Supply chain issues causes paint prices to rise in Omaha, globally

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The cost of painting your home continues to go through the roof.

Since August 2020, the cost of paint has risen by 10.6 % nationally. Tim Dorn of 360 Painting said he’s seen it go up as much as 13 % in Omaha, depending on the supplier. Through the end of the year the nation’s largest paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams is now charging a 4% supply chain surcharge to all items purchased.

And while supply chain issues have added to the logjam of product movement, weather shoulders much of the blame. Last winter’s hard freezes shut down more than 350 facilities in Texas alone, including many refineries for petroleum products.

”Paint suppliers are usually vertically integrated,” Dorn said. “So when those paint suppliers had the raw material goods problems, that has now translated into them not being able to mass produce the quantity needed.”

And in many cases, problems linger getting the products to market, too. Leaving shelves empty, and many stores having to send customers across town to find a particular brand or type.

“Suppliers are struggling to catch up,” said Ace Hardware President and CEO. “They’re struggling to hire people to do the work, they’re struggling to get it in through the ports, they’re struggling to get it in the trucks around the U.S.”

It’s not just paint. Many supplies related to painting are also in short supply, adding to the frustration for customers and contractors.

“When you go to the store and you’re looking to paint correctly, you need paint, tape and paper,” Dorn said. “All those things tend to be on back order. Not only have we had to use different paints but we’ve had to use different supplies, as well.”

Dorn advises customers to find a contractor willing to be creative and go the extra mile.

“We have to go to numerous suppliers for paint, and then also numerous stores with our main supplier, sometimes driving to Bellevue when you have a project on 180th and Dodge.” Dorn said. “What we’ve been able to do in some cases is we’ve rewarded them by giving them a paint upgrade when we can’t find the supplies that we need, and generally that makes the customer happy.”

Several paint professionals recommended that if you’re planning to do any painting inside your home, you may want to put it off until right around the first snow. During the winter months construction projects and outdoor painting comes to a standstill nationwide, meaning products for indoor DIY projects should be more readily available.