I was talking to someone yesterday and they said HD will give them a contractors discount
He flips houses and so he buys a house and then makes a list of everything he needs and takes it to the HD Contractors Customer Service Counter and they take the list and give him a bid
I’m guessing he buys $5 to $10 K in materials
Home Depot’s bid is 20 to 25% off retail so it’s pretty good discount
Is anyone else doing this?
Apprenticeship programs can be a valuable tool for residential builders to recruit, train, and retain skilled employees, offering a structured pathway for career advancement and equity in the trades.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
My local HD will beat pricing by 10% on identical items. The only time they would discuss a flat 'contractors discount' with me is if I spent a certain dollar amount and put in on a HD credit card, it was in the 5-10% range - not 20.
With all the usual HD shortcomings dealing with them just isn't worth the hassle for the discount. My local yard loads my truck while I'm inside signing for the material, or they'll deliver - free. On my account with them it's interest free through the first billing cycle, or 5% off if I pay by the 10th of the month.
-Norm
HD's idea of a discount is to sell the items at regular retail cost. there are plenty of items in the store that are priced way over msr.
if you want to do the homework and get the extra 10% then go for it. most people dont. they count on that.
I deal with two HD stores in NJ. Up until about a year ago I got a flat 10% discount on anything I purchased at the pro desk. Then they stopped that and only offered 10% discounts during special contractor breakfasts and similar events. There also seems to be short periods (like a week at a time) when they'll give me the 10% for no apparent reason, before stopping it again.
Usually I need to check out at the pro desk for the discounts. They have different commission structures depending on if you are picking up at the time of purchase or ordering in advance. They regularly play around with this structure to help themselves.
We have a Lowes going in near one of the HD stores where I sometimes shop and I'll be curious to see what that does to the discount structure. Lowes has never offered me anything except an occasional card sent in the mail for a percentage off a one-time purchase. I'd gladly give up the discounts at HD if they would just stock the items they are supposed to carry, keep the aisles neater, and provide an employee to answer a question once in a blue moon.
John Painter
We have Lowes and shop there some. No "all the time" discounts. Like your HD there are some weeks when 10% is offered. If I am buying a quanity I can talk to the manager and get 5-10% off at his discretion.
The best deal so far is they offer in the winter 10% off of everything by way of sending you $100 cards after totaling you purchases over a few months. We do well with this as it is tracked by inputting reciepts into a data base they have. In our case the 2 other lumber yards suck. So Lowes or Mennards are the only choices. The 2 yards that were good closed years ago. DanT
From speculation, personal obersvation, and other peoples comments it appears that HD & Lowes manages have the authority for an automatic 10% discount for customer "satisfaction".And I am guessing that they also have a "budget" or some other they they are evaluated on how much they "give away" on the 10%.I got it once at Lowes when the cashier thought that I waited too long for a forklift to load some modular blocks. I did not say anything. She sent me to the customer service counter and I told them to knock of 10%.And at HD a friend called an complainted and they gave her 10% off her next order. When I went to use it they had it in the computer that they where suppose to measure for kitchen cabinets.When I told them otherwise they did not bat an eye and gave me the 10%.So I suspect that some stores use it for selected high volumne customers and/or orders..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
"use it for selected high volumne customers and/or orders."Or low volumn.I openned my mail yesterday to see a note from them saying "Hey, we haven't seen you use your commercial account for quiet some time and we missed you. Here is a coupon for 10% off on your next purchase up to 2000 bucks"
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
And I have gotten a number of $10 off a $25 or 50 worht of purchases.But I suspect that, and possibly yours, is a corporate marketing and not out the stores budget..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
My local depot has signs all over the store that say "tiered pricing available" Not sure what that means, but I assume it means the more you spend, the better price they will give you.
Yeah, don't know how they do the split between corporate and local management and marketing
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
D:
That's what really irritates me, is that HD comes in to a new area and consumers flock to it, which puts the local yards and hardware stores out of business. A year after the new HD opens, their store is in disarray, nothing is stocked, and all my other options are gone.
