4 Things to Look For When Choosing a Building Supplies Company

If you work on a lot of construction projects, then you might be looking to set up a more formal relationship with a single building supplies company. Rather than using a range of different suppliers, it might pay off to work with one.

What should you look for before you choose which supplier to use?

1. Can They Service All Your Needs?

If you work in general building or construction, then you might need to use different building supplies at different times. It makes sense to work with a company that can supply all the products and tools that you might need at any given time.

Check out the company's product ranges. If you prefer to use products from specific manufacturers, then make sure that the company stocks these ranges. Ask if they can order in products that you might need occasionally but that they don't stock at the moment.

It's also a good idea to check how much stock they typically hold on-site or in their warehouse. There will be times when you might need to get bulk materials delivered quickly.

2. How Do Their Costs Compare?

While dealing with one builder supplier is convenient, you'll also want to make sure that you keep your costs as low as possible. So, compare costs across suppliers to weed out ones that are too expensive. You don't want to pay more than you need to for the supplier's mark-up. If you can negotiate a trade discount, then that is so much the better.

3. Can You Open a Credit Account?

Using one building supplier is a lot easier than using multiple stores. However, you'll still have to pay for each order as you make it unless you have a credit account with the company.

You might benefit from opening this kind of account. You'll be able to place orders up to a certain limit with payment deferred to a later date. As well as being convenient, this also helps you manage cashflow.

For example, if you don't have to pay for 30 days, then you might not have to use your own money to pay for materials. If you complete a project in the credit period, you'll hopefully have your final payment in before you have to settle your account.

4. Do They Offer Additional Services?

Some building suppliers offer additional services that might be useful. For example, some companies will come out to your site and help you assess your requirements; they help you estimate how much material you need so that you don't under- or over-order.

To find out more, talk to local building supplies companies.

Share