There are many ways to find the best deals when shopping for building materials, and this can make a huge difference in the cost of any project. One obvious way is to look for used or recycled materials, and this can be done through local want ads or going to stores that sell deconstructed materials.
If you are looking for new materials, a few phone calls to local stores can often result in significant savings. You can ask building suppliers to give you a quote for a package deal, and this frequently produces savings.
Another approach is to do some shopping online, at least to compare prices. Sometimes the larger suppliers have an online store where you can order products that are then shipped to your local store. There are some internet sites where you can compare lots of of product sources for prices and availability.
My husband and I are trying to build our first home together, and we are finding it difficult to know what building materials we might need to start. What are some of the pros and cons to buying used versus new materials? We will definitely be comparing prices with many different companies.
I’d start by finding out what local codes allow, and finding out what’s locally available. Then read through our blog. Search for keywords recycled, salvaged, pallet.
If you are building a structure with a lot of windows you should consider window film solutions. Whether you’re looking for sun protection, privacy, security or decoration, window film can do a whole lot for you.
A prolific resource of salvaged and overstock inventory building materials is Habitat for Humanity’s stores, Restore. Fort Worth has two stores, Dallas area has more. Probably only in urban areas, but they are worth a trip. Inventory varies day-to-day, so plan on a few trips/month. We have almost all our windows and doors now for our adobe place purchased from the Restore stores with significant savings.
Craigslist is another source. We discovered an ad to dismantle a 92-yo building that was built of recycled wood! (Imagine how old that lumber is) One person had already claimed the roof decking, but we were able to salvage several storm windows (for solar collectors) and some 12+ inch wide lumber from the interior.