Do deck material prices in NB go up in spring and how much?

Yes, deck material prices in New Brunswick do rise in spring — typically 5-15% above off-season pricing, driven by a surge in demand that hits every year once the snow melts and homeowners start planning outdoor projects.

The pattern is predictable. From roughly November through February, demand for lumber, composite decking, and hardware is at its lowest. Suppliers and contractors are quieter, and some distributors offer better pricing to move inventory. Once March arrives and homeowners start getting quotes, demand climbs fast. By May and June — peak building season — pressure-treated lumber, composite boards, and fasteners are all moving at full retail price, and some popular composite products (Trex Transcend, TimberTech Pro) can face supply delays of 2-6 weeks if you haven't ordered ahead.

The bigger price driver than raw material cost is contractor availability. In NB, the building window is genuinely short — May through October — and skilled deck builders in Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John fill their schedules quickly. Contractors who might negotiate on price in February or March are often fully booked by May and have no reason to discount. Homeowners who wait until June to start calling frequently find the earliest available slot is late summer, or they end up with a less experienced crew.

Composite decking is where supply timing matters most. Products like Trex and TimberTech are manufactured to order and shipped through distributors. If your contractor orders in April for a June build, stock is usually fine. If everyone waits until May, certain colours and profiles go on backorder. Pressure-treated lumber is more readily available locally, but even PT prices track with national lumber markets, which historically spike in spring.

Practical steps to get ahead of it:

Get your quotes in February or March, even if you're not building until July. Lock in your contractor and ask about material lead times for composite if that's your direction. Some contractors will let you purchase materials early at current pricing and store them — worth asking about.

If you're planning a larger project (16x20 or multi-level), the savings from early booking can easily be $1,000-$3,000 between a winter quote and a peak-season quote — not just from material prices, but from contractor scheduling flexibility.

New Brunswick Decks can match you with local deck builders now, even for summer projects — getting that conversation started early is the single best way to avoid the spring rush premium.