I run a business flipping houses and remodeling rental properties. I was talking to the owner of the electrical supply house in our county yesterday and he told me they sold the last 200 amp meter base they had in stock the day before. They were probably one of the last stores in Tennessee that had any in stock. You can't build a house without one.
He also told me our power company has been removing transformers that are feeding barns or workshops. They don't have any spares to fix broken transformers in residential areas so they are stealing them from places that affect the fewest people. They haven't received any new transformers in several months.
The areas affected by the tornados last week are calling utility companies everywhere trying to find transformers and poles to repair the damage but there are very many spares left. He said if that storm had hit our county, he didn't think we would have the parts to get the power turned back on any time soon.
Crazy times ahead.
You seem to have taken that as continuation of argument.
I agree, home depot is not the best measure. And actually, I thought 100 A service was more common.
What I CAN speak to:
Sheet metal (about 50-100 sheets per week 14-22 guage) is about 3 weeks lead time when typical was 1 week.
copper pipe: lead time is so high that the facility is using heavier Guage material (usually an extra cost for higher pressure operation) so that they can keep feeding the machines
wiring: 1-2 weeks extra lead time
motors: was 4-6 weeks now 10-12 weeks
electronics: up to 26 weeks lead time from typical 2 weeks. Yes. 26 weeks out of 52 weeks.
electrical connectors: orders are placed in 5k lots, when they have been showing up has been 1k at a time.
It isn't at a supply "panic" levels, but for manufacturing purposes there I definitely significant delays in materials.