Steel prices have increased an average of 6% in the past few weeks.  This includes pre-engineered metal building systems, rebar, and raw steel.  All indications are that the cost of steel may become more volatile during 2010.  Steel plants are raising prices to cover costs of running furnaces that aren’t producing steel.  China is rumored to be buying up coke mines so that they can control the cost of the raw materials. 

Although we at Kessel Construction don’t anticipate a return to the extreme volatility of pricing in 2008, we do see a trend of increasing prices.  Pre-planning of upcoming projects will help in locking in prices before they increase.