Home Depot / Lowes Pro Desk

[tyleriam]

I read online if you have a larger order, maybe $2500 and up, you can go to the pro desk and get a discount, is there any truth to that?  Do you have to have a business or can anyone with a large order do it? 

Thank you

[Le Poisson]

Most places will offer something similar to this. Don't limit yourself to HD. Also shop your materials list around. Get quotes. You may find that the Mom and pop lumber yards will work hard to beat HD on a order that is bigger than a couple hundred dollars.

[paddedhat]

If you are spending any significant amount on building materials, you really should take the time to get a few quotes.  First, neatly generate a printable list that's very clear, and broken down into specific products and materials.
for example

15 bags- R-21 Kraft faced fiberglass batts 15 X93" 10 pieces per bag
20 bags- r-30     "        "          "           "     15x48"   12  "          "    "
1- box  Arrow T-50 ( or equal)   3/8"   5000 count staples
48- Foam baffle tray vents   22-1/4" x 48"
1- case (dozen) standard Great Stuff (or equal) expanding foam 

Include your contact information, your address, and that you want a price that includes delivery. Now hand deliver it to the big box stores and at least two local lumberyards. At the yards, as to speak to whomever handles contractor sales, and take a minute to introduce yourself. Let the salesperson know that you have dropped the list off at a few local suppliers, that you a serious buyer who will be needing more stuff in the future AND will pay cash.

Don't be fooled by the lure of the big box store. In my area, they can be competitive in some categories, but when it comes to things like kitchen cabinets, doors and trim, or having 1/5th of the lumber that a real yard stocks, they aren't even close.

[Cadman]

If you have any lumber on that list, especially long stuff, check out the quality of their stock before hitting the desk. If you plan on having it delivered, make sure you find out about their pickup and return policy. It wouldn't be out of line to have half a skid of lumber unusable- some box stores will show up with a fresh skid once you've picked through the usable stuff. Others, you have to buy twice what you need, then return what you don't use for a refund.

We're lucky to have the Menards chain in the midwest. They frequently run an 11% off sale plus 2% on their CC. They've practically put the local Lowes and HD out of business.

[Le Poisson]

If you are spending any significant amount on building materials, you really should take the time to get a few quotes.  First, neatly generate a printable list that's very clear, and broken down into specific products and materials.
for example

15 bags- R-21 Kraft faced fiberglass batts 15 X93" 10 pieces per bag
20 bags- r-30     "        "          "           "     15x48"   12  "          "    "
1- box  Arrow T-50 ( or equal)   3/8"   5000 count staples
48- Foam baffle tray vents   22-1/4" x 48"
1- case (dozen) standard Great Stuff (or equal) expanding foam 

Include your contact information, your address, and that you want a price that includes delivery. Now hand deliver it to the big box stores and at least two local lumberyards. At the yards, as to speak to whomever handles contractor sales, and take a minute to introduce yourself. Let the salesperson know that you have dropped the list off at a few local suppliers, that you a serious buyer who will be needing more stuff in the future AND will pay cash.

Don't be fooled by the lure of the big box store. In my area, they can be competitive in some categories, but when it comes to things like kitchen cabinets, doors and trim, or having 1/5th of the lumber that a real yard stocks, they aren't even close.

One small difference - I would NOT pay cash. That's a pile of airmiles right there... You should be travel hacking/CC hacking any time you make large purchases like this. Around here Lowes and Rona add on Airmiles and Home Hardware adds on Avion points (I think). That 2% bonus can offset some pretty nice travel at the end of a big project.

[Spork]

If you are spending any significant amount on building materials, you really should take the time to get a few quotes.  First, neatly generate a printable list that's very clear, and broken down into specific products and materials.
for example

15 bags- R-21 Kraft faced fiberglass batts 15 X93" 10 pieces per bag
20 bags- r-30     "        "          "           "     15x48"   12  "          "    "
1- box  Arrow T-50 ( or equal)   3/8"   5000 count staples
48- Foam baffle tray vents   22-1/4" x 48"
1- case (dozen) standard Great Stuff (or equal) expanding foam 

Include your contact information, your address, and that you want a price that includes delivery. Now hand deliver it to the big box stores and at least two local lumberyards. At the yards, as to speak to whomever handles contractor sales, and take a minute to introduce yourself. Let the salesperson know that you have dropped the list off at a few local suppliers, that you a serious buyer who will be needing more stuff in the future AND will pay cash.

