Builders Merchants

[splinter collector]

When you have an account, you have to negotiate a price. This price is then available to you what ever site you visit. An account which offers a credit facility are more expensive. I just have a cash account which means I don't have credit. I kept trying to use my fathers account and it was about a third more expensive than with my cash account.
You do have you know your prices before hand though, I've got packs of blocks for £45 when they first gave me a price of £80. From what I heard you can get a max discount of 40% on most stuff.

The other day I phoned TP and they gave me a price for £60 for BB birch ply and I wanted 10 sheets....

as someone who deals with suppliers each and every day this is all most spot one try this way at working it.
a bigger firm normally buys bigger lots and there fore cheaper buying and selling prices. smaller people do not get that offer on small purchases from their suppliers, try the larger firms for cost and smaller people for quality of service and normally better chosen stock.

builders merchants work like this

lets say for instance a block is £1 retail book price.
as a trade account holder and user we would ask for and negotiate a set or what's called preferential rates, ie timber 20% discounted, bricks and blocks 30%, fixings 6% etc. the more you buy the bigger the discounts

as a private sale for an account holder without pref rates he is paying full price because they have to wait so long for their money

as a cash sales and there fore cash in the bank all most straight away you can get close to the rates I have

plus add to that mates rates discount for knowing the staff etc our brick can go any where from £1 to 50pence

I use my contacts to get hold of cheaper stuff, I needed to hire in a digger at home, the plant firm we use would not discount so I called another supplier we use, no deposit needed and card payment sorted it all for 50% discount.

for timber I use two people, for general pine etc I use a small supplier as he gets his stock and turns it over by hand and as such, more expensive but the quality he gets is unreal, for every thing else I use a timber supplier, and normally I am in his waste scrap bins etc and I pay cash ten pound notes to do so.

and to tell you the truth I prefer to pay a little extra for the better service.

 

[Silas Gull]

My guarded opinion of BM' s is that if you nurture a relationship with the staff, especially the yardmen, you can get good discounts and even freebies for the sake of a blind eye and a Christmas drink. Always ask for the 'nice price' and don't skimp on the charm. Never deal with the Branch Manager. Always be armed with the competitors prices. Keep receipts as proof of prior purchases and always refer to these when asking for a better deal.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I once had a garage built - well, it was more akin to a bungalow really. Much to the surprise of my builders (I don't know why, as I was generous to them) I gave a B/M delivery driver a bottle of wine (£4). The next I saw him, he told me how delighted his wife was when he got home, and asked me exactly where I wanted everything this time. I told him,(and asked him to move a couple of bags that were already there) and explained that I was running late for the dentist and had to leave him to it. I came back, and everything was perfect. He could easily have left me a few days of difficult manhandling. A well spent £4....I think so.

 

[Steve-O]

I've found a fencing supplier nearby doing 1800mm x 125mm x 25mm featheredge board for 99p inc VAT. I assume it's not treated though.

That's more like it and if its fencing the it should definitely be treated from the supplier, I can't imagine it won't be. The other prices are still very expensive...

Stephen

 

[MMUK]

I'll have to ask my brother if his account is one in arrears. I'll give Jewsons a try as well as 87p+VAT is bloody cheap for 2.1Lm.

You'll probably find that the 87p +VAT is price per metre.....

 

[blackrodd]

http://beta.wickes.co.uk/Feather-Edge-Board-11x150mmx2-4m/p/548022

What do you all think to this stuff from wickes?

For some reason, there has been a "shortage" of fencing panels around here, lately.
The 1.8m posts and 6'x6' lap panels are non existent in my local Jewsons branch, all sold.
So when 'Er indoors "suggested" that i replace the hedge panels, last weekend, I ended up at Wickes and was pleasantly surprised at the quality, even having the middle timber strip to help rigidity as standard.
6@ £28.a panel is a fair price and unless you are a fencing contractor, travelling further afield wouldn't be worth it.
Main thing is, 'Er indoors is happy (for a while), and my ears are safe in the short term.
Regards Rodders

 

[Drudgeon]

http://beta.wickes.co.uk/Feather-Edge-Board-11x150mmx2-4m/p/548022

What do you all think to this stuff from wickes?

For some reason, there has been a "shortage" of fencing panels around here, lately.
The 1.8m posts and 6'x6' lap panels are non existent in my local Jewsons branch, all sold.
So when 'Er indoors "suggested" that i replace the hedge panels, last weekend, I ended up at Wickes and was pleasantly surprised at the quality, even having the middle timber strip to help rigidity as standard.
6@ £28.a panel is a fair price and unless you are a fencing contractor, travelling further afield wouldn't be worth it.
Main thing is, 'Er indoors is happy (for a while), and my ears are safe in the short term.
Regards Rodders

There is currently a huge shortage of fencing products across the country, this is due to the wet winter, grounds were so boggy that the machines were not permitted to go into the forests to fell the trees for fear of completely ruining the ground, a fencing contractor I know thought well ahead and bought up lorry loads (literally) of timber and is now making a packet selling his panels to many outlets.

 

[Tony Spear]

http://beta.wickes.co.uk/Feather-Edge-Board-11x150mmx2-4m/p/548022

What do you all think to this stuff from wickes?

I'm always frightened to go into Wickes in case Ray Winstone comes along and "persuades" me to buy something! "Wickes - we've got our name on it". :shock:

 

[fishpat86]

Thread Bump

Just got a quote from Travis Perkins that made me laugh.

That's a horrendous price! I've found other smaller places that can do it for half of that but they'll are all a long drive from Cambridge.

Would it be possible for someone with a trade account to get a quote for the same and let me know if I they're trying to rip me off?

 

[kostello]

I think a trade price would be about £1.10 plus vat per m....but I've not bought any for a few months

 

[tomf]

£1.85 is not a bad price, it is treated. For 2x4 cls I pay around £1.15+vat/m and £1.55 for treated.

It's s shame there is no buying group on here.

 

[Jim22]

I had a similar experience with Travis Perkins. I ordered 12 lengths of decking timber, at a fairly decent rate and with free delivery. I realised that i had missed one length off, popped into the store to pick one up as it is easier than changing the order, or so i thought. Only in store the price had jumped up almost 50%! So i spoke to the store manager who then rudely refused to offer the lower price stating it was due to the high number ordered...12?! I even showed him my order confirmation and he refused to budge to the same number.

So I left the store, sat in the car, rang the store and spoke to someone else, they ammended my order at my original rate and it arrived the next day. Still confused about it to this day, but it will be the last time i spent any money there.