Price comparison: RTA vs. Big Box stores, please
simplifyingmylife
7 years ago
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raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agosimplifyingmylife thanked raee_gw zone 5b-6a OhioRelated Discussions
Faucets from Big Box stores truly Lower quality?
Comments (118)@jwillhouse - Your plumber has a vested interest in convincing you to buy things with a markup. I can assure you that the same part numbers are the same no matter where the faucet is ordered from. As for your contract with your plumber, is it a time and materials contract or cost plus contract? Your post notes that your plumber lists retail, wholesale, and a 15% markup. If it is a time and materials contract and the 15% is the mark up from wholesale to retail, then it is on the low end of markups. If it is a cost plus contract then the markup is on his actual cost less any rebates, so the 15% should get added to what he actually paid not the listed wholesale price. In a cost plus contract, the 15% is likely unavoidable as it is still a cost even if you buy it somewhere else. Many contractors in a time and materials contract don't allow you to supply your own items. --- While it is absolutely true that you can benefit from sourcing products cheaper from sources other than you plumber, we should recognize that to some extent it is a zero sum game. Most plumbers are not getting rich off a single family home, they are just finding alternative ways to present the profit they need to make. So while adding profit to a faucet may seem like a ripoff, if all the faucets were bid at cost the plumber would likely just charge more for the installation and you would be in the same position. It can still be an advantage to you to get your faucet at a cheaper price if your plumber allows, but don't fall into the trap of thinking you are getting ripped off just because the plumber adds profit there instead of somewhere else....See MoreBig Box store {Lowes, Home Depot} to remodel our kitchen yes or no?
Comments (10)if there is no change besides ripping out soffit and new electrical, I would visit your local hardware store with a good bulletin board. A lot of handymen are actually previous employees of bigger builders/etc...for various reasons they go off on their own. Interview by phone or email. Tell them what you want done. The electrical part will probably require separate group to come in. I would probably use Barkers or Conestoga or similar-online source of design and detail work for ready to assemble cabinets......they ship to you. Putting together is the job of handyman guy with good carpentry experience-it's not rocket science. If you are in a smaller area, I wouldn't like the Lowes/Home depot crowd to be in charge..... I notice in a larger geographic area, some of their stores have really good experienced designers. In a small area, that range of experience might be limited. Too little time and too much risk to mess around. Of course, you should offer more info on this website about your PLAN-the process follows plan. Your plan might be different once you look hard at all your choices and budget and get feedback....See MoreCast-iron sinks – same in kitchen centers as online or big-box stores?
Comments (2)"I read here on Houzz how certain products have different "levels" of quality depending on who the retailers is." This myth is perpetuated by mom-and-pop retailers who don't buy sinks by the railroad car load so they don't get the prices the big boxes do, so they need to create a nonexistent difference within the same brand so they can sell the same sink for more money. I can assure you there isn't a foreman in the Kohler plant saying "Hey Jim, turn off all the quality ingredients, please, we got a run of Home Depot sinks coming up."...See MoreNew orchids at the local big box store
Comments (19)I am glad that the big boxes are helping. I live in a small town yet we have a lot of interest with a good turnout. The orchid society is really helpful. It is sad to hear the lack of access. I feel that you all would enjoy the opportunity. So unfortunate...But regardless you still do a damn good job with what you have! Maybe if you asked the manager at lowes if they could bring in a speaker from their source....Being an hour from the closest society they could get a big turnout...If you can get that far then ask the manager to do it monthly......See More
simplifyingmylife
7 years ago
Jessica Charles
7 years ago
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