material costs

I'm interested where trades get their material costs from.

If for example I ask a builder to quote for an extension. They will know what their labour will be but where do they get their material costs from. I asume they have a price list or something they use as I doubt they would spend the time walking round a builders merchant pricing up timber, bricks etc.

Many Thanks

Mike

if you were in the trade you would know

most of us use a combination of trade price books + experience, the flash ones use computer software

The only accurate prices are those that the builder has recently paid for something, or prices which the builder knows he can get stuff for locally.

Material price books and computer software are useless unless they have the above prices. Even trade price books are not useful as various discounts need to be applied. IIRC, its not unusual to get a 60% discount from Jewsons list prices - which is a bizarre situation.

A builder will know how much he can get stuff for from his past buying, or from known discounts from his preferred merchant.

All the core building materials don't fluctuate a great deal, and so the prices from the recent similar extension, will apply for the next one - with only an adjustment for quantities, or specific specialist items - such as the kitchen or bathroom fit out