How to save on Materials?
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Contractor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2008 · 978 posts · 985 votes
15yI use all kinds of techniques... one of my favorite, candidly, is using a credit card that gives me cash back on everything. 1% cash back doesn't seem like a lot, but if you're spending $100k+ on it every year it's a nice little Christmas bonus.
As mentioned, Lowes is good if you can get contractor pricing. Typically it's about 10% off. If you've got military ID, you can get discounts that way too.
(You don't always have to go through the bid room to get it. If they know you well, you can really just walk in and ask for it.)
Sherwin Williams is good. Sweet talk them and you can get 10% off just for being a contractor. If you really buy a lot of paint, you can get some serious discounts. (Good reason to let your painter buy paint)
Build.com is great for higher-end fixtures, and they have GREAT service and a bit of a discount if you sign up for a contractor account.
For lumber, get to know a lumber yard. Things like trim and LVL beams are much better from a lumber yard! Ironically, Lowes can typically beat a lumber yard with a "First blush" quote on commodity items like 2x4s. Stretched lumber goes to the lumber yard.
Lowes can also match and beat pricing from a lumber yard, but it's a really good way to piss off your rep at the lumber yard so I try not to do that unless I'm in trouble.
Doors, windows, and flooring should all come from supply houses... not Lowes or HD. Find someone who deals directly with Masonite to buy from. (Lowes deals with several in-betweeners, so you don't get the best prices from them)
Special interior & exterior doors I try to get from a variety of surplus places locally. I also like to walk into these places so they see me between jobs... shoot the breeze, insult the owner's mother, and tell him what a ripoff his prices are. Good times. I've gotten some SCREAMING deals on odds and ends this way. (Most of the guys running the surplus places are delighted to talk shop and won't miss the chance to provide you with a cup of joe and some conversation)
Appliances I shop a variety of places. For low-end stuff, Brandsmart isn't a bad way to go... Sears used to be good, but their discounts just aren't there anymore.
For better stuff, I use a variety of outlets and surplus places and just shop it until I get what I need.
Things like insulation and fire caulk I try not to buy at all. I get an insulation company to do it... they can often insulate the house for only a bit more than I could go buy material at Lowes or HD.
Small electrical and plumbing parts I let my electrician and plumber buy. They get better deals at a supply house than I can get from big-box. I like to get my toilets and water heaters this way.
I wish there was some secret handshake or password at Lowes that would magically get you some kind of ridiculous discount, but sadly I just don't think there is. That's really across the board... getting good deals is largely just a matter of time vs. cost. You're going to spend time shopping around and hunting for the deals.
32 Replies
Originally posted by David Belote:
Lowes offers 5% off on a daily basis. E-mail me and I can forward a link on buying coupons for 10% off. :cool:http://www.renovationcoupons.com
They're for Lowes, but HD accepts them as well.
I normally buy them 100 at a time (about $1 a piece) and give them out to my contractors as well...
- Flipper/Rehabber · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 712 votes14y
Check out your local real estate investor association for their discounts and combine them with others.
1. Have a cash back card and get back about 2% on all purchases.
2. Home Depot - use their bid room for their discount - ask about it at the contractor desk to receive about 12% to 15% off on average.
3. Home Depot - use the 2% rebate program at your local REIA group.
4. Lowes - have a realtor center where you can give away 10% coupons to anyone, even yourself at https://www.lowesrealtorbenefits.com/, so send discounts to yourself, your customers, your friends.
5. Lowes has a discount program that will offer 5% off on all purchases if you get one of their credit cards. Just pay off in full each month for no interest fees and save 5% off on everything you purchase. Our REIA group goes further to offer you a way to save another 2% off if you pay that credit card off early.
6. You can go to Sherwin Williams and sign up for a contractor account and save about 10 % off - our REIA again has a discount card to save you about 40% off regular prices.
