Does Home Depot and Lowes give contractor discounts?
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Not usually. But get in with some of the commercial guys and you can find some good deals. I have a friend that works aty Lowes, and he calls me frequently when they are closing out some slow-selling product. or when they have a couple of busted bags of thinset that I get for $5.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Do they give discounts on lumber and such?
Not in my experience. But again if you have a relationship, and don't show up during thebusiest hour of the morning, sometimes you canm get plywood with dinged edges for half price.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Home Depot has never, to my knowledge, given a contractor discount. Lowe's, on the other hand, used to give 10% across the board but corporate cut that out. If you shop regularly at Lowe's and get to know the managers you can ask for, and receive, markdowns that at times are exceptional.
Discontinued items are always a reason to ask for a better price. You just have to have a need not a compulsion to buy at a good price.
Employee deals are another thing. My brother works part time at H/D in NJ. He still has boxes upon boxes of 4" razor scraper blades that he got for 10 cents per box and about a hundred prefinished balusters that he got for 3 cents each. I'm certainly not going to run out of those blades anytime soon. He also bought about 8 of the fancy front door display slabs for about $25 each. He has sold every one of those to customers at a significant profit.
His latest deal is a bunch of Anderson windows. The vendor did not want them back for some reason after the vendor messed up an order so he picked them up at 25 cents on the dollar and THEN got an additional 20% off. He said he spent about $2,000.
Right. Special orders that are returned are a great source of good deals. We put all new carpet in the house last year. Someone SO'd it from Lowes, it was instlled, ands the next day the customer rejected it. Wrong color or something. So Lowes pulled it out the same week. We got enough for all our house for $5/sy plus installation. And it's nice carpet too.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
What a bunch of cheapazz pennypinchers! ROAR!
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
That coming from the bargain barrel king!
No, Mooney is king there ;o)
be better not be telling him I said so
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
We have had Home Depot take our quantities off for materials, prices are better than the small building stores, especially in the trusse system they have advised they will give a contractors discount 5-10% since I will also be purchasing tools. They have advised they will do what it takes to have the business. We live in Ontario, we are now going to check with Rona and compare prices, they also have a contractors department but with Rona they have airmile points which can accumulate very fast. If the prices are compareable and the products are similar / equal then we will pick and choose what to buy where . We are working on obtaining a discount in both places.
Dumpster,
Obviously different here in BC, Rona has had 10% contractor discount (Pro-Ad card) that applied to most in store stock - no discount on lumber/low margin stuff.
Homer depot will "match" if you have the time to compare etc. (I don't). You'd think HD would offer such incentive but noooo..."Because sir, our regular, very low prices are contractor prices".... ya sure!!
Besides, HD needs this revenue to lavishly overpay all its "trade certified" sales associates (the 19yr old, veteran plumber) that I can never find when I need help. Not to mention, they need to invest in lots more of those self-serve cashier wickets so I can process my own sale!!! Next, the customers will have to re-stock the shelves prior to any purchase!!
WHEW...that feels better...just had to vent!
TN
HD - nothing. never.
Lowes - I know the pro desk guys and they gave me 10% on my framing package.
I asked again 2 weeks later on 160 sheets of OSB - no discount. "they are tightening the rules"
I asked another manager later on $1500 of lighting etc - "OK, 10% off"
Last night I asked for a discount on $1600 of appliances - the manager looked at me like I had two heads... I wish I had thought of the coupon thing!
I think I need to start collecting the coupons!
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
On the rare occasion they are the best source for what we need, we have been able to get Lowes & Home Depot into a 'bidding war' on large purchases. The managers do seem to have some range of price adjustment available to them. Even with the reduced prices it is rare that we cannot beat their rates on equal or better product at the local lumberyards or other speciality suppliers. Much like grocery shopping at the 7-11.
All you need to do is check the web for 10% off coupons - right now HD has 20% off coupons for up to 2K - Lowes coupons are good for 10K worth of stuff. Using gift cards purchased on ebay and elsewhere, I have been able to get at least 20 % off everything from lumber to Paslode finish nailer -
For instance - had 20% off coupon - also had $500 gift card purchased for $400.
Paslode nailer was $359 less 20% - give me a $287 price that I paid with the gift card - giving an overall cost of $230!!! Not bad for a brand new Paslode Finish Nailer new in box. It takes a little work but I have found that the local yards can't touch the prices buying this way and have developed good relations with HD Pro Desk and only ask for the individual that I know will make sure that the materials delivered will be all useable.
I really began ths when the local lumber yard started charging for delivery - the same as HD - Previously if you had a big enough order, they would not charge delivery and used the local yard extensively. Since they went to charging $50 min. for a delivery large or small (due to fuel prices), I have gone almost fully with HD and Lowes- had no quality problems but Don't have them do an installation - although they state they will stand behind the work - that is true only if the installer that they sub to will stand behind it. But whole different story.
the change of address packs at the post office almost always have a 10% off coupon for Lowes or HD
Careful of those 20% coupons. My wife saw one for sale on craigslist for $20. The seller said he would send an image of the coupon that you could print out as many times as you wanted. I did a little research and found that they are either only honored locally (Southeast) or the coupons were given to employees as Xmas bonuses and a lot of managers would not honor them for non employees. Either way the fine print said void if copied...
YOu are correct - they are void if copied and HD seems to be keeping an eye on this from what I have heard but have not had a problem with the real item ( should have preferations along the top edge.)
Where do you get the Home Depot 20% discount coupons? Thanks!.^^^^^^"and that's all I've got to say about that"
Check ebay - check that they are original and that the individual selling them has an excellent history of positive feedback - they are going for less than $10 and are good for up to $400 off a $2000 purchase. They were originally given out to HD employees as Holiday gifts and expire 4/30/06.
I have a Lowes contractor account. I get frequent mailings with coupons for 10% or a certain dollar amount off if I spend a certain amount. They also have no interest for several month deals and quite a few deals (especially on tools) for account holders only.
Birth, school, work, death.....................
http://grantlogan.net/
I was wonder about the contractor coupons.I am on the contractor emailing list. And a few time I have gotten emails with with specials. But very rarely. More often I have been in the store and checked out at the contractors desk and see others posted.
Yes, but i'm not sure they call them "contractor discounts"
On bulk or large purchase's Lowes will give 10%. If you tell HD that the Lowe's down the street is giving 10% on a large purchse they will too.
You can even get it on special orders (except some Maytag. Go figure) IE cabinets, fridges etc.
Large purchase's are generally the key to ask and receive the 10%.
Around here it's 10% at both for ANY purchase for military personel.
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WWPD
I am under the general impression that both Lowes and HD allow the managers a general 10% discount for "customer satisfaction".At Lowes I got it once after the casher thought that I ahd waited too long for a loader. Did not even ask for it.At HD got it once when I went to get something that the "help" did not know why it was stocked on the top shelves, which packages where good and which where bad (you could see damaged written on some) and if or when they would get additional ones. Called and complained and they offered 10% on the next trip. And when I went to use it they had it in the computer as needing to scheudle for a kitchen measurement.I think that they have a budget for this and it is up to the manager where it uses it. Some do it for "contractor orders".
My local lumber yard gives me 10 to 15% off on every single purchase, they know what they are doing and they aren't competing with me. HD & Lowe's have installers that compete with me, I have to ask for any favors and they are not as knowledgeable as my local expert. Sure I have to shop at the BIG Box stores, but I don't have to like it. My local hardware store went out of business shortly after HD arrived on the scene, bad management mostly, but I have to think HD's presents helped. Maybe they'll put me out of business soon. Why buy from the competition?
A smart man asks for help, A dumb one remains so.