Whenever a contractor goes to a job where the materials are needed to be provided or recommeneded, is that easier for the contractor? Or is it better for the homeowner to be prepared for the job and have the materials selected and purchased before they bring the contractor in?
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Best to have the contractor provide all needed materials selected / specified for the project as he will warantee the project for 1 year, he can plan to have it as it is needed. Home owner is at work, at times materials do not show up on time, some times mistakes take place on deliveries, the contractor gets stuck and time is waisted, then contractor can not warantee the work in full.
From a contractors point of view, it is always better for the homeowner to discuss, in detail, the proper materials required for the determined job upon initial estimations. This will ensure proper ordering when the time comes and allow for the materials to be delivered in a timely matter. Also allowing the materials to be placed at the most convenient location, beneficial for installation purposes. Therefore, homeowners should (but are not required to) allow material handling to be acquired by there contractor.
Although there will be a small extra charge for delivery and handling, allowing the contractor to fulfill this end of your project will help make the process easier for both parties and ensure a smoother process to accure. There is always the fact that the homeowners may not be aware of all necessary materials involved in the complete and proper installations regarding their specific project.In general the more the contractor is able to supply on the job is best for all involved. This involves a smoother flow in the construction process. However, there are a few items that if worked out with the client can have a win win situation for both. Those items might be such things as vanities and lights. There are so many sites online that offer great pricing and selections. This allows the client to see their savings and feel even better about their investment. Within our company we offer this to our clients if they so choose to use. We also extend some of our discounts to our clients when it comes to tile selections.
If a homeowner wants to purchase the materials I do not have a problem with that. It does. however, limit my warranty. I have no control on the quality of the materials that they purchase. I usually recommend products that I know are durable and if they go with them, then my warranty stays the same. Some homeowners want to purchase cheaper materials. I cannot warrant them.
If the Client purchases materials it leaves a grey area of responsabilty. If the materials are bad and need to be returned WHO DOES THAT and WHO PAYS FOR TIME. I really recommend to have your contractor supply and select and purchase the products you select to take out this grey area.
As a contractor, I prefer to include the material cost in my quote. It helps the job run smoother, and often saves my customers money as I do not upcharge for materials and pass along my discounts. My profit comes from my labor. This also endures that I use the brands that I trust from trusted suppliers, so it also ensures that quality materials and equipment are used. I personally warranty my labor, not materials as they have their own warranty.
Most contractors prefer supplying material in order to ensure that the correct material is on-site and ready to go. The worst thing for a construction worker is stopping work due to incorrect/missing material.
I do not think it is wise for the homeowner to purchase materials (especially lumber). As a lot have stated earlier, who is going to pay me for my time if I have to return materials and then pick out suitable materials to get the job done. I refuse to bid a job where a homeowner wishes to use this method because you’re giving them a material list. You don’t see KFC publisizing their secret recipe do you??
Most Contractors like to supply materials so they can have control of the job done and insure customer satisfaction.
Alot of time we prefer to buy materials and lumber from our suppliers because we have faith & trust in the material we use that it is a high quality. Sometimes homeowner buy cheaper material and if there is a problem it can’t come back on us. My company supplies and we stand by the material which is best for the costumer.
As a contrator point of view,it matters ,as contractors we prefer to get the materials and add an average of 20% on top to compensate for waste and handling.If the owner prefers to buy their materials is fine ,but its something I dont recomend,it is time consuming that can get agrevated if the buyer decides to get it himself and probably will end up expending more money down the line.
i generally i prefer to get the materials. first of all i know the quality I’m getting and i know where to get what i need from with having to “shop around”. The next thing is my guarantee. if i do the work and its guaranteed for 1 year that also applies to the material unless the materials have a longer warranty. if the customers gets the materials my guarantee is still for the 1 year but if the materials fail i explain to the customers in advance that they will have to pay me again to replace the defective materials unless my labor is what caused the failure.
As a contractor it’s all up to the homeowner whether or not they want to provide the materials. In my past experience some materials have been overlooked by the homeowner. So it is best to leave all of it up to the contractor doing the job. That way if something is missing its the contractors responsibility to retrieve the missing items and not the homeowners.
It will be wiser to let your contractor provide the material needed for the job because of the warranty that usually comes with it.
A contractor can not guarantee the quality of material provided by homeowner from an unknown manufacturer or source.
We usually let homeowners provide items that are easily replaceable such as faucets, shower heads, lighting etc.