# Material Discounts,Yes,No ?



## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

Most places give me a discount. Either % on a tier or pay by the 10th. Some are phasing out any discount. My local hardware store used to give 10% paid by the 10th. Then they went to 10% on certain items, then they stopped doing it all together.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

I very rarely do buy masonry products. As a similar comparison, lumberyards always used to give a 10% contractor's discount. They did away with it about 1 1/2 years ago. I get better prices now.
They set everyone up on a percentage mark-up. The more you spend, puts you in a different category. Not alot, but a 24' x 24' garage (my material list) became $200 cheaper after they did away with the discount.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

I will tell you how to get the discount if one is available:

Know what you need before you get there.
Get off your phone.
Don't show up 30 minutes before closing with a laundry list.
Don't over order and return merchandise.
Plan ahead; PPPOYPINAEOM.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Eaglei said:


> I counted 19 banks within 12 blocks . Where's all this money coming from.




From wherever it was before.:laughing: Just could not resist.:laughing:


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Tscarborough said:


> I will tell you how to get the discount if one is available:




IMHO,the only reason a discount is not "available"is because the supply yard either forgot or in the case of newer yards do not understand in essence who truly is their customer. They may think the mommy with the designer in tow is their real customer. When in reality,they are a onesy twosy at best. Their real customer is the contractor standing at their counter three mornings a week.


The cost of masonry material has exploded exponentially in the last 40 yrs. The brick manufactures buy each other up,shutter plants and manipulate the market and inflate prices. Over here IL. /N.W.In. the supply yards do the same thing. The name changes on the door so fast you have no idea who they are today.


A computer search will show, one of the big players in that arena is battling the Fed. Gov. since 2007,they are in the cross hairs for collusion and price fixing.

If the producers truly understood markets,they would follow the mindset of Henry Ford and try to make their product within financial reach of the workers producing the goods. In the 1950,s with the U.S. population around 150 million,we as a Nation burned and consumed 15 billion brick a year. Today,with a population sneaking up to 400 million,our brick consumption is considerably less than 7 billion.


We as a industry are constantly backing up as apposed to moving forward. Moving forward would be capturing a larger segment in the market. The exact opposite is taking place.


Aside from all this,the local plumbing and electric supply houses sell only direct to the trades.No mommy's with designers at their sides picking out light fixtures.It gives the contractor some wiggle room to enhance their bottom line without assuming additional risk.Call it a perk or easy money if you wish.


I do not want to even partake in the purchase of brick anymore. For what ? Let the counter man figure your count,set up delivery. If they set them on bare clay and the bottom two rows in the unit suck up mud and are unusable,two bad,see the guy who sold them to you.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

Lafayette Masonry gives 10% to contractors. No account necessary.

I agree regarding the consolidation, if it was not for Crown Brick there would be only one block supplier in North West Indiana. 

I can still buy mortar at my local lumber yard and he sells it too me at a steep discount because I buy all my mortar from him. They do not stock anything else but mortar and Portland. 

I do try to patronize the local guys as much as I can, but the nearest brick yard is 35 miles away from me.


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## Nick520 (May 2, 2013)

I've got one of those old school mason yards 2 miles from my house who we did business with for 40+years. Times change people grow old now we deal with a company that has a beautiful showroom and union yard guys. 

Unfortunate but that that's the way of the world


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

The main supplier here gives 10% to any contractor, you must be L/B/I. I believe masons can get an even larger discount, but I am not sure. I wish the lumber yards would go to this model.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

When I was younger all Contractors got discounts.

Masonry Yard- 10%, the regular Masons got more.

Lumber Yard- These were pro yards. Contractors got a discount on volume, usually 2% if you paid on time. What really got you great pricing was regularly paying your bill in full & not constantly returning chit.

Plumbing & Electric houses- If you were permitted to buy at all. GC's got a discount and depended on volume. But once again the ability to pay on time without any BS equated to better discounts & service.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

griz said:


> When I was younger all Contractors got discounts.
> 
> Masonry Yard- 10%, the regular Masons got more.
> 
> ...




Exactly !:thumbsup::thumbsup:


That was the way it was and still is at the Plumbing & Electric houses around here. If you are not a plumber or electrician,they will grab you by your ear and escort you to the door.


There was a time when you could not drive by a supplier of trade goods lumber,masonry,plumbing,electric that did not have a big sign out front saying WHOLESALE TO THE TRADES. I have not seen one in so long I cannot remember.


What accounts for that ? lack of competition for one,big conglomerates buying out competition,either closing down yard or putting it under the corporate "umbrella". Corporate greed for #2.


Not giving a trade discount is a short sighted,it eliminates the tradesmen who patron your yard from being a part of your sales force. What salesman would want to work for 0% commission ? ?


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

dakzaag;2345970
I agree regarding the consolidation said:


> Boy ! Is that not the truth !


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## wazez (Oct 25, 2008)

dakzaag said:


> I agree regarding the consolidation, if it was not for Crown Brick there would be only one block supplier in North West Indiana.


I have bought block from these guys. Their service is awesome. Wish they were closer to me.


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## Diamond D. (Nov 12, 2009)

fjn said:


> Exactly !:thumbsup::thumbsup:
> 
> 
> That was the way it was and still is at the Plumbing & Electric houses around here. If you are not a plumber or electrician,they will grab you by your ear and escort you to the door.
> ...


There is a plumbing house around here that still has the sign, just like how you have it printed.



> Not giving a trade discount is a short sighted,it eliminates the tradesmen who patron your yard from being a part of your sales force. What salesman would want to work for 0% commission ? ?


But where else are you going to go? (For mason supplies,that is.)

My main, mason supply yard, about 20 mins., 1.5 net 10, maybe a little more on top, when you call they ask, "do you have an account".

Stone Quarry 10%
Gravel Quarry 0.0
Stone Yards 0-6% (on a side note, tax is 6%)
Concrete 0.0

No pencils or calenders. (or, as mentioned, twigs, line blocks or pins, what about the old slide concrete calculator.), must be decades.

Last pencils (red ones:thumbup anywhere, were from main supplier, 6-7 yrs. ago, however they did give me a note pad a couple years ago, after I asked for one.:whistling


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

I get a note pad (3" x 4") and a pen everytime I pay with actual cash. I haven't gotten line blocks or twigs in a couple years.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Diamond D. said:


> There is a plumbing house around here that still has the sign, just like how you have it printed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...






I hear you loud and clear !


As far as big box building material stores,most of the country knows of H.D. and Lowes. In mid -west there is a third one. They are called Menards,they are huge,over 350 stores. It was started in 1960,are totally privately owned. Given enough time,they will dance circles around the other two. You do not have to beg them,call early,talk sweet etc.etc.mater of fact,you can return the complete order any time,all the time. They beat the heck out of the "masonry supply " companies on opc, block, flue liners etc. On top of all this,the owner has enough respect for contractors that on top of better pricing,they give a full 2% discount on every thing purchased. I only wish they sold brick.:sad:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

No big box store I've ever been to (HD is the only one you Americans would know) can come close (within 10%) to the retail price of my masonry supply let alone my discounted price.


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## wazez (Oct 25, 2008)

fjn said:


> I hear you loud and clear !
> 
> 
> As far as big box building material stores,most of the country knows of H.D. and Lowes. In mid -west there is a third one. They are called Menards,they are huge,over 350 stores. It was started in 1960,are totally privately owned. Given enough time,they will dance circles around the other two. You do not have to beg them,call early,talk sweet etc.etc.mater of fact,you can return the complete order any time,all the time. They beat the heck out of the "masonry supply " companies on opc, block, flue liners etc. On top of all this,the owner has enough respect for contractors that on top of better pricing,they give a full 2% discount on every thing purchased. I only wish they sold brick.:sad:


Our menards also has block but there a bunch of junk.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

dom-mas said:


> No big box store I've ever been to (HD is the only one you Americans would know) can come close (within 10%) to the retail price of my masonry supply let alone my discounted price.





Menards is owned by one man,John Menard. They pay higher wages than the other two,shift differential,fork lift,etc. Last I heard,they own about 35 building subsidiaries,pressure treaters,metal fabricators plus Stanley tools.


They have an absolute real lumber yard,their quality is good,service good and beat the heck out of my masonry supply on goods I previously mentioned. At any given time,their parking lot has twice to three times the volume than the other two . How do I know,real simple,most of them are side by side or across the street.:laughing:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

They own Stanley? I'd have to look into it but if they did they'd also own DeWalt, and Porter-Cable and B&D...Stanley is the parent of a HUGE mutinational corporation


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

dom-mas said:


> They own Stanley? I'd have to look into it but if they did they'd also own DeWalt, and Porter-Cable and B&D...Stanley is the parent of a HUGE mutinational corporation





I could be wrong however,I think I read it in some financial publication.Possibly the Wall Street Journal.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

About the owner. http://www.forbes.com/sites/erincar...tern-billionaire-who-built-it-john-menard-jr/


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## SouthonBeach (Oct 18, 2012)

Love when I'm up in MI and can get everything I need from a Menards. They beat the hell out of HD and lowes


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## sunkist (Apr 27, 2012)

S.U.M said:


> Yeah, I know but if he can't match larger block companies I will go there,
> 
> The thing is when he says they will be there they are there, that is worth the extra, no? Nothing worse than ordering block for a Monday morning and then arrive at 3.30...... on Tuesday. Plus it's the only place I know here that keeps the brick sand inside and heated in the winter. I have 2 super sacks of brick sand inside all winter for when I need them.


Wow thats sweet, i live in fl but grew up in england, having that sand not froze is cool, folks do not relize how much water sand holds.


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