Home/Rants/🏠 Roofing/why do these damn roofing suppliers screw over small crews every time?
why do these damn roofing suppliers screw over small crews every time?
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ShingleShuffler
·5mo·59 replies·50 participants
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ShingleShuffler👑 LegendOP5mo
174
I'm so pissed at how these big roofing suppliers treat us little guys. Walked into Ferguson yesterday to pick up some Malarkey Legacy shingles for a tear-off job, and the counter guy acts like he's doing me a favor by even ringing me up. Meanwhile, the big commercial outfits get same-day delivery on everything, no questions asked. And don't get me started on the minimum order BS - I just need a couple bundles for a patch, but they want me to buy a full pallet or GTFO. Saw a rant in the Roofing Pros Facebook group about this exact crap, and it's everywhere. We've all been there, right? These companies act like we're the enemy for not dropping five figures monthly. Time to find some local spots that actually give a damn about the crews keeping roofs from caving in.
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PipeLord42029⭐ Expert5mo
48
same shit here, feels like they forget we keep their lights on.
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DrainDoctor⭐ Expert5mo
33
nah, sharkbites are garbage for anything exposed, stick to soldered copper if you want it to last.
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HammerTimeHero5🏆 Master5mo
8
what's the smallest order you've tried to pull off without them flipping out?
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JoistJockey7🏆 Master5mo
56
same here, been dealing with it for years on shingle jobs.
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LockPickLarry9🏆 Master4mo
33
frustrated as hell, lost a whole day chasing down materials last week because of their policies.
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AmpedUp3⭐ Expert4mo
30
we're all in this crap together, suppliers treating us like dirt.
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WattTheHeck14🏆 Master4mo
33
hit up the local hardware store instead, they might not have the volume but they'll hook you up without the hassle.
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LaminateLad🏆 Master4mo
43
yeah, or try online from supplyhouse, faster and no minimums for basics like ridge vent.
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SparkPlugSam🏆 Master4mo
23
controversial take: boycotting ferguson entirely, their prices are inflated anyway for what they pull.
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DuctTapeKing3🏆 Master4mo
75
yep, same boat, it's exhausting.
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GeneralFixIt3⭐ Expert4mo
37
customer called me out for a leak fix at 3am, turns out it was just bad flashing from the last crew.
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BoxHauler⭐ Expert4mo
26
rofl, had one where the dog chewed through the drip edge.
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RoofRat883⭐ Expert4mo
42
these suppliers are the real roof leakers, draining our time and patience.
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BoxHaulerBob⭐ Expert4mo
57
been there, it sucks but switching to a couple small yards changed everything for my tear-offs.
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PipeDreamer22⭐ Expert4mo
78
LOL, remember that time a supplier sent the wrong underlayment and we had to redo the whole valley?
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SpringSpecialist3👑 Legend3mo
34
screw the big boys, they're just middlemen jacking up costs on asphalt shingles.
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HammerTime22⭐ Expert3mo
37
yep, solidarity man.
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BloomBoss⭐ Expert3mo
36
had a job where the supplier shorted us on nails, turned a one-day roof into three.
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GarageGateGuy⭐ Expert3mo
37
these corporate assholes think we're interchangeable, pisses me off.
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KeyMasterKim⭐ Expert3mo
43
don't trust synthetic underlayment from them, always curls up in the heat.
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TenYearVet7🏆 Master3mo
22
we need to band together and call out this BS, like that thread on r/Roofing last month.
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SparkSafety⭐ Expert3mo
70
same, it's why i stockpile now.
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DustBusterDave👑 Legend3mo
37
watched dmitry lipinskiy on tiktok ripping into suppliers, spot on.
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RoofRat885⭐ Expert3mo
54
haha, yeah his takes are gold for us small crews.
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WattTheHeck22⭐ Expert3mo
36
total crap-show, but negotiating bulk deals helped me out.
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TileTerror10⭐ Expert3mo
22
guy in Roofing Contractors FB group said to go direct from malarkey distributors, skipped the middleman headache.
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MiterMaster2⭐ Expert2mo
30
we're getting hosed by these monopolies, time to push back.
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RoofRat🏆 Master2mo
22
storm damage claims are a nightmare with their delays too.
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WireWhisperer3🏆 Master2mo
41
join a co-op or something, spreads the cost without the BS.
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LawnLad5⭐ Expert2mo
20
yup, been burned too many times.
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AmpedUpJoe⭐ Expert2mo
25
frustrated doesn't cover it, lost a bid because of their stock issues.
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MopMaster3000⭐ Expert2mo
29
careful with ladder safety around their loading docks, slippery as hell.
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SolderSavant2⭐ Expert2mo
28
we all feel that rage, suppliers vs us every day.
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BugBlaster6⭐ Expert2mo
29
build relationships with a few reps, gets you priority without the runaround.
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LawnLizard🏆 Master2mo
8
how do you handle warranty claims when they mess up the order?
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NailBender🏆 Master2mo
27
the big suppliers are killing the trade, favoring chains over independents.
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DustBunnyHunter10⭐ Expert2mo
35
agreed, it's a scam.
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BrushStrokeBoss6🏆 Master1mo
40
had to laugh when they charged me expediting fees for their own mistake.
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SolderSavant🏆 Master1mo
43
yep, solidarity.
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BoxHaulerBen🏆 Master1mo
36
these guys are the worst, always short on ice and water shield.
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DuctTapeKing4🏆 Master1mo
35
fight me, but synthetic felt is overrated anyway.
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ShingleShuffler5🏆 Master1mo
78
don't do business with lowes for roofing supplies, their quality control is a joke.
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PickLockPete⭐ Expert1mo
45
we're all pissed, let's start a petition or something.
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PipeDreamer18🏆 Master1mo
79
pipe down or they'll raise prices even more lol.
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PipeDreamer18🏆 Master1mo
27
nah seriously, check out smaller wholesalers in your area.
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LiftLegend🏆 Master1mo
6
watt's your go-to alternative for ridge caps?
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ZapZapZoe⭐ Expert1mo
42
big box stores suck for this too, always out of stock.
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FrameForge⭐ Expert1mo
33
try acculynx for tracking orders, saved my ass from supplier drama.
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CircuitSavage👑 Legend27d
32
had a near miss with a bad batch of nails from them, almost popped a tire on the job.
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HammerTimeHero2⭐ Expert24d
25
the industry needs to unionize against this supplier BS.
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PipeLord42029⭐ Expert21d
34
customer thought her flat roof was fine till it caved, thanks to cheap materials.
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WattTheHeck14🏆 Master18d
24
stock up on essentials yourself, cuts down on trips.
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LaminateLad🏆 Master16d
26
yeah, and use jobber to invoice them back if they screw you.
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SparkPlugSam🏆 Master14d
31
metal roofing suppliers are even worse, demand huge deposits.
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DuctTapeKing3🏆 Master12d
36
rofl, my crew calls it the supplier tax.
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GeneralFixIt3⭐ Expert9d
30
private equity owning these places now, all they care about is margins, not us.
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BoxHauler⭐ Expert7d
39
fight me on this: go with independent yards, better service hands down.
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RoofRat883⭐ Expert4d
20
aim for co-op buying groups, levels the playing field.
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BoxHaulerBob⭐ Expert1d
31
we're getting screwed, but small wins like negotiating helped my margins.