How Much Does OSB Cost?

How Much Does OSB Cost?

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OSB, or oriented strand board, is a very popular building material, one that can be used for wall sheathing, subflooring, furniture, cabinets, and more. That said, there are different types, sizes, and variations of OSB out there. These are just some of the factors that will affect its overall cost.

Today, we are here to figure out how much OSB costs and what the various factors are that affect its cost.

What Factors Affect OSB Cost?

Although most OSB is quite similar across the board, there are a few different factors that will influence how much it will cost you. Let’s take a closer look at the various factors that will determine just how much money you will need to spend on oriented strand board.

1. The Type of OSB

One of the biggest determining factors in terms of price is what type of OSB you choose. There are two main types of OSB to consider here, these being OSB sheathing and OSB subfloor.

Generally speaking, the subfloor variety is going to be the far more expensive option of the two. This is because subflooring is substantially thicker than OSB sheathing, as well as higher in quality. Subflooring needs to be much thicker and more durable than wall sheathing, which is why it ends up being more expensive.

2. Thickness

Another factor that will affect the price of OSB is how thick it is. Yes, this is related to the above point, as OSB subfloor is always thicker than sheathing. However, there are varying thicknesses of OSB available. These can range from ¼” in thickness all the way to ¾” in thickness.

For instance, for ¼” OSB, expect to spend around $33 to $37 per sheet, whereas, for a ¾” sheet of OSB, you can expect to spend between $58 and $77 per sheet.

3. Size

The next factor that will determine the cost of OSB is the size of the sheet, and here we are talking about the surface area, not the thickness. Simply put, the larger the OSB panel in question is, the more material is needed to make it, and thus the more expensive it will be.

Some of the most common sizes of oriented strand board include 4’ x 8’, 4’ x 9’, 4’ x 10’, and 8’ x 24’.

4. Your Location

Yet another factor that will determine the cost of oriented strand board is your location. For one, wood products in Europe will generally be more expensive than in North America, which is generally because Europe has less space and less available lumber. On this front, it really all comes down to supply and demand.

However, what you also need to consider is if you live in a rural or urban setting. The further that OSB has to travel to get to you, the more expensive it will be, so people in rural areas tend to pay more for their lumber than those that live in cities, particularly those near large water and rail transportation routes.

5. The Brand and Retailer

What you also need to consider is that different brands have different OSB boards at different prices. Some of the most popular brands on this front include Advantech, Georgia Pacific, LP OSB, Weyerhaeuser OSB, Norbord Industries, LP Tech, and Roseburg, among others.

Moreover, if you go right to a lumber yard, which means cutting out the middle man, or in other words a third-party retailer, you will end up saving some money too.

6. Other Factors

There are also other factors that affect the price of OSB, mainly due to market conditions. For the most part, the cost of lumber, even engineered wood products, has increased greatly over the past year. The main reason for this is transportation costs and transportation delays related to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the pandemic, everything has gotten far more expensive, and this is not just the case in terms of transportation. The demand for OSB has increased significantly over the past few years, but the supply has not increased, but in fact, decreased. Due to increased demand and decreased supply, the cost has risen quite drastically.

How Much Does OSB Cost on Average?

Although oriented strand board may not be the highest quality engineered wood out there, it is still rather pricey, particularly due to the issues of supply and demand as discussed above.

The lowest you will be able to find a 4’ x 8’ sheet of oriented strand board is $32, with the maximum cost for that same panel being $77. The national average cost for OSB in the USA, for a 4’ x 8’ sheet, is $49. If we are talking about a ¼” panel that is 4’ x 8’, expect to pay around $35, and if that same sized panel is ¾”, expect to pay closer to $80.

Sample OSB Prices

Home Depot OSB Panel7/16” – 4’ x 8’$18.35
McCoy’s Building Supplies OSB5/32” – 4’ x8’$42.99
McCoy’s Building Supplies OSB7/16” – 4’ x 8’$18.99
Lowe’s OSB Subfloor panel19/32” – 4’ x 8’$40.78
Lowe’s OSB Underlayment Panel¼” – 4’ x 8’$25.49

Summary

As you can see, the cost of OSB can differ quite greatly depending on where you are, the size and thickness, and the type that you get. At the most, expect to spend around $77 on a sheet, with around $50 being the average. Of course, the retailer that you go to will make a difference as well.

The bottom line is that, while OSB is not the most expensive type of engineered wood around, it certainly also is not the cheapest.