Madison's lumber index at US$521 mfbm

Madison’s Lumber Reporter said on May 22 its lumber prices index for the week ending May 22, 2026 was US$521 per thousand board feet. The weekly reading was down US$1 from the prior week’s US$522 and also US$1 below the level a month earlier, according to the publisher’s index update. The move was small, but it extended a run of nearly unchanged weekly readings through May. Madison’s publishes the benchmark as a weighted average across a species mix used in its lumber market coverage. ### What exactly does the US$521 figure measure? Madison’s Lumber Reporter said the number is its lumber prices index, quoted in U.S. dollars per thousand board feet, or mfbm. The May 22 post said the index is built from a species mix and weighted averages, with methodology information published separately by the company. The unit is a standard benchmark in North American lumber markets and is used to track broad price movement rather than the cost of any single board or retail item. (madisonsreport.com) The May 22 entry gave three reference points in one line: US$521 for the latest week, US$522 for the previous week and a level that was also US$1 higher a month earlier. That framing shows the index moving in a narrow range rather than posting a sharp weekly swing. ### How does this compare with earlier May readings? (madisonsreport.com) Madison’s Lumber Reporter listed US$522 for the week ending May 15 and US$522 again for the week ending May 8. The company listed US$524 for the week ending May 1. Taken together, those posts show the index easing by US$3 over three weekly updates from the start of May to May 22. (madisonsreport.com) The May 1 report also showed a steeper month-over-month change than the latest release. Madison’s said the May 1 index was down US$28 from a month earlier, while the May 22 report showed only a US$1 decline from the comparable month-earlier level cited in that update. ### Why do builders and buyers watch this index? (madisonsreport.com) Madison’s Reporter said in an April 24 announcement that its lumber pricing data is now live on the National Association of Home Builders website. The company described the index as one of North America’s relied-upon market indicators, a step that widened its visibility among builders, suppliers and housing-market participants. (madisonsreport.com) Macrotrends, which tracks historical daily lumber prices separately from Madison’s weekly index, shows lumber prices are commonly quoted in the same per-thousand-board-feet format. That makes Madison’s weekly reading a reference point for people following input costs in homebuilding, remodeling and wood-product supply chains, even though retail project costs can also reflect labor, freight and other materials. (pro.ceo.ca) ### Does the latest reading point to a broader price break? The May 22 update from Madison’s did not describe a sharp market reversal. The publisher’s recent index archive shows readings of US$524 on May 1, US$522 on May 8, US$522 on May 15 and US$521 on May 22, a sequence that indicates a mostly flat market through the month. (macrotrends.net) Madison’s market-updates page also carried commentary on May 20 saying North America lumber sales had taken “a breath” around dual long weekends in Canada and the United States. That note appeared between the May 15 and May 22 index readings and provides the company’s own description of trading conditions during the period. (madisonsreport.com) ### Where can readers track the next move? Madison’s Lumber Reporter posts the index as a recurring weekly update on its website, where the May 22, May 15, May 8 and May 1 entries remain listed in sequence. The next benchmark update would follow that weekly pattern on Madison’s lumber price index pages, where the company also links to its methodology and broader market commentary. (madisonsreport.com 1) (madisonsreport.com 2)