My dream builders merchant would do [x]

[bmj1]

Hi all,

 

I'm coming towards the end of my self-build journey - and I owe a huge debt of thanks and appreciation to this community - who have been there throughout - with advice, guidance, good humour, and sometimes just support and a friendly pair of ears. Thank you all 😅

 

One paint point I've found is around ordering building materials:

• Lack of transparency around pricing - the online prices and local store prices aren't great - you have to find a local merchant and haggle on every order
• The whole faff around 'setting up accounts'
• Poor services levels generally, lack of a digital process with the cheaper merchants

 

I'm kicking the tyres (genuinely) on doing something about it - and setting up my own digital-first builders merchant.

 

I'd like to kindly ask - what are your paint points when it comes to ordering building materials ? What would your dream builders merchant offer ?

 

Thank you in advance !

[Redbeard]

Sorry, what is a 'paint point'? I thought at first it was a typo inadvertently left in, but I see it appears twice so presumably it means something. A web-search does not elucidate much.

[Redbeard]

1 hour ago, bmj1 said:

What would your dream builders merchant offer ?

 

A very small truck for difficult (tight') roads. I am in my 2nd day of waiting for delivery of a bulk ('tonne') bag and due to dodgy parking the truck cannot get up. I would willingly pay a premium just to get the ****** stuff here!

[MikeSharp01]

It must be pain points.

[Redbeard]

Ahh! Thankyou!

[Alan Ambrose]

I would like the online merchants to (a) not lie about their stock levels, (b) ship stuff when they say they would, (c) let you know promptly when they fail either of (a) or (b).

 

I have a couple of bad experiences recently on quite big orders for 'in stock + order by noon for next day delivery' products. When you call up after a few days and you ask where the delivery is, they, say, "ah, it's not actually in stock / although we said it's in stock it's actually been discontinued + didn't someone from here let you know (no they didn't) + OK if we deliver in a couple of weeks? (no it isn't FFS)". 

[bmj1]

Oops. "Pain points" = things that frustrate you, or you would like improved !

Thank you for the feedback, please keep it coming...!

Edited May 7 by bmj1

[BadgerBodger]

The advertised rate and the actual negotiated rates being so wildly different. Why not just give me your best price? 

I’m constantly surprised as to who is offering the best price, recently been to two specialist BM for roofing materials. Both were beaten by my local BM for a not insignificant roof area of 282m2. Timber, felt, lathe, trim, nails, tiles, the full kaboodl!!! 
 

Same goes for lintels. Why advertise a rate of X when the merchant will immediately give you 40+% off! 

[nod]

Be open on a Sunday 

[BotusBuild]

Pass on the delivery details provided to the delivery driver. If I give you a What3Words address there is a damn good reason - postcode will put you in a 2.5 mile radius of the actual location

[SteamyTea]

We had a delivery a couple of days ago, 150 scaffold planks.

No one on site (not a building site) knew anything about it.

The delivery driver was very patient. I told him to unload it with his crane. He got his stabilisers out, was about to lift, then a change of plan. Ended up with the two of if us lifting 2 planks at a time into a shed. He was cheerful right though it (I still ache).

That was worth a premium.

 

@bmj1 

Are you thinking of a physical store with a good online presence, or an Amazon/eBay type model?

[maxe307]

I would like the merchants to actually know something about the products they are selling and supplying. They seem to know very little about the products in general and often seem to just pass messages on from the suppliers. I have been trying to buy from smaller businesses as they often deal direct to bypass this problem. 

[JohnMo]

28 minutes ago, maxe307 said:

would like the merchants to actually know something about the products they are selling and supplying

So actually pay for a skilled work force?

 

But isn't the skilled worker buying the materials, on top of this? They should know what they are buying why.

 

[Mike]

On 07/05/2025 at 14:01, bmj1 said:

What would your dream builders merchant offer ?

Delivery by drone through my 6th floor windows would be ideal.

[JohnMo]

2 hours ago, Mike said:

Delivery by drone through my 6th floor windows would be ideal.

Especially if it's timber 6.8m long, saves loads of messing about.

[SteamyTea]

If delivered by drone, what is the returns policy?

 

 

[maxe307]

On 09/05/2025 at 20:56, JohnMo said:

So actually pay for a skilled work force?

 

But isn't the skilled worker buying the materials, on top of this? They should know what they are buying why.

 

 

Well frankly the other day I asked a merchant I am using some fairly basic questions on the products he was quoting me for, some where alternatives to what we have specified due to availabilities however they were unable to tell me if the alternatives met the same technical standards as those we specified. If they are going to make a margin on the products they provide they should at least understand what they are selling. 

[JohnMo]

1 hour ago, maxe307 said:

 

Well frankly the other day I asked a merchant I am using some fairly basic questions on the products he was quoting me for, some where alternatives to what we have specified due to availabilities however they were unable to tell me if the alternatives met the same technical standards as those we specified. If they are going to make a margin on the products they provide they should at least understand what they are selling. 

Scary really.

[Gus Potter]

3 hours ago, maxe307 said:

Well frankly the other day I asked a merchant I am using some fairly basic questions on the products he was quoting me for, some where alternatives to what we have specified due to availabilities however they were unable to tell me if the alternatives met the same technical standards as those we specified. If they are going to make a margin on the products they provide they should at least understand what they are selling. 

That is why I say on my drawings " or similar and appoved by me"

 

1 hour ago, JohnMo said:

Scary really

It is because what you should be doing is going back to your designer and asking.. is it ok for me to use this.. but you probably wanted the cheepest price from your designer in the first place so they would not have included the time to keep yourself right and hold your hand.

 

There is no free lunch here!

 

Do you honestly expect the person on the sales counter of a builders merchant to ask what the load ratio is when they are selling you a Catnic Lintel for example at a bargin basement price? The load ratio is the difference between the load on the inside and the outside of a steel lintel. If the guy on the counter can tell you that he / she stands a good chance of getting a job in a design office.

Edited Monday at 20:53 by Gus Potter

[dpmiller]

B&Q manage to get ex-tradies with *some* level of knowledge, to assist the punters

[Lincolnshire Ian]

Don't treat me like you are selling me a load of tarmac from the back of a flat bed that's "left over from another job". 

When I have been to the trouble to send you my house plans, spend an hour listening to your Account Manager tell me how good you are and then trawl through a credit application form don't treat me like a mug. 

I "tested" the BM with a large request for a quote for fencing timber. The builders merchant popped back and said they didn't have the dimensions I wanted but pretty close. I thought fair enough, let's see the quote. They sent me a quote for timber that was for "internal use only", I know this because it was printed on the quote! 

[ToughButterCup]

Builders' Merchants are a minefield for self builders. Here was my take