Overview
- The Federal Statistical Office's June 24, 2026 release showed large year‑on‑year price rises in May for many building materials, with producer prices for industrial goods up 2.2 percent versus May 2025.
- Bitumen, a petroleum‑based product used for roads and roof seals, jumped 31.2 percent year‑on‑year in May 2026, while flat glass rose 15.4 percent as energy‑intensive production costs climbed.
- Metals overall were 11.1 percent more expensive than a year earlier, with cold‑rolled sheets up 9.9 percent and reinforcing steel up 5.0 percent, although some metal items such as rebar and white sheet metal fell slightly.
- Wood products also saw notable gains in May 2026, with roof battens up 11.8 percent, sawn timber up 11.4 percent and solid structural timber up 7.5 percent, adding to higher costs for builders and homebuyers.
- The data track a medium‑term trend since 2021 in which most building materials became costlier, especially mineral materials like lime/gypsum and cement, magnifying pressure on housing supply as higher input prices feed into fewer new builds.