Utah’s housing market is already extremely tight, but an extra complication for home builders is the shortage of materials — particularly copper used for wiring. KUTV talked to Travis Ferran, owner of Newport Audio, VIdeo & Electrical, about the issue. He said he wires about 50 to 60 houses per month and has never seen a shortage like this in his 20 years in the business. He says it’s been a “big stress factor” for the industry.
The shortage is also making an impact on housing prices. Reuters reported copper is expected to hit record high prices in the next year due to high demand and low supply. Other shortages include lumber, concrete, electrical breakers and PVC pipe.
