plywood cost

How much does a 4×8 sheet of plywood cost?[2024]

The price of plywood is determined by the type of wood, thickness, and quality. Plywoods come in a variety of sizes from 4’x8′ sheets to 2″ x 6″ planks. The cost will vary depending on what size you are looking for. 

The average cost of a 4×8 plywood.

You can purchase plywood in a variety of sizes from high-grade to low-grade sheets and to the thickness of planks.

The cost will vary depending on what size you are looking for.

  • A 4×8 sheet that’s 1/4 inch thick could cost you anywhere from $6 to $45, while an 11/32″ thicker one would run about $15 dollar to $120 per sheet of the same size.

You can still find differences in prices. I don’t know any certain reasons why some sellers charge high for the same type of plywood as others.

This was evident when I checked the prices. Check out by yourself! 

  • Plywood sellers on amazon are selling at decent prices. Lower than Lowes and Home depot. While the rates on Lowes are a bit high as compared to Amazon.

  • The prices at Lowe’s, on the other hand, range from $15 to $50 for the most popular 4-by-8 sheets.

Determining the cost (factors that affect)

Here are some factors that need not be neglected in finding out the worth of plywood such as the quality of the sheet, the wood used, adhesives, as well the number of plies used in plywood speaks a lot about pricing.

The difference in pricing of plywoods depends a lot on the

  • Wood Type. Plywood’s prices vary a lot with different wood species.
  • The number of plies. Generally, it’s said, the more the plies, the more the cost will be of plywood.
  • The manufacturing process- refers to waterproof plywoods costing more than regular plywoods.
  • Adhesives used: It’s true some adhesives cost more than others.
  • Quality of the wood veneers: Plywoods also come up with a thin coated layer of either wood or laminate, called veneer. 

Types of plywoods and their average cost

Plywood comes in a variety of wood types that include, but are not limited to: Birch, Cedar, Pine, Poplar, and Red Oak. 

I’ve picked the estimated costs of different types of plywoods.

Remember, the cost is greatly influenced by which region you’re living in.

Plywood quality or Type Thickness Estimate price
Hardboards 1/8 $10 to $15
Hardboards 1/4 $15 to $20
Treated 3/8 $40 to $50
Treated 1/2 $50 to $65
Treated 3/4 $60 to $75
Hardwood (birch or oak) 1/4 $20 to $40
Hardwood (birch or oak) 1/2 $50 to $60
Hardwood (birch or oak) 3/4 $60 to $75
Sanded 1/4 $25 to $35
Sanded 3/8 $30 to $40
Sanded 1/2 $35 to $45
Sanded 3/4 $40 to $50
Sanded (fir) 1/2 $70 to $80
Sanded (fir) 3/4 $80 to $90
Sanded (maple) 1/4 $40 to $50
Sanded (maple) 3/4 $65 to $75
Sanded (cherry) 1/4 $40 to $50
Sanded (cherry) 3/4 $65 to $75
Sheathings (pine) 3/8 $11 to $20
Sheathings (pine) 1/2 $15 to $20
Sheathings (CDX pine) 5/8 $15 to $21
Sheathings (structure wood OSB) 7/16 $10 to $15
Sheathings (structure wood OSB) 5/8 $15 to $20
Sheathings (structure wood OSB) 1/2 $10 to $15

Online stores to buy plywood sheets

It’s better to have multiple options to buy anything. In this way, you can compare the prices. eventually purchase the plywoods where you can get the best deals possible in terms of price, as well, as quality.

Some trusted online stores where you can get quality plywood sheets online.

Online store Quality  Price
Amazon Almost any grade is available. $$$
plywood company Good quality plywoods. $$$
HomeDepot Wide range of plywoods. $$$
Lowes Medium quality plywoods. $$$

Why plywood are expensive?

The price of plywood has increased by around 30% in the last year and is expected to continue increasing at least until 2021. 

  • According to the above estimate, a sheet of 4-by-8 of regular plywood cost around $4 to $12 in the previous years. Which is now, with a rise in cost the same sheet will cost you anywhere from $8 to $15.

However, in some regions, the price may be lower.

Forbes studied the reasons affecting plywood pricing in detail.

You may want to look at that for more information to get a true idea of what’s causing the prices to go up.

 Here is the link to the Forbes article on plywood pricing.

Factors increasing plywood prices.

There are many factors that affect plywood prices.

  • Demand and supply.

if there is high demand for construction materials, then people will be more willing to pay a higher price because they need this product badly.

If the supply of such material exceeds its needs, however, the prices would go down as it becomes available at a cheaper price.

  • Demand for materials used in plywood production.

Lumber prices may also affect plywood prices, as wood is one of the main ingredients in making plywood; however, there are other factors such as demand and production that will further increase or decrease its overall cost.

Plywood manufacturing requires lumbers of different wood- not to mention, that these are not available in all countries. Some countries may grow superior quality wood and others not. 

For example, in Oak, maple, and walnut, there is a shortage of these wood species which results in. Plywoods of these materials cost higher and are knowns as high-grade plywoods. Eventually costs more than other regular plywoods.

  • So If the demand for this material goes up due to a high need in another industry or country, then its cost would also go up accordingly. This will increase the overall cost of manufacturing wood products that use it as an ingredient.

  • The weather is also a factor that affects plywood prices; 

if there are good rains, then the supply of lumber would increase which will make it cheaper to produce wood products like plywood. 

There might be bad weather or drought that decreases its overall production and availability in different mills around the world, which means that people have to pay a higher price for its purchase.

Verdict

  • Plywood prices are usually driven by the cost of raw materials, which have been steadily increasing since 2017.
  • The demand for plywood has also increased because it’s an essential material used in construction. 

  • Plywoods are made from layers of thin sheets that create a strong surface with minimal width.
  • It is most commonly used as exterior sheathing on residential homes and roofs, but can also be used for furniture or flooring.
  • It’s not only versatile – it’s durable!

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