We used, and I'd recommend, National Builder Supply for our Toto toilet purchase. Shipped from GA to WA no issues with the packaging or condition of toilet when it arrived...

We also like Amazon.

Last time round, I bought most of my plumbing fixtures, handle sets, lighting etc from the build.com websites (faucetdirect.com, lightingdirect.com, handlesets.com etc).

They are in CA so you will pay sales tax (sometimes you can find stuff cheaper out of state). However I found that they generally had pretty good prices, and were the best price on some items like emtek handlesets.

If you are ordering a lot from them you should actually call in and ask for additional discount pricing above and beyond what they show on the website. I worked with a rep there and was able to save quite a lot. The other great thing about them is their dispatch is in Chico, so you can place an order for a toilet in the late afternoon one day and it'll be on your doorstep the next morning.

Here is a link that might be useful: build.com

btw the build.com website has a mechanism where you can save/email a shopping cart. when you talk to a rep on the phone you can get their email address and forward it to them, then they apply a discount.

Thanks!

One that I have used previously is http://ebuilderdirect.com

We bought replacement door handles there for our current house for 11.99 each!

Here is a link that might be useful: ebuilderdirect

We like & have used so far:

faucetsdirect.com - for comparison, specs PDF's, & some pricing advantage

amazon.com - pricing & delivery

bathsofdistinction.com - clawfoot tub pricing

overstockdeals.com - pricing

Oooh, good thread! I will be lurking!

Yes, dedicating some serious lurking time:) We were reccommended to the overstock.com for stainless apron sinks. Ikea for not so custom closet/playroom cabinets.

We also found some great deal for keyless front door lock sets at http://www.gokeyless.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Keyless door options

Ebay. Seriously, I bought a lot of stuff off ebay. People make mistakes and then the mistakes end up on ebay.

Yeah I used homeperfect.com for a few items... they were noticably cheaper than FD for KWC faucets and the blanco sink. They got the job done so I will also vouch for them.

I looked recently and they no longer seemed to have as much of a pricing edge. I guess they've become a bigger player and don't feel the need to be as scrappy on pricing. Still no sales tax though, which is enticing.

In general I find the UI on the build set of websites easier to use (though still not perfect), and the customer service has been pretty good, so I figured I'd reward them.

Yes for build.com websites. Good search engine, excellent customer service. They will price match if you find a price cheaper elsewhere, just fill out the form and in a day they send you an email with the cheaper price.

Also, homeclick.com. They seem to have the best prices on a lot of things.

Great post, thanks!

You might try the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Get on their e-mail list. I got an e-mail from them yesterday regarding 19 pallets of brand new lighting they received from Progress Lighting. They priced it about 75-80% off retail or more.

Some of the used items they get are kind of gross & dirty, but there are definitely diamonds in the rough. They also seem to have a lot of new items, too. They practically give away brand new cabinet hardware. I will plan to get my garage sink from there. Most of the stuff that is donated needs a good scrubbing, that is all. The dirtier it is, the cheaper it is. I don't mind some elbow grease to save some $$$. They are always running various specials, too. When they have a particularly good item, they will send an e-mail. Recently they had a Wolf or Viking range for next to nothing. It was grimy but worked. It just needed a whole lot of cleaning.

In addition to some brand new bath lighting for my son's room for a whopping $6, I got 2 of these babies, brand new for (drumroll......) $126 total (retail is $1220). I could not pay & get out of there fast enough!

Here is a link that might be useful: ReStore score of the day this afternoon

The restore is a great idea, I hadn't thought of that... Only problem the closest one is an hour away from me!

wayfair has pretty competitive prices and a huge selection.

Check Wayfair clearance section. They are for closets, water closet and little areas here and there. I got 15 of these lights for $5.50 each. They were clearance and I uses a promo code I found online. Always check retailmenot for promo codes.

Online sites we used-

Overstock.com

IraWoods.com

eFaucets.com

wayfair.com

ebay.com

For your toilets, tubs, sinks, faucets, etc. I definitely recommend going to your local kitchen/bath/plumbing showrooms and inquire about what they may have in the back or in a bargain bin. Sometimes you will have to listen to a spiel about the great deals they have out front and ask again about closeouts or things that were ordered wrong, overstocks, etc that they may have in the back before they get the message that you know those pieces exist and you are only interested in those items. We got a top of the line Kohler tub with all the bells and whistles that was a floor model for 10% of retail (yes, 10% so we got a 90% discount). Our kitchen sink was 50% off, our bathroom sinks were purchased for 5-10% of retail (some were 5% and the others were 10%--so a 90-95% discount) & our custom shower fixture setup was 55% off. These deals were all gotten in the showrooms with no haggling at all. The only item that was discounted because it was discontinued was the shower fixture setup, everything else is still current and available today at full retail.

Don't forget to check your area Habitat for Humanity Restores too. CEFreeman on the kitchen forums has found some totally awesome deals on brand new current style items in her local store that she posts for everyone to see.

Hope this helps!

Great suggestions everyone!

Over on the kitchen forum several people have suggested http://www.environmentallights.com/ for LED under cabinet lights.

Here is a link that might be useful: Environmental Lights

How about for central vacuums? Did you buy them from a local dealer, or online?

I'm loving all this information, too! Because of you guys sharing sites, I just saved about half if not more on a Murray Feiss chandelier using the build.com lighting department. And, on top of it, they had a 10% off coupon code. I'm a happy camper.

Plan to watch for the coordinating lights to go on sale. Saw them on another website yesterday on-sale and build.com will match 110%, but unfortunately, they are not on sale today online when I planned to order.

Also found all our door hardware we plan to purchase on ebay for great prices.

Since we are trying to make cuts on our build, all of these purchases will definitely help.

Also, there are some good sites that have daily deals or sample sales. One of my favorite sites is One Kings Lane. OKL seems to have higher end items. I got some Waterworks items I normally would not have splurged on because I got a good deal. I always cross reference for prices. Sometimes the prices are similar to every day online prices of other sites, but sometimes there is 50%+ savings.

Joss & Main (I recently got some stellar lighting prices here - same lights at Horchow were more than twice as much), Fab, BULX, LuxeYard, & The Foundary, to name a few. The only downside is the number of e-mails you get. For me, it is worth it.

Laura your posts are so helpful! Thanks!

I will also have to suggest ebay and amazon.com as well. I have had great experiences. (I got a fridge and oven from ebay)

If you plan to supply expensive materials and fixtures from internet suppliers to the contractor, you should be prepared to pay for quality deficiencies and supplier errors from of your own contingency budget.

That's what a contractor would do and he has access to more reliable suppliers at lower prices who are willing to take back defective materials so your contingency will need to larger than his.

I know a woman in New York who just supplied a white tub and a white toilet to her contractor and after they were installed she realized they did not match and the suppliers won't take either of them back. A routine problem for a contractor can become a very expensive problem for a homeowner.

I'm aware of the pitfalls to shopping online, however when there are significant savings to be found I'm more than willing to take the risk.