When an owner buys his\her own materials there is no obligation for the contractor to warranty any of those materials whatsoever. YES, you might save a few bucks, but generally speaking, contractors have a much better relationship with vendors than you do, and know what to buy, the first time.
I would advise against a home owner purchasing their own materials. Blue Collar Roofing has great relationships with the vendors we use. We always have best value in mind for our customers and we pride ourselves on being both effective and affordable for the community of Philadelphia
Owners should not buy their own material as if it is incorrect often contractors will spend more time to get the correct materials and thereby will eat up all of the savings so in short it is too risky. Owners wishing to save money should pay the cost of the materials and verify the materials on the receipt or invoice on site instead. Also the contractor will often not warranty material not purchased under the contract as, arguably, they may have selected a different product, brand, or material to avoid such issues.
As a property owner, one shouldn’t try to buy his\her own materials to save money because often the contractor buys at wholesale pricing, which is far better than the pricing any homeowner can obtain. Also, contractors have a much better relationship with suppliers and manufacturers and know exactly what to buy, saving you time and money and the headache of trying to figure things out. More times than not, people end up with the wrong material causing project delays.
In addition, there is no obligation for the contractor to warranty any of those materials whatsoever, causing the customer to deal with any warranty headaches as a separate issue. When trying to save a few bucks, it’s always best to look at the overall contract terms and pricing, contractor warranty, workmanship guarantees and not the material pricing. This tells the whole picture, not the price of the material.
Best of Luck!
PacWest Power
I personally would not recommend a homeowner to purchase material. With all the different types of products and materials on the market, it very easy to not get the best product for the job. The savings just do not add up to incurring more fees for shipping and re-delivery. Also as a pro, we get exceptional discounts!
In regards to roofing.
First: Most roofing contractors deal with supply houses. They get discounts on the materials and delivery. We don’t generally markup the materials either we just pass the price on to the customers. For ones that do markup, if they get a discount, it ends up being a working out in the end if you have to do the extra work of buying and bringing the materials.
Second: If you don’t have enough material it can delay the project and result in more costs. If you buy too much you then have to return the material.
Third: One area it is sometimes acceptable is if you have custom items you need. But then if you order or purchase wrong you have to deal with it.
Forth: Wanting to supply your own materials sends the signal to the contractor that your a being cheap or difficult. Honestly if anyone says they have their own materials we won’t even provide an estimate, it’s like a bad customer filtering system.
well when a homeowner provides their own materials. Their is a warranty issue the contractor cannot warranty the materials/ Only the Installation.
therefore we must have the home owner sign a No Fault agreement on the materials they purchased
If you want to run your business smoothly you will want/need materials according to plan and are of acceptable quality. Get the materials yourself.
Simplest answer is what are you comfortable with? When I first began doing handyman services almost two decades ago, I didn’t think twice about that … as if it were a paying job for my time, I was happy to do it. Overtime we found that homeowners that were wanting to save money by buying their own materials normally meant they were going to be extra frugal when it came time to paying for things such as weight overages on dumpsters, sundries like nails or screws used on jobs or even paint rollers.
As I’ve gained experience what ends up happening is items are missed, quality is incorrect, the items don’t fit the intended purpose. These are all things as doing construction which your company should own and manage. The more efficient you are at it, the more you will make. We almost always rely upon suppliers to bring materials to job sites as we don’t want to spend our time being a delivery person.
Oh - next time you go out to breakfast, bring your own eggs and bacon and ask them if they will use yours instead … maybe their answer will help you in your business 
1 Like
Great analogy with the restaurant!
When a homeowner buys their own materials, they can unknowingly complicate the scope of the job. Wrong materials, not enough, or unforeseen issues now slow down a professional. Example: When we complete a roof we OVERORDER at our own expense (we return surplus according to the agreement with our supplier) so that we can finish the job efficiently without downtime waiting on one particular item. Many suppliers also close at 4pm in our area, that could mean a next day finish in many cases. Yikes! 