Labor short, materials tight in 2019

The continued shortage of qualified labor in construction trades will continue to drive up wages and put a strain on the supply and pricing of new homes in 2019, says Ryan Benson, president of the Collier Builders Industry Association and president of A Vernon Allen Builder in Naples. 

Benson, also a delegate to the boards of the Florida Home Builders Association and the National Association of Homebuilders, also predicts cost of materials will reflect a shortage of availability while manufacturers remain hesitant to increase production in the face of nationwide housing market uncertainty.

Florida homebuilders will then feel the resulting materials pricing pressure as the market remains strong here, Benson says, exacerbated by the short-term need for materials, particularly roofing. “The hurricanes this past year caused problems with all roofing materials and that continues because we are talking lead times on roof tiles of six months, which is fine when you have an 18-month project but is a big problem for a six-month project,” Benson says.