Should I have my contractor buy material?

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Should I have my contractor buy material?

Daimyan Hutchison
Rental Property Investor · IL · Member since 2020 · 10 posts · 0 votes

I'm debating whether or not I should let my contractor buy the materials for the job. What do you guys recommend I should do to go about this the right way?

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JD MartinBusiness Member
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Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
5y

Depends on the material and depends on the job.

Pros: 

1. It's easy to determine labor costs for the job.

2. You can be sure that the material is going to your job and not some other job.

3. You can pick out specific material when necessary.

Cons:

1. You might buy the wrong thing or too much/too little.

2. You may not get the pricing a contractor can get, or be able to buy from places contractors can buy.

3. It absolves the contractor of any responsibility when it comes to material quality, appropriate, etc.

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  • David Williams
    Real Estate Agent · Denver, CO · Member since 2020 · 53 posts · 51 votes
    5y

    Trust is key in working with anyone and of course this is no exception with contractors. A strategy that has been a win for me and a win for the contractor is to have the contractor go and pick up material then I pay by phone once the contractor is at the contractor's check out. This allows me to receive email or paper receipts, allows the contractor to not cover materials upfront prior to getting paid for the job and I didn't have to make the run to pick up materials. If you can't trust them more than that, then probably best to look for another contractor. 

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  • Adam Azam
    Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2020 · 119 posts · 84 votes
    5y

    I purchase all finishing materials (flooring/vanities/cabinets/fixtures) and supply my contractor with those items. More often than not, if I'm using my preferred contractor, once our scope of work is agreed upon with the contractor we will order and have delivered to the job site all building materials (lumber/piping/electrical) once demo is complete. It is an extra step (sometimes a headache) in our business that we are reward for by way of Amex points :)

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