What the steel shortage means for you

You might have heard a bit about the shortages of construction material wreaking havoc with expected finish dates. People have been trading in their holiday funds to get on top of the renovations that they’ve been toying with for the past few years. There is of course the added incentive given by the government’s stimulus for renovations. And of course, people are still rebuilding after the utter devastation caused by the 2020 fires that swept across the nation. Unfortunately, the fires did also take out a portion of plantations, pushing demand even higher.

The shortage of steel, timber and other building supplies is really putting a halt to the construction industry and those looking for materials are seeing wait times blow out to double what they were pre-pandemic. Previously timber for frames and trusses would have taken 4 weeks to be ordered, but now they’re expected to take up to 16 weeks.

Unfortunately, with the demand for building materials going up, so has the cost. If you’ve been looking into renovating, you may have noticed that the costs for concrete, timber, steel, mesh and reinforcements have gone up sometimes by up to 20%. A lot of this also has to do with the uncertainty of projects at the moment, because costs are higher and materials aren’t stable, the cost of engaging in the service is much riskier.

But if project demand is higher, why is there more risk? With the pandemic, a lot of jobs have been put on halt or have been cancelled altogether. This paired with the lack of access to materials and tumultuous labour market then of course prices are going to be higher. It’s also important to note that there have been lot of new DIY projects started during the pandemic that may not necessarily use contractors but certainly used a lot of materials.

So how long is this going to last? It’s a hard one to predict, particularly with the waves of COVID providing an unstable ground for the industry to climb back onto. There’s no doubt that the road to economic recovery is going to be a tough one, but with the high demand for these goods, supply will soon even out. Hopefully not too far into the future.

How will this affect you?
If you’re looking to undertake any activity that involves timber or steel this year, you may be in for a bit of a wait on your project timelines. Also note, that every provider has different storage facilities and different ordering capabilities. So when you enquire, make sure you ask about when orders are expected to be delivered or if they have stock ready to go.

Be mindful that you will need to provide specific details about your project and what it will entail to get the most accurate results. Ask the important questions so you’re not given any nasty surprises further down the line. This is the best way to ensure that you’re project goes well

Ryno is the best point of call for all of your commercial fencing needs. Whether you’re looking for fencing to open up green spaces, handrails on a bridge or anything at all, look no further than Ryno. We’re here to help through the material shortage and we’ll give you all the information you’ll need to make the decisions that’s best for you.

How is the steel and timer shortage affecting Ryno?
At Ryno, we’ve been manufacturing our steel and timber locally since we’ve started our business. We’re here to build your fence, but we also take care of all of the steps beforehand. So when you engage with us, we’re able to give you a more accurate estimate of when your project will be able to be completed and what realistic timeframes we can work out together.

At Ryno, we always prioritise your needs and how we can best work with you to get the results that you need. We always use the best and latest equipment on hand so that we can work with you to get your job done to the best possible quality. It’s because we have the highest standards and the best reviews that we’ve come to be the leaders in commercial fencing. We pride ourselves on how we leave out community feeling when our projects are completed.

Also, if you’re quite concerned about the timber or steel shortage and you desperately need some work done as soon as possible on your fence, then we’re more than happy to provide you with options with what we have available. We also have a few services that focus on restoration, so if you have some timber fencing that is looking a bit worse for wear, then we’d love to talk to you about some options to give your fence a second life that it deserves.