Urbana, IL · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 425 votes
I've been reading some threads about rehabbers and land lords negotiating the best deals with the big box stores. What are some of your strategies with getting the best deals at Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Ace Hardware, Sherwin Williams, etc? Obviously, we can get the member card with the X% of savings but how do you build the right relationships with the managers?
I generally work with Home Depot for larger orders, so this applies to them, but most big box stores probably have similar programs.
Go to the Pro Desk (usually over by Lumber). Find somebody you like to work with and ask them for their Email. Anytime you need something, shoot that person an email.
Most people don't know that if you're spending a couple grand+, you can request a bulk order discount. I usually get part numbers off the website and email a spreadsheet. They put it into an invoice and send it for a discount request. It has saved me upwards of 20% on certain items.