Don't be fooled by the lure of the big box store. In my area, they can be competitive in some categories, but when it comes to things like kitchen cabinets, doors and trim, or having 1/5th of the lumber that a real yard stocks, they aren't even close.

One small difference - I would NOT pay cash. That's a pile of airmiles right there... You should be travel hacking/CC hacking any time you make large purchases like this. Around here Lowes and Rona add on Airmiles and Home Hardware adds on Avion points (I think). That 2% bonus can offset some pretty nice travel at the end of a big project.

Not only that... but some places can be a royal pain to get refunds when you pay cash.  Depot/Lowes are actually pretty good... so I hate to condemn them here. 

[tyleriam]

What I am looking at doing is 500-750 SF of flooring and replace a shower insert and door.  Depending on how much flooring I do my Home Depot cart has between $2,800 and $3,200 in it.

[Spork]

Bottom line is: You're going to have to ask them.

I recently bought right around $1000 worth of PVC for a sprinkler system.  I went to HD Pro desk and there definitely was a discount (around 15% I think).  It was enough that the discount paid for the delivery.  (Delivery was about $70 for me, but hauling 20 ft lengths of PVC home in a Toyota Matrix seemed like a bad idea.)

I don't know if there is a hard and fast number where the discounts apply or if the associates have leeway to apply it.

[Midwest]

I have always asked for a manager when making a large purchase and gotten a discount.  Home depot will also price match. 

[paddedhat]

If you are spending any significant amount on building materials, you really should take the time to get a few quotes.  First, neatly generate a printable list that's very clear, and broken down into specific products and materials.
for example

15 bags- R-21 Kraft faced fiberglass batts 15 X93" 10 pieces per bag
20 bags- r-30     "        "          "           "     15x48"   12  "          "    "
1- box  Arrow T-50 ( or equal)   3/8"   5000 count staples
48- Foam baffle tray vents   22-1/4" x 48"
1- case (dozen) standard Great Stuff (or equal) expanding foam 

Include your contact information, your address, and that you want a price that includes delivery. Now hand deliver it to the big box stores and at least two local lumberyards. At the yards, as to speak to whomever handles contractor sales, and take a minute to introduce yourself. Let the salesperson know that you have dropped the list off at a few local suppliers, that you a serious buyer who will be needing more stuff in the future AND will pay cash.

Don't be fooled by the lure of the big box store. In my area, they can be competitive in some categories, but when it comes to things like kitchen cabinets, doors and trim, or having 1/5th of the lumber that a real yard stocks, they aren't even close.

One small difference - I would NOT pay cash. That's a pile of airmiles right there... You should be travel hacking/CC hacking any time you make large purchases like this. Around here Lowes and Rona add on Airmiles and Home Hardware adds on Avion points (I think). That 2% bonus can offset some pretty nice travel at the end of a big project.

Not only that... but some places can be a royal pain to get refunds when you pay cash.  Depot/Lowes are actually pretty good... so I hate to condemn them here.

The specific issue here, with a local yard, is that you are  not looking for credit from them, or asking them to trust a check, and that you are not going to be adding big CC fees  to cut into a very small margin on an order. When I sit down with my sales rep. from my local supplier to purchase a house sized framing material load, he does the workup at his cost and adds roughly 7%. This is not a lot, when you consider what it involved in picking, loading , delivering, and returning to the job to pick up any excess material, for credit.  If you are getting involved with a real significant project, it doesn't take long to figure out the difference between the big box stores and a great local yard, or why most pros. end up buying the vast majority of their supplies from places other than big box stores. 

[trollwithamustache]

Another advantage a local yard can have is they often will cut the pieces for you... so you give them a list of all the pre-cut pieces you need to build your project and they give you a price for those pieces. It saves you the time of cutting, and if they combine your order with someone else's there is less material waste that can help them give you a better price.  This isn't for small projects.

This has worked great for deck type projects, especially if I am helping someone else. (since it forced them to plan the whole project out ahead of time)