Green Building - discount on building materials

Hello:
We are thinking of building a house being our own contractor.
How can we get the builder's discount on all materials?
Thanks
Judy:)

Welcome to the forums Judy!

Most lumber yards and supply houses will give anyone a discount for a large job. Just talk to them first and tell them your plans.

keep in mind what may be a large order to you for one house is small compared to the pro who may be ordering that amount weekly

Also part of the discount comes from the pro knowing exactly what he wants and not needing help in selecting the proper materials less time spent with the customer =less expense for the supplier = lower price .

A contractor will normally get the best discounts based on how much they buy from a particular supplier.

Thanks, guys.
Some one told me once that the discount is exclusively to a builder who is a licensed General Contractor. Is that true?
:(

there are wholesale houses that will sell only to those in the trade so you would need to supply proof that you are a contractor , have a license etc etc


you can probably get some sort of discount from most any supplier if your placing a substantial order and paying cash

the downturn in the economy will work to your advantage here when things are slow they are more interested in getting your order than they would be is things where busy

call local suppliers ask for the contractors desk and see what they can do for you

Judy, in our county, a homeowner can act as the general contractor without obtaining a license. That is because you will not be doing this for a living, just for your own home. Your proof of this is the approved plans and permits by the zoning office.

but a homeowner acting as a GC is not going to get the pricing that a GC will get (nor should they )and as Greg pointed out even among GC's the price will vary based on quarterly purchasing volume

Contractors do not always buy where they get the cheapest price. - Lumber and trim can be good examples.

A contractor will buy where it is most efficient to get the job done properly. Availability, service, delivery and quality are all factors affecting the final installed costs.

You cannot afford to run around to save pennies on material that may cost more to install when you consider time and labor.

Many subcontractors may charge a higher labor cost if they do not control the quality of the material or if they have to guarantee an installation with materials they have no idea of what they will get. - If there is a problem, who pays to tear out, return and re-install?

A subcontractor's costs are based on using the materials he is accustomed to using. Once you say you will supply materials, many contractors will back off because there are better ways to use their experience. - You could end up with labor contractors that supply no real skill and only bodies.

Many suppliers feel it is very difficult to deal with unexperience people (one-time buyers) and prefer to deal with return customers that know how to buy and order without wasting time.

It makes for a tough decision for a person with no real building experience.

All good points, Dick. I think sometimes, though, the homeowner spends a lot of the contractor's time picking out materials...say for a kitchen or a bath. Better the homeowner just get what they want. (I don't mean measured goods, like lumber, but appliances, fixtures, lighting- those are all items the homeowner could purchase without a contractor.

BTW, what are wholesale houses ?
Thanks agian for educating me on this topic.

they sell only "to the trade " you need a account to buy , you need to fill out a application for a account and they will want to verify that you are in the trade

they often have 100 or so min on a order (usually waived for regulars )

WHOLESALE ONLY often on the front door

Grainger is a good example of all those points. A well known industrial supply house that only sells to businesses. Their prices are almost always higher than you can buy elsewhere, but they are a one stop shop for many items. The time saved outweighs the higher prices.