It has been overstated from multiple news outlets that supply chain issues have plagued procurement, manufacturing, and delivery of goods for the past few years. Expect this trend to continue in 2023. Building and home renovation on Maui has its own set of additional challenges to complicate the process even more.
As a former mainland resident who has lived in the Islands for a decade now, I have seen major strides in how we get goods here on the Valley Isle. Amazon Prime changed the game for residents. Free shipping, and access to materials and products not previously carried at local retailers. Island stores have had to adapt to the presence
of Prime and develop systems of delivery that can compete. It's not air freight that has ever really been an issue that has affected construction on Maui. Most, if not all construction materials come on the slow boat. Shipped from the West Coast ports, the majority of our building materials land in Oahu. They are then sorted and sent by barge via Young Brothers to Kahului.
This blog post is not to bemoan the prices of shipping to get materials here on Maui, but more to highlight how the manufacturing industry has changed on the mainland and how those changes will effect delivery times of specialty items for your next renovation project. As a Carpenter and a customer, there are plenty of options on Island to choose for when you want to start your next project. Honsador Lumber, Maui Laminates, Pacific Source, and of course other local shops have options to choose from. Home Depot and Lowes have a good selection of generic items in stock, but they are often plagued with shortages themselves. Making simple trips to the hardware store a major headache. If your renovation has tight time and budget constraints that dictate the project scope, it is best to choose the in-stock options at the local shops and avoid many of the issues of the current supply chain. Sometimes you can get a decent selection of items in stock, or maybe the item you want may just be on Oahu, consider yourself lucky if that's the case.
Lets talk about special ordering materials for your project. Maybe you want something higher end. A cabinet set made from solid wood with a preferred finish, some flooring that matches a counter top you already have, or specific lumber you're hoping to use for your project. Many manufacturers, be it mill work, cabinets, doors, windows etc. have moved to produce products in an "on demand cycle". This reduces their overhead. It does not require them to discount sitting inventory that they have produced in bulk. They can keep their prices strongly competitive while using modern shipping logistics to get the product to customers. This is adequate if you live on the mainland, but we have to add weeks or months to get these same items to Maui.
Things to consider when looking at products to order for your upcoming renovation project. Ordering materials from the mainland is much like ordering food at a busy restaurant. Your order is placed in a queue behind everyone who has ordered before you. Then add another 3 to 6 weeks for it to get to Maui. Things have not changed for 2023, construction materials are still in high demand. In my recent experience, it is taking 3 to 9 months to get specialty items for my customers. With that in mind, for some of my upcoming projects we have placed our orders and are postponing the start of the projects until the product arrives or has at least landed on Oahu. This is for 2 major reasons.
One, not only is it hard to gauge when a product will actually arrive, sometimes it arrives damaged and will need to be replaced. I do not want to start work if the renovation is going to get postponed for an extended period of time. With some projects, (i.e. Bathrooms and Kitchens / Door and Window replacement) this is not an option. Recent experience has shown that my delivered products have had a 30% damage rate. More than half of those require replacement. Always unfortunate when it happens, but you have to take it in stride. Often the manufacturer will move you to the front of the queue with every attempt to expedite your replacement.
Secondly, it is nice to have all of your products on island at the start of the project. You can inspect them for damage and confirm they are the correct styles and colors. This provides confidence heading into the renovation. With everything onsite you can schedule work accordingly and if things need to be modified, or minor changes come along, you have the products on hand to allow for some flexibility. By delaying the start of a project to wait for materials we can be expeditious in its completion. It is a bonus for you as the client and me as the Carpenter.
Material prices will always change, preferred suppliers can experience limitations, but being flexible and patient in your material procurement will make your next Maui renovation a success.
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