reduction in regulatory bottlenecks should help bring down lumber prices over time. As lumber costs affect new home prices, if you’re in the market for a new home or planning a renovation, now is the time to pay attention to how these changes unfold.
The big question now: how quickly will builders and suppliers pass these savings on to consumers? Stay tuned, and if you’re considering buying or building, it might be worth having a conversation with your real estate agent or contractor about timing your investment wisely!
