Inflation Takes Two Different Roads.

The article reports that in the U.S. materials price escalation switched gears in 2005 as petroleum-based products took the lead from steel prices, which fueled inflation in 2004. The latest round of double-digit price increases for copper, plastic, gypsum and asphalt products are not driving inflation as hard as steel prices did in 2004. The annual inflation rate for 11 general building and valuation cost indexes fell from 8.5% a year ago to 5.5%. But this is still well above the average annual increases posted before 2004.