7. Look for discount supply stores in your area that sell - slightly damaged, overstocks, and over runs, and then just have great prices because they don't have the best location or shinny building - here in Kansas City, check out - Surfaces Direct, Patriot and others - in your area, visit with the local REIA group to see what kinds of discount stores are in your area and see if they might have a discount.
8. Have a well thought out plan and shopping list - I know I saw this with my contractors over the years - a minimum of 4 trips to the hardware store a day - If you know what you are going to work on - a kitchen rehab for example - measure twice and cut once AND make a complete shopping list and buy everything and save $20 in gas a day - if you have extra parts, great, save for the next project or return when you are there the next day - but don't drive to pick up the bulk of stuff, then go back for a hinge, then go back for a braket, then go back for an outlet. I could see this if you only renovated once in a great while, but for people who do the same types of renovations over an over - create a standard shopping list to use over and over.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
- Investor · Millport, NY · Member since 2011 · 39 posts · 12 votes14y
That will work on building materials, but unfortunately, for finish materials, the two stores don't stock the same products, so getting an apples to apples comparison is very difficult.
That is correct. I am sorry I did not mention it.
- Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes14y
Lots of talk about Lowes and Home Depot and although that is the main place for a majority of my materials, I also form relationships with other material and service providers such as wholesale carpet and remnants, tile/stone/granite at wholesale prices, and subs that I beat down on price to get teh price i need.
Combining all of these strategies will result in a better bottom line for you.
- 13yDavid RobertsonBusiness MemberFlipper/Rehabber · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2010 · 758 posts · 780 votes
Originally posted by Matt Jankowski:
Originally posted by Rob Gillespie:
You can save a little, but nothing crazy. In our area, if you go to the post office and get a moving package, Lowes has a 10% off gift card in the package!! Plus go to pro desk and send stuff to the bid room.You make it sound like you can apply the coupon to the bid room quote. Has anyone ever tried this? It seems unlikely to work.
Nope, I tried to double dip a couple of weeks ago, but I could only get the discount from the Bid Desk which was 10%...they wouldn't let me use my 10% off gift card...
I have also had luck buying certain items off ebay or amazon.com, specifically door hardware and range hoods...I have been getting "designer" glass/stainless steel range hoods from ebay for $250 where at Lowes a similar model would retail for $700+....
Also, I have been purchasing my kitchen cabinets from a company called CabinetGiant.com, which is a local company here in Kansas City, but they deliver all over...they sell ready-to-assemble cabinets that have all the bells and whistles homebuyers are looking for...I have done 3 kitchens in the last 6 months with them and am averaging only $2500-$3400 for a 12x12 kitchen w/ a pantry...
- Atlanta, GA · Member since 2012 · 93 posts · 8 votes13y
Cardpool.com where you buy, for instance, a lowe's giftcard at 20% off, then get the discount the store may have. Good discounts.
- Easton, CT · Member since 2013 · 9 posts · 2 votes13y
Standardize your materials. I only have 4 paint colors so paint does not go to waste and you can buy on sale. I supply paint for my painters, they supply anything else.
Also, bins. Bins for plumbing, electrical, hardware (with little bins for fasteners), etc., all organized. Again, standardize these materials wherever possible. When planning a reno, spend sufficient time calculating materials. This time saves money and time in the job. Any extra materials go into the bins for the next job to eliminate waste.
For things like electrical, have a few extra of the minor things on hand in the bins. The biggest waste is trips for parts or materials. Only do one trip each day in the morning on the way for miscellaneous parts if you can.
Works well for maintenance too. Going to the house to fix the toilet? Grab the plumbing bin, plumbing tool box, and tool belt. The bin has wax donuts, hoses, fill valves, flappers, etc. If the toilet issue is in the tank, I have a Fluidmaster Complete Kit to swap out the whole thing if not my ‘standard’ fill valve, or parts for the Fluidmaster if it is. I only use one kind and get them in the contractor three packs. Replace parts used from the bins next trip to the store, no special trips needed for maintenance.
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