I think what is most important is to make sure that when you receive a bid from a contractor, the material and labor costs are reflected accordingly. Some will bid without material costs, leaving contractors bidding apples to oranges instead of apples to apples against each other, which can get very confusing. Once a contractor is awarded the project, the owner should have a say in the ordering of materials in order to assure quality products are used, especially because some contractors will go really cheap on materials trying to save money.
I would lean towards the contractor for most items especially everything up to a few finish items. I always give the option to the homeowner to purchase their own electrical and plumbing fixtures as I find that is where I can spend a lot of time trying to figure out what the homeowner wants and I would need to add that to the cost.
It’s usually best to leave the shopping with the contractor, you are paying to have someone who knows what they are buying in an everyday basis, the number one mistake from clients is trying to save money on buying their own material and buying inferior quality material or wrong material, making the job take longer or not as good as it would be.
Hello,
We usually give an estimate for hard materials and labor. The customer is then responsible for the finish materials. We have no problems offering our customers our vendors and their prices for finish materials.
Depends on how savy and athletic you are. My opinion I think the contractor should purchase all material and provide labor complete for a stream line processs to complete project on budget and on time for each customer
Fisco General Contractor inc
New York, NY
Owner
Materials divided to two- rough and finish.
The rough materials need to be provided by the contractor and need to be included in the contract, contractor need to know how to calculate it all.
The finish materials can be provided by the contractor but it is very hard to get whatever the customer like so the best way to purchase all the finish materials such as tile, vanity, faucets, flooring etc is to go with the contractor together to his suppliers and choose whatever you like and use contractors account and discount to get the best price.
It depends on the owner, sometimes the contractor does the purchase to ensure the required materials and quality, and sometimes the owner wants to do the purchase, but the contractor can help to the owner.
It is ok for clients to purchase their own materials it they wish
it is more common for contractor to purchase the materials for the job in order to prevent questions such as, how many SQ i need? etc
Allow your contractor to purchase the materials they need. They will work hard to be fair with you and they understand the job and the best materials to accomplish your desired end result. Shopping for your own materials only frustrates both you and the contractor, risks you purchasing the wrong materials, and compels the contractor to compensate for added frustration which will ultimately cost you more.
The contractor should purchase all material to ensure everything that is needed is there and correct amounts also then,they are responsible they must have everything there to meet city codes and are liable. Always trust a good well know professional that knows what they are doing and they can prove they do!
Really interesting input, but I don’t see a consensus here.
From the property owners I’ve worked with, it seems like those who are either budget-conscious or doing very high-end jobs seem to want to acquire their own materials. Budget-conscious owners want to bargain hunt across suppliers to find the best “bang for their buck”, while high-end renovators are very particular about the exact materials used (or who have hired a designer who is very particular) to ensure they’re getting the exact quality/outcome they’re paying for.
For either of these clients, what would you recommend when they are looking to hire? Should they try to be up-front about it and get all of their bids without material costs? Are most contractors still willing to work with these persons? And under what circumstances is a normal contractor warranty affected?
Have your contractor supply and install all building materials so you get the full warranty of the work. I always let my owners buy their own appliances so we don’t mark up. Make sure the appliances have a warranty as well.
The contractor should almost always do the purchasing. If you do not trust your contractor enough to honestly price out the materials then you should probably find another contractor. I know that we generally get discounted materials so our clients are never upcharged either.
For most projects we want to pick up the materials. We do something called a pre-site or critical measure as part of our material ordering process. One of our carpenters is always on site for this and often adds items to the list. If we make a mistake and need more materials we go get them with no additional trip charge or time charge. If you (the customer) makes a mistake then your running back to the supply house to get what was left out. It truly is usually best to let the contractor take responsibility for the material even if it costs a little more.
We would highly recommend that you leave the materials purchasing up to your contractor. They not only get better pricing but are then able to coordinate deliveries and make sure the vendors are where they should be when they are needed. The time associated with the shopping is usually included in the overhead percentage of their bid. In all actuality you have this covered in the price that they quoted you and that you have agreed on.
You should allow the contractor to purchase the material as most contractors prefer to use products they can install well and also guarantee the labor but you should make sure that your contractor shows you all the material he is going to use and explains how everything will be done in detail on your work order/contract.