I have only one decent lumberyard left, and that is 30 minutes away. The hardware stores are all gone. And, any stores that are left try to stock the same garbage as HD now so as to compete with them! The real fault lies with the consumers who are buying the garbage, but that doesn't help me when I'm trying to find materials to do a nice job for a client.
Of the two HD stores where I am forced to shop, the one near the soon-to be opened Lowes offers far better service and selection, which is no coincidence, I'm sure. I like Lowes for their tool selection, but their lumber isn't much to write home about.
John
I agree on the lumber selection. Actually we like Mennards lumber a lot. Great selection and pretty nice stuff. But they are new to the area and their staff suck. So we go there on big orders and not much else. Lowes for most other stuff. As we have grown we are starting to develope our own suppliers. Hope that continues. DanT
The menards around here now have grocery sections. I cannot bring myself to buy my lumber where they sell groceries
Barry E-Remodeler
They do the same here. My guys still laugh about the time I bought 262 2X4's and walked in from the truck with a gallon of milk and a small bag of groceries. When I was single I thought that was the best thing in the world lol. DanT
lolThat is another way to look at it.. One stop shopping for those that hate to shop
Barry E-Remodeler
Lowes has been really good to me. I have a kitchen guy there and when we start a project, I order the kitchen and anything else I buy that day and get 10% off.
We did the same. I just became a cabinet company dealer which is much better but until then we did the same and got 10% usually and any specials they had going on. Like a free sink base etc. My cabinet guy was really good. But without him it would be a tough sell to buy kitchens there. DanT
Bought a generator at Lowes and got 10% off just for asking.
I was surprised.
"Coming to recognize you are wrong is like coming to recognize you are sick. You feel bad long before you admit you have any of the symptoms and certianly long efore you are willing to take your medicine." -Charlton Heston. My job here is to see that you take your medicine.
RE:DiscountsThe manager at the local HD here said the only way to get a "contractors discount of 10%", would be to spend at least $100k per year at the store.
I buy from my local Lowes and HD and know everyone there by first name. Only rarely do I get any kind of discount and thats only 10%. I have been shopping at the HD store for 10 years and have never gotten 20% on anything except a clearance item that anyone could have gotten as it was on the shelf.
I'm surprised you know thre name no one works at our store long enough to get a name tag!
The existance of Home Depot and Lowes proves we've lost the war on Terror!
I wouldn't build a dog house from Home Depot. Get to know your local lumberyard. I think every one who frequents this site thinks the big boxes are okay for Friday night at 8:45 need a couple things but that is about it.
Have a good day
Cliffy
The only problem sometimes is that your "local" lumberyard is 25 minutes away from your job and if your doing a bathroom it's tough to go to the lumberyard,plumbing supply, and electrical supply without wasting a day. In my area (south jersey) you can't walk out your door without tripping over a HD or Lowes. Convenience is the only reason I use them. If it is for anything other then rough material I do go to my "local" yard.
Cliffy,
I don't know....I buy most of my stuff at Lowes and HD and have always been satisified. In addition, there is only ONE lumberyard left in my area. The large metro area has snuffed them all out. And the one left is kind of high end and would increase the cost I pay for materials.
Mike
Might work for you, but if you move where I am you'll change your story.
Southern Utah, if you're not a Mormon and weren't born here, you can stand at the counter till closing time without being noticed.
Had a run in with some AH here, he ended up screaming at me he had gone to high school with the head BI & he could do what he wanted.
Now, who the hell cares what happened in high school in the real world? But here it matters, and apparently at the lumber yard too.
When HD opened here there were plenty of customers waiting for some service with a smile, even if it was a Moroon smiling at us.
Joe H
I mention this a couple of times a year. We are not all blessed with the "good old style" lumber yard. We have one left and it is a great place to be treated like a step child. So unless you build 6 homes a year they aren't really interested in talking with you. Once things slowed down the stopped by but still weren't too interesting to talk to. They are competitive. Just treat you like sh$t. DanT
I can envision a new trend in the future, full service lumberyards coming back in style!They will have:
Modern computerized checkouts
Drive through loading
Same day delivery
Inventory stocked with only quality material
Free coffee and carpenter pencils
Real tools
At least somewhat knowledgeable helpThey wont have:
Clothes irons
Kitchenaid mixers
Televisions
Groceries
Curtains
Major appliances
Gasoline pumpsSomebody is gonna make a fortune!
