Where to buy?

[eandg]

Hi, not sure if this is the right section but does anyone have recommendations for where you're most likely to get a decent deal on facing bricks? From a bit of searching it's difficult to compare like for like/prices are only revealed once you plug your details in for a call back. Any help would be appreciated!

[PeterW]

Depends where you are in the U.K...?

 

The big merchants these days can get decent pricing plus you don’t have to wonder where to store 20 pallets of bricks. There are also places such as Huws Gray who will do bricks across the country however you get into law of diminishing returns as your transport costs increase. 

 

Bricks don’t actually make up that much of the total cost of a build anyway, so having a ready supply from a merchant can outweigh any saving of being a few short or having a crew sat waiting for a delivery. 

[Russell griffiths]

The only thing I would say is buy them all at once so you can mix up the packs as they are laid, 

if you buy 5 packs and lay them and then go back and buy another 5 packs, I bet you a pound to a penny you can see a difference in brick shade, colour. 

[scottishjohn]

2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

The only thing I would say is buy them all at once so you can mix up the packs as they are laid, 

if you buy 5 packs and lay them and then go back and buy another 5 packs, I bet you a pound to a penny you can see a difference in brick shade, colour. 

same goes for pavoirs open a few pallets at once and mix them up .

 

[eandg]

17 hours ago, PeterW said:

Depends where you are in the U.K...?

 

The big merchants these days can get decent pricing plus you don’t have to wonder where to store 20 pallets of bricks. There are also places such as Huws Gray who will do bricks across the country however you get into law of diminishing returns as your transport costs increase. 

 

Bricks don’t actually make up that much of the total cost of a build anyway, so having a ready supply from a merchant can outweigh any saving of being a few short or having a crew sat waiting for a delivery. 

In Scotland. I've found it a bit difficult navigating the merchants' sites. And hoping brick isn't as expensive as it seems on those sites where I have been able to get a price!

[PeterW]

6 minutes ago, eandg said:

In Scotland. I've found it a bit difficult navigating the merchants' sites. And hoping brick isn't as expensive as it seems on those sites where I have been able to get a price!

 

Ok - have you spoken to your local Builders Merchant..? First stop is the local BM, get to know the branch manager and tell him what you are doing. Some offer a QS take off service from plans (don’t rely on this to order, but it’s a good guide) and will price accordingly. What you will be looking at is full RRP and that is not what you will pay if you set an account up and let them price accordingly. 

 

For example, local BM has shower wall on their website at £93.20+VAT for a panel. My price is £58.16+VAT, based on a quote received. Blocks are £1.60 each, I pay 93p etc. 

 

The big chains get a bad name but there is nothing stopping you getting an account with 2 and playing them off. Also remember that delivery will be free. I stored 8000 bricks in my local TP yard for 4 months and called them off 6 pallets at a time. All for free. 

 

The internet can’t replace the personal relationship here - they may also know some good trades who can help you with the build too. 

[recoveringbuilder]

If you get in touch with a few of the builders merchants and tell them you are doing a build they will quote for you.

We did this then the rep from buildbase came out to see us, although their quote hadn’t been the cheapest once he had visited they set us up a self build account and they beat all the other companies we’d contacted, they even managed to give us the best price on our sewage treatment plant.

[eandg]

Thanks both - and Christine I'll need to get your Buildbase rep's details from you - will send you a wee message. We've not yet opened any accounts with merchants - are just at the design and costing stage so looking for approximate figures to consider whether we're going with brick or timber cladding. Relieved/hopeful the apparent prices can be negotiated significantly down though!

[Ferdinand]

I have done Peter's trick with Wickes. Had 200 CLS planks in one go, paid in advance, and collected them on a call-off basis over several months.

 

It is very much about sweat and detail.

 

The best thing I have done with bricks was to buy an orphan load where the customer had backed out.

 

One of my Ts built a conservatory, and found an Aldi newbuild branch giving away 7 pallets of leftover bricks to allcomers; cheaper for them than scrapping.

 

F

Edited May 16, 2019 by Ferdinand

[bassanclan]

I'm in the process of collecting 3000 bricks free from Retford.

Yes, they are free and we're left overs from building new stables st Welbeck, but handballing all those bricks is hard work! 

[Ferdinand]

1 minute ago, bassanclan said:

I'm in the process of collecting 3000 bricks free from Retford.

Yes, they are free and we're left overs from building new stables st Welbeck, but handballing all those bricks is hard work! 

 

Welbeck? I wish I had such august connections.

 

Respect.

[bassanclan]

2 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Welbeck? I wish I had such august connections.

 

Respect.

So do I! I found them on Gumtree,  i'm getting them from a large manor house the lady of the manor is friendly with someone over at the abbey which is why she got the bricks for her garage, but has too many left over.

[Ferdinand]

21 minutes ago, bassanclan said:

So do I! I found them on Gumtree,  i'm getting them from a large manor house the lady of the manor is friendly with someone over at the abbey which is why she got the bricks for her garage, but has too many left over.

 

They may even be rustic hand-made rolled-on-the-thigh-of-a-brickie-from-Burton things ?

[joe90]

I got my bricks from south west brick and stone, 11,000 of them, my builder said I got them cheaper than he could! And they came originally from Northumberland.