[hippich]

I just compared prices of 2x4 and construction grade plywood between Lowes location in SF area and Austin area. They are pretty much the same. I agree, distance from the mill will matter, but not to a significant degree (not 3 times for sure)

[akiselev]

IME big box store prices are 2-3x that of a real lumberyard for low volumes. I don't think they're reflective of the rest of the market, especially at high volumes. When you're talking an order of 100 or 1000+ board feet from a lumberyard, it's a completely different story. I've had situations where the last mile delivery fee alone was 25% of the cost, not including the cost to get it to the lumberyard in the first place.

[ComputerGuru]

That’s besides the point. Divide both numbers by 2-3x and the argument stands.