Lumberyard Sentiment Dashboard:
Dealers’ Outlook for Business Over the Next 12 Months

Principia’s Lumberyard Sentiment Dashboard provides real-time, data-driven insights from lumberyard dealers across the United States. March’s dashboard explores the sentiment of lumberyard dealers and their outlook on business for the next 12 months, revealing their views on revenue, pricing, and anticipation of a downturn.

My company’s revenues in the next 12 months will exceed the last 12 months.

An encouraging perspective to see is the optimism surrounding future company revenues. Since our reporting began in September 2024, the level of agreement has remained consistent. More than 80% of lumberyards believe their revenues will outperform their last 12 months.

I expect a downturn in residential new construction in the next 12 months.

Likewise, the level of agreement for those expecting a downturn in residential new construction has stayed somewhat flat, though showing a slight rise in February 2025. Again, this reflects optimism as a strong majority do not believe residential new construction will slow in the next 12 months.

Price increases are negatively impacting our business.

Lumberyards are showing variation across the reporting period. In September 2024, 63% of those surveyed believed price increases were negatively impacting their business. The trend then moved downward, showing price increases having less negative impact. However, the trend appears to be reversing, now showing an even greater negative sentiment than the initial September reporting period.

While price increases seem to be negatively impacting lumberyards, dealers remain optimistic about their future revenues and the outlook for residential new construction in 2025.