I detest the Home Depot and all those box stores . In our town they all ran there for cheaper prices when they first opened and now all but a couple lumber yards have closed . Now the HD prices are out of site . Thank god stock building supply is still operating I priced a premium 16' pt deck board and HD was $4.00 higher per board .
Its laughable and amusing to watch these "Home Depot Contractors " dragging half of an addition thru the store on a cart and loading it up on their roof racks then imagining where they have to go with it and unload it and pick it up again to work with the materials .
If I had to go to HD as the the only option for materials I would do another line of work . I absolutely cannot deal with those types of stores
Regards,
Royal Kennedy
http://www.frkennedyconstruction.com
I agree. It adds a considerable amount of time to load construction materials. That just tells me that there is poor planning going on. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
I took a friend and her daughter to the airport this morningThey are going on a one week cruise to the CarribeanWe drove by LowesShe said "did you know Walmart owns Lowes?"And I said "huh"I said "no way"I Don't know if it's true or not?
I thought Walmart owned Home Depot. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Good Question . I saw a bumper sticker the other that cracked me up it said
" Wallmarts Always Low wages "
I think people just assume that the prices are the lowest @ HD because they are big . Thats not the case
HD isnt doing that well . Their stock price droped like a rock from $47 down to around $26 a share
Regards
Roy Kennedy
http://www.frkennedyconstruction.com
You can buy anti-wally world bumper stickers here:http://reclaimdemocracy.org/anti_walmart_stickers_shirts.php
Ah, the thrill of modern dance! The sweeping musical majesty, the joy of poetic motion, the challenge of stuffing a dollar bill into a bouncing G-string...
probably shouldn't ask but what ever happened with that wally-world poping up in your neighborhood?
They took the materials to build the 2nd one in your neck of the woods.
A whole bunch of people from town opposed the wally world, and the horrible location they chose for it. But in the end the city council saw dollar signs in their eyes, so they gave in. The danged thing is a way off the front yard of the "Spec house from hell". Fortunately we were able to sell the house during the divorce last night, so I don't live near the place.
I know a kid that was so ugly that when he went to Michael Jackson's house, he had to sleep in his own bed.
There is no discount worth shopping at Home Depot. The company I work for has a commercial account so I have a HD card, but I just use it for little last minute things I missed or forgot. I deal with suppliers and lumberyards everyday over HD. It's much more personable because you deal with the same salesmen all the time and they are usually well educated on the products they sell. I find that certain guys I go back to start to look out for me and the return policies can be as good as HD if you deal with them enough. Not to mention that most things at suppliers and lumberyards are usually better quality. Anyway its not a bad place but remember there's a lot of other places out there too.
I get 15% off everything I buy at my local yard. I have a regular account, and if I pay by a certain date, I get the discount.
I don't get squat from HD or Lowe's, except aggrevation.
heh, heh, heh..... you said aggrevation.Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Rez is riding with me to the Fest.
I'm sure he'll be making me practise my speeeling
I have several HDs here in my neck of the woods and try to use the same store whenever I can. My rep at the prodesk also told me about their "bid-room". Said it was in Chicago or something. Give them the whole materials list and they got back to me within 3 or 4 days, usually knocking of 20 to 25%. The catch is that the order is to be purchased as a whole, I couldn't take some of the deep discounts on this and that but pass on other parts of the bid. 'Salright, the overall bid is still quite a bit less than if i went through the aisles and priced it a retail, or left it at the Pro Desk and got retail prices for everything. BTW, with this discount, it makes the delivery fee nearly painless, since the total price is still way below their retail price.
Great but whos got time to dick around like that ? I want a monthly price sheet with no BS or games
Roy
http://www.frkennedyconstruction.com