Home Depot - Lowes vs Distribution

What do you see in the future for distribution if HD and Lowes continue to sell Laminates at $12-$15 per sq lower than a distributor? I have been selling residential and commercial materials for five years and I am seeing more roofers / customers picking up their materials from the box stores. Also, twenty five year three tab in my area is at $17.50 per bdl from the the box stores where we are at $21. Do you think that GAF / OC realize what they are doing to distribution and why would they do this?

Of course, a lot has to do with the buy price. HD & Lowes probably buy that much better than the distributor and pass it along. Also, as distributors reduce their inventory of products and follow the “we’ll bring it in for you” model, their worth diminishes to the roofer and, for that matter, the manufacturer.
Most distributors used to hire and train people to know the products they stock and how to help their customers. In today’s world, an awful lot of people working for distributors don’t know the products nor what they are selling. They certainly have no knowledge of the work their customers do on a day in and day out basis. Because the people you see are “only counter people” they don’t get the management attention they deserve. Maybe a few of you guys need to sit down with that counter person and educate them. It will help you in the long run.
I know this is a very broad brush comment on distributors…most of them are darn good and go above and beyond what is required of them.

What HD and other big boxes don’t offer is skilled rooftop delivery (although some distributors do deliver for HD & Lowes) and, more importantly, credit terms. The big boxes don’t have the depth and width of products used for a single purpose…roofing.

The bottom line is that a professional roofer should support a professional distributor.

just service the roofing contractor, most big box just have liminted choice of color of shingle just service them by having the color same day delivary,most contractor don,t have time to wait like they make you do at big box

HD in my area sells there shingles at or below cost and grosly overcharges for all the accessories, so in the end it is a losing situation anyway.

Both HD, and Lowes are exact same prices here. $27.45 a bundle for archs. (82 a square)

All of my supply houses will match it. They are $82.50 and $84 on the price sheets, but the customer service and better delivery guys… along with MUCH cheaper accessories more than make up for it.

If I’m paying almost $85… and you say HD in your area is $15/sq cheaper… you are $60 a square for Archs? I’m paying $57 a square for 3 tabs everywhere in town.

Why would a roofer be wandering around in a department store and worrying about knock-offs?
Here, we have Roofing and Supply, Bradco, ABC, Ruffin and Payne, Massey, Siewers, 84, Ace, Pleasants, and a few others I can’t name right off. They are contractor stores.
Hd and Lowes are where I take the wife for plants, hoses, screws and bolts, etc. Basic knick-knacks, so to speak. Stores for civilians.
They should stay that way.
It seems some here and elsewhere think roofing is a commodity. It’s not. It involves skills and thought, and takes a craftsman to perform. At least it did.
You can pust junk, or you can push quality.
You don’t see Mercedes buyers looking for deals at the Hundai (sp?) store, do you? You do see people buying top of the line stuff don’t you? Are the jewelry stores selling high dollar items? Does Newt owe a jewelry store $1/2Million?
Not sure if I put that well, but some of you will get it.
End of rant

I’ve been able to save $2000. on large jobs by going with home depot. Just a phone call and revolving charge card. No wasted time there.
About 90% of my jobs are supplied through ABC or other contractor suppliers but a few years back it was 100%. All my accessories are still purchased through contractor suppliers.

The choice for me is simple really.

Option number 1,
Go to Home Depot or Lowes and deal with an unexperianced staff to save a few dollars. They show up late with a fork lift who is driven by a kid fresh out of high school. The shingles are mismatched and they are missing roofing items.

Option number 2,
Go to my small town lumber yard and pay a little more and get,

  1. A highly trained 30 year veteran sales rep/part owner of the company.
  2. Same day or next day service.
  3. A highly trained 25 year veteran boom truck driver.
  4. A lot of leads from walk in or call in customers.
  5. Ability to return even custom order materials.

Why would any real contractor buy from their competition? It’s sort of like going to the biggest roofing company in town and buying all materials from them…

$2,000 on large jobs? What’s a “large job”? If large to you is 100sq, then that’s saying you are saving $20 per square @100sq?

Now if you are talking about 1,000 squares, then $2 per square is more believable. But any time I’ve done a big project like that, I get the same prices on the truckloads, no matter who I’m buying from.

Distributors do the same thing. How many stock the same brand of felt, nails, sealants, soffit and fascia, etc. for an extended period. I’ve been going to abc since 97. They carried Rollex, then Alcoa, now ACM for soffit and fascia. Bad mouthed IKO’s and now carry them. Handled Atlas for awhile, BP’s for a short time. Felt stock is different from month to month. Coil nails are ABC and how many other brands over the years. They don’t price shop now do they? Stay loyal to your supplier, maybe it will wear off a little on them.

[quote=“Agape”]

$2,000 on large jobs? What’s a “large job”? If large to you is 100sq, then that’s saying you are saving $20 per square @100sq?

Now if you are talking about 1,000 squares, then $2 per square is more believable. But any time I’ve done a big project like that, I get the same prices on the truckloads, no matter who I’m buying from.[/quote]

$22. per square savings on a 90 square job. Not a huge job but larger then the average house. Sure I could’ve beat up the supplier and perhaps got them down a bit but why bother?

Your local HD is TWENTY TWO dollars a sq cheaper than all of
The local supply houses???

Either the HD manager is whoring it out, or the locals are trying to stick it to ya good.

If it was a $22 difference here, I’d ONLY buy from HD. I’m doing 5-6 roofs a week, which would give me an extra $4,000-5,000 in profit… Every WEEK.

I guess I don’t understand the need for all this experience at the supplier for residential roofing. This isn’t rocket science and with the vast majority of residential roofing jobs, if you need the “experience” of the counter guy at the vendor to order the proper materials and/or build the roof, I’d say you’re in the wrong business.

We buy from Lowes at our Indiana location where their service and performance has been as good if not better than when we purchased from the local ABC. In Alabama, we found the service from Lowes was substantially less so we now buy from Gulf Eagle.

Were I able to save $22 per square by purchasing from HD or Lowes, I’d purchase a large truck and hire a driver to go to go pick our stuff up and deliver it, the ROI would warrant it.

We email all our orders as attached pdf files that are generated from our data base. They are always formatted in the same manner and easy to understand. It doesn’t take a genius at the other end to see what we need.

Seems to me that in order to be successful, one needs to adapt to the changing market place. If that means buying from Lowes or HD, then so be it. If the shingle prices are lower at Lowes or HD but they’re gouging you on the accessories to make up for it, buy shingles only and purchase the accessories in bulk. In general, for every obstacle or problem that develops, somewhere there is an opposing opportunity that is being presented. You have the choice to whine about the obstacles or problems when there isn’t anything you can do to change them or you can find the opportunity and take advantage of it. Doesn’t mean you have to like it but it is insane to attempt to fight battles you cannot win.

“Doesn’t mean you have to like it but it is insane to attempt to fight battles you cannot win.”

I can’t remember that far back, but isn’t that what some said about England’s taxation policies placed on ‘The New World’.

Or did the ‘New World’ buck against it and win a different freedom?

Here, we’re in our 4th. or 5th. round of big box stores getting into the business market. I can’t even remember the names of the previous entities. I wouldn’t be surprised if the top level owner is the same person though.

[quote=“tinner666”]

I can’t remember that far back, but isn’t that what some said about England’s taxation policies placed on ‘The New World’.

Or did the ‘New World’ buck against it and win a different freedom?
/quote

With all due respect, I hardly find that to be a reasonable comparison. Even so, a lot of “patriots” died fighting that battle.[/quote]

I used to buy from Lowes or HD when I could not get the material delivered from my supplier.In Springfield 5 years ago the choices were,ABC,DJ’s,Shelter,SPEC with ABC being the most expensive.The Bigger company’s Cox roofing,A-1 and Barneys and Dales were getting some really good prices with the large accounts they carried and the monster work load they had.

They were getting shingles for about $5-$7 less per square than we were.All of these suppliers averaged $40+ for local deliveries and more for out of town.Lowes and HD were a couple bucks under the local suppliers but charged $75 local deliveries.They charged me the $75 to go 6 blocks.

After that I bought a 44’ laddervator with the plywood carrier, electric with a 400lb capacity.Used 2 times for $900,if you ever need equipment like that call the local rental companies.I purchased mine because the renters could not assemble it.$3200 unit for $900.(RCG)

When I was in STL I used ABC,AAA Roofing,Dealers,Roofers Mart and ArrowHead.

A couple years ago ArrowHead moved to Stratford and Hollister,Missouri.Now since the relationship we had in STL I get really good prices on Limited and Lifetimes.And the best part,they deliver FREE,within 100 miles and something else,SAME DAY.So the entire S.W Missouri is free between Stratford and Hollister into OK, ARK and KS.

Limiteds are $68-$74,lifetimes $90-$125 and the 25’s are an even $60.Lowes and HD cannot compete with Arrowhead right now.But if I could luck out and buy a massive supply at a super sweet price,I would be all over it.

I still feel a little funny buying shingles from a store that is classified as competition.

While were on the subject of Big Box Stores and Roofing. Does anyone know, or has anyone met someone who has roofed for HD, Sears or other big stores? Just replaced a 15 year old Sears roof and was wondering who, or what do they hire to roof for them.

HD here only sells BP shingles, so roofing suppliers don’t have to worry about trying to compete with them.

[quote=“bcdemon”]While were on the subject of Big Box Stores and Roofing. Does anyone know, or has anyone met someone who has roofed for HD, Sears or other big stores? Just replaced a 15 year old Sears roof and was wondering who, or what do they hire to roof for them.

HD here only sells BP shingles, so roofing suppliers don’t have to worry about trying to compete with them.[/quote]

There have been posts by roofers who used to sub work from Home Depot. They all said it was an endless supply of work but for peanuts. My brother has spoken with a rep at Home Depot and he wants him to do roofs for them. I turned down a job that Home Depot ended up doing back in 08. The homeowner said they were much higher than what her insurance would pay.

:twisted: Out here in New york shingles are 90 at home depot and at abc there 77 per sq Thats oc and gaf

I am partial to those w/ the prettiest ladies to sell me the materials and the strongest young men to load my truck