I'm buying most everything on build.com.

faucetdirect.com

I looked all over and bought mine new on Craigslist for 75% off. Just check everywhere.

Like others, I searched online for best prices. But also be cautious as there are bad websites and good ones. Sometimes the very lowest price is suspect. Good websites are Build dot com, fauctedirect, expressdecor, wayfair, qualitybath, and there are many others. With Amazon you have to be careful which Amazon vendor you are buying from and look at that seller's ratings carefully, or, just buy solely from Amazon (not an Amazon vendor) so you know you can return easily.

If you are going to buy all fixtures yourself, what you MUST do is specifically exclude those items from your Scope of Work. Don't leave it to "assumptions" and "conversations" with the GC. Be prepared for the GC to say he won't warrant anything about the installation of those items, since he didn't source them. They always say that. If you buy a good product from a reputable website there shouldn't be problems.

Note that when buying larger items like appliances, tub and toilets, the delivery is typically just to the end of your driveway, and it will be up to you to bring into the house and up stairs if needed. Usually sellers have an extra charge for delivery into the house and up stairs.

But be careful what you wish for - there are very good reasons why a GC marks up the cost of these fixtures and appliances. The reasons are the amount of time it takes to: shop for them, choose them, monitor delivery, examine the items upon delivery to ensure they are what was ordered and not damaged, returns if necessary, and the cost and risk of potentially storing them until ready for installation. All of that is time and money and risk, which YOU will be taking on. Having said that, I like the "control" it gave me to order those things, but the time-consuming part is a bear.

allover (don't remember all the websites since my DH made some of these purchases..might be build.com etc.) plus Signature Hardware plus Pirch plus Craigslist

yes, very time-consuming, and all the potential problems were pointed out correctly by previous posters.

Returns might become big of a deal. If it's something like a tub-restocking fees are huge.

They can also omit details when they ship..I know it happened to us when we purchased a valve for the master bathroom I think.

Normally I would not bash people or a
company online, but I recently conducted some business with a firmed
called KBAuthority (aka KBA) out of Brooklyn, N.Y. Had the lowest prices
of anyone. Somehow I let my guard down and went with them. Big
MISTAKE!!! Please don't use them! Read the reviews and don't let the too
good to be true prices fool you. My contempt for them now runs very
deep.

However, I find that Build.com
is a pretty good source for a good selection of items. And I find their
customer service is excellent. If you find a price lower they will
match it. Also sign up to get the "contractor" discount.

Good luck.

One place not to get a faucet that will get a lot of use is a home center store. Many of the name brands like Delta make a low end faucet for home center stores and they are not at all as durable as their more expensive faucets - plastic parts and faux metal finishes. I do have a home center Delta faucet in my basement kitchenette - it is fine for the small amount of use it gets but I would not buy similar for my main kitchen.

You can by good toilets / sinks at a home center if you compare the serial number to the one you saw in the plumb supply shop. For example Home Depot carries the Kohler Whitehaven sink for less than the plumbing supply shop, and it is the exact same sink. I ordered my Whitehaven from Build.com because of free delivery and no tax, and I don't have a Home Depot near me.

Thanks for the good advice. I apologize for the double post. I thought I had lost the original before it was posted.

I order a lot from Home Depot BUT they are items that I have looked at elsewhere (like on Build) and not the made for Home Depot products. I do this this solely because I can return them locally if I do not like them without hassel. They have a lot of lighting and plumbing on their site with fast shipping.

We are in the middle of a major main floor remodel. My plumbing fixtures came in at over 28k through my plumber buying them at Ferguson. I went to build.com and contacted them to help me out. I saved over 12k buying through them instead. My plumber was worried I would not order everything correctly but with the help of my product specialist we didn't miss a thing. The customer service is amazing and I could not be happier! By the way ferguson and build.com are owned by the same parent co. I think faucetsdirect.com is also. Freight delivery has been great too. I have had a jacuzzi salon spa, shaws 3618 sink, toliets etc.... everything perfectly packaged and delivered. Also after each delivery Dena my specialist contacted me to make sure everything went smoothly. I also got a vanity and faucet for the powder room at Restoration Hardware and am in love! Can't wait for that to get installed. Great quiality!

My suggestion is if you are getting multiple items at once, call the company you are buying from (especially if it's a smaller dealer, not HomeDepot) and talk to a sales person. Ask for a discount. A lot of companies get their items from the same manufacturer (even Lowes and HomeDepot along with smaller resellers), but smaller resellers are more motivated to make a sale. Ask for the sales reps email address and send them a list of items you want (from their website), make sure to include the shipping address and ask them for the best price they can give you. Another hint, if you order multiple items from the SAME manufacturer, the dealer saves money on shipping cost and they will gladly pass those savings on to you. My company does this ALL the time. We are happy to help homeowners in any way we can. It's better to make $100 profit than lose the sale to a big box store!