David Corson
January 12, 2023
Whether you are trying your hand at DIY or a professional construction worker, here are valuable lessons about why you shouldn’t substitute quality building materials for cheapskate alternatives.
The cost of building supplies is the modern construction contractors biggest overhead. Companies spend so much on materials that they have no choice but to pass this cost onto the customer. In a world where even the cost of heating and lighting your home is becoming an area of contention, it hurts your business to pass up on cheaper building materials…right?
The truth is that you should buy quality building supplies that stand the tests of time, weather, and erosion. There are better ways to cut your costs which don’t hurt the project or the consumer. A good builder doesn’t cut corners, not even when it comes to materials. There are consequences for cost cutting on your building supplies.
Cheap Building Supplies Show
Cheap work shows. While you might think you are saving money, you are also advertising to your clients that you don’t care about the craftsmanship you leave behind. You wouldn’t want to half-finish a driveway, or only paint where the eye can see, so why would you cheapen your work with bad supplies? Unfortunately, making your work look cheap through substandard building materials is not the only risk you run with that gauntlet. Cut that materials budget too far and you could end up doing someone an injury.
The Dangers of Cheap Building Materials
Cheap building materials are dangerous. They lack the tensile strength, structural integrity, and longevity of the tried and tested originals. As technology evolves, we are unearthing new ways to cut costs all the time, but you ought to leave it to an expert building supplies firm to pass these savings onto you. Why? Because otherwise you run the risk of splashing out on a minidisk player. And we all know what happened to minidisk players.
Let’s talk about the real dangers you put your clients in when you use cheap building supplies, then finish with a few suggestions on how you can cut costs on building materials without the element of danger.
The Dangers Include:
- Faulty products such as cement which won’t stick
- Guttering and windows can fall out and cause a personal injury lawsuit
- Badly installed doors will lead to energy inefficiency and consumer complaints
- Poorly made paving slabs are uneven and can cause trips and falls
- Softer stones erode faster, especially in wet weather areas. This leads to a lack of customer satisfaction and further complaints. Exterior bricks crumple over time and do so far faster if you use bad materials
- Faulty wiring, pipes, air vents, ducting, and all the other building materials that make up a house can cause both accidents and fire. The worst-case scenario is that your poor-quality materials kill someone
Ways to save on Building Costs
Try the following tricks to save on your building material costs instead of cheapening your overall project:
- Sell any unused materials on to another builder when the job ends
- Use scheduling software to organize large-scale projects and prevent contractors arriving at the wrong times
- Invest in training and multi-task
- Sell any demolition materials to a reclaimed brick company
- Price all your work individually to accurately reflect the costs
- If you must buy cheaper, offer the customer the chance to go for a more expensive option
If you can follow these tips, you might save money off your construction overheads without having to compromise on the integrity of your work.
