# Box Stores vs. Supply Houses



## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

I'd like to get some different perspectives on where you guys are most comfortable sourcing your material. Personally, for run of the mill type stuff I'm a Home Depot, Lowe's kind of guy. I'd much rather spend the extra time picking out my own lumber (or whatever) than having some pimply kid throwing the crap that happens to be on the top of the pile into my truck. For the same reason I don't like putting in my order at the pro desk and having it delivered-invariably they will screw it up and I will spend more time correcting it than if I had done it myself. It's also nice when you are working out of town and you can walk into any HD (blindfolded) and immediately find the aisle you want. I also refuse to deal with a specialty house (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, flooring, etc.) where I don't have a "guy" I know at the counter. Why do most of these clowns assume that because you aren't a regular, you are automatically stupid?

Thoughts please.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

around here, teh big box stores are the ones that are terrible, the lumber is limited and the people on the counter are more than often clueless and dont want to do what their getting paid to do


when it comes to materials or supplies, ill go to a yard or a supplier. better selection more stock and the staff know what their talking about same with teh guys out in the yard. i save the trips to the big box stores for tools and such, better price and better variety


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## FrehouseRemdlin (Dec 23, 2008)

I'm a regular at the big box stores and I am know by and get alot of help from the pro desk staff, but with that said , I prefer to use my lumber yard and supply houses ( elec, plumbing, roofing ) I seem to get alot better service out of them. And in my situation most of the time , a better product.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

We have an excellent lumber yard and a couple supply houses we use for most purchases. Because of that our lumber yard gives us excellent service and great referrals as well. We do use the box store for small items and quick things. The quality of items and service justifies the small price difference. For our area it is generally only 5% more than the box anyway.


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## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

I do a lot of decks. If I need 20 joist hangers and I go to HD, I know they will be on the shelf. If I go to the local yard there will be four on the shelf and I'll spend a half hour chasing someone down to go out back and get me the rest. I'm all for supporting the little guy, but I'm a little guy too and I don't make money standing around in a store.


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## redwood (Dec 5, 2007)

I'm with the other guy Tdawg. Much better service, quality, and selection at my local yards. I use HD only when it is more convenient.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Local lumber yard & specialty houses I have always received superior service, advice & quality materials. My local lumber yard does not send out junk. However HD has for chit lumber & very limited selection.

No offense but my experience has been that if you have problem with local supply houses it's your fault. See it all the time.


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## Scribbles (Mar 10, 2009)

local yard, i dont wait, they are there to get what i need, now. I don't wait at the bank either. Make your self worth there time and they will value yours. If you are a handyman, have fun at home depot.


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## world llc (Dec 9, 2008)

i go to the closest place that has what i need at that time.

if i have a big broad list the box store is usually the place i go.


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## sancho (Apr 3, 2010)

For after hours weekend stuff thats sort of nitnoid type of items Ill go to blowes. For anything else I got a great lumber yard near my house, I have a great hardwood/hardware place near my home. PLumbing , I got a great plumbing store I deal with.

Blowes and Home Dildo stock very basic items anything special, I go to a specialist. I DO NOT SPECIAL ORDER SQUAT FROM BLOWES AND HOME DILDO...


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## Don_h (Aug 11, 2011)

Homers and lowes would be my last chic when stocking a job, but if I run out of something while finishing up, those two are usually closer. Crappy product leads to crappy results, but the have caulking and similar items that are passable.


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## CompleteW&D (May 28, 2011)

Maybe I'm biased since I spent six years at a wholesale roofing/siding/window distributor. We bent over backwards to cater to our lifeline.... our contractors, remodelors and builders. We only brought in quality materials and everyone on staff (even the girls in accounting) knew the difference between Modified Bitumen and EDPM or what D-5 Dutchlap was. Our entire staff was constantly cross trained to know our products backward and forward. And our service, was second to none.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

I go to both depending on location and what I need at the time.

Believe it or not there are people working at the box stores that really do know what they are talking about. I've seen the same people for over ten yrs. in the same department. You have to know which ones to ask.(I rarely have to)

But too bad the majority of them are cluless.


As far as the counter persons at supply houses......I agree.....If your not a regular, they sometimes treat you like chit.


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## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

Scribbles said:


> local yard, i dont wait, they are there to get what i need, now. I don't wait at the bank either. Make your self worth there time and they will value yours. If you are a handyman, have fun at home depot.


You don't wait at the bank, huh? I guess the manager sees you walk in and comes running out to push all the handymen out of your way, right? 

Or could it be that the fine folks at the lumber yard and the bank realize what a jerk you are and just want to get you out the door as soon as possible? Get over yourself, dude.


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## Acres (Feb 12, 2011)

Internet baby, the internet. Thank you for tax free, no driving and the little presents I feel like I'm opening 3 times a week. Having said that, lumber from the local lumber yard (I reallly like how they actually help me load it in the truck, esp if Im working with 3/4 rock). But also have to repeat Tdawg when it comes to other things, the box will most likely have it in stock.


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## stonecutter (May 13, 2010)

I`m going with local material yards too but for certain things big box stores are faster. Just dont expect most of the employees to know what you are talking about if you are searching for something that is not a common item. I actually have dealt with a couple excellent guys, retired tradesman in plumbing and electrical that were very helpful and knowledgeable. More common from the employees is the blank stare or they say they dont have it. I like supporting local business if I can and the overall quality is better too.


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## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

griz said:


> My local lumber yard does not send out junk. However HD has for chit lumber & very limited selection.


Where I come from we have a LOT of trees. The same mills are supplying everyone, so the quality is comparable no matter where you buy.



griz said:


> No offense but my experience has been that if you have problem with local supply houses it's your fault. See it all the time.


No offence taken, but I don't specialize in one area and therefore will never be a "regular" at the plumbing supplier or the tile store, etc. It just seems to me that a lot of these counter guys don't want to talk to you if you don't know what they take in their coffee.


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## Splinter (Apr 5, 2005)

Acres said:


> Internet baby, the internet. Thank you for tax free, no driving and the little presents I feel like I'm opening 3 times a week.


haha! it's true! Especially when Im opening a box of high-end plumbing fixtures...


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## stonecutter (May 13, 2010)

Tdawg said:


> No offence taken, but I don't specialize in one area and therefore will never be a "regular" at the plumbing supplier or the tile store, etc. It just seems to me that a lot of these counter guys don't want to talk to you if you don't know what they take in their coffee.


This is true..it is like the local pub/coffehouse mentality in many of the local yards.


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## stonecutter (May 13, 2010)

Acres said:


> Internet baby, the internet. Thank you for tax free, no driving and the little presents I feel like I'm opening 3 times a week. Having said that, lumber from the local lumber yard (I reallly like how they actually help me load it in the truck, esp if Im working with 3/4 rock). But also have to repeat Tdawg when it comes to other things, the box will most likely have it in stock.



Even though I said that I like supporting locally, I do use the internet for quite a bit of specific stoneworking and fabrication tools because to buy them at a store would mean driving 30+ miles one way.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

woodworkbykirk said:


> really no fastener suppliers in your area anymore? wow were the biggest city in the province and we have 3 or 4 yet were only a 400,000 city


Yes there are some other ones. and one out of the way lumberyard has a large inventory. 

They're just not the same as my guy that closed.:sad:

I could go to him and stock up my truck, like tapcons......various sizes and quanities.(not by the box)........Coil nails by the roll. Other places you have to by a case.


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## MWAFSI (Aug 28, 2011)

I personally hate home depot and lowes. Those kinds of stores are filled with kids that are hiding in the store on their phones doing everything they can to avoid customers or older people that usually don't know what they are talking about. I stick to a couple of locally owned places with employees that WANT to help you and generally know what they are talking about.


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## LazCon (Oct 3, 2008)

I would much prefer to to business with a small local supplier if i can. But for one, a lot of my work is on the weekends and their hours suck most are closed by 12 on Sat and closed on Sunday. So I have no choice but to go to a box store. 
I much prefer to pick out my own material. and i rarely find the need for any "customer service" at the box stores anyway.

Also i find the same problem with local supply houses as some others on here. If you are not in there every day, you are a second class citizen.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> I could go to him and stock up my truck, like tapcons......various sizes and quanities.(not by the box)........Coil nails by the roll. Other places you have to by a case.


We have a store like that...every-time I go there I keep thinking "why can't I just get a freaking box!":laughing:


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## Splinter hands (Aug 31, 2011)

Had to go looking for fascia today for a place I re-roofed and was missing a 1' piece of fascia and the local lumber yard said its some of the Menards or Lowes only crap so off to Lowes I go. What a PITA. So when I got there I ask the little girl at the counter who I need to talk to to match up the color profile, etc. She calls up some Pro from his smoke break and he tells me he doesn't know how to find it as he bumbles around behind the desk. Tells me the guys who do that aren't there. Just a reminder of why I never go to the box stores unless it's an instance like this where I have to match up some crap the homeowner or a cheapo contractor got from there in the past. I'm gonna stop there I got a bunch of horror stories but I'll spare ya. It bewilders me why anyone goes there at all. Maybe for the $99 whole house carpet installs. What jokers:jester:


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## deftworks (Sep 24, 2009)

I used to go to HD for everything then I discovered 2 local lumber suppliers, one also sells windows/doors. I recently did a job installing 4 5/8 crown throughout, about 600 linear ft. HD wanted $3.67, the smaller lumberyard wanted $1.81, and the big lumberyard that I went with charged me $.97!!! Yeah they are on the other side of town but delivery was only $7 and delivered the same day! And with the economy the way it is the sales people are bending over backwards to get you what you want and are courteous while doing so. 
As far as quality goes I always get extra (around 10% or so) so I can cull the bad stuff out and return it later, or save some at the HO's house for repairs or whatever down the road. 
Rob


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