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?
S
ShingleShuffler
·7mo·59 replies·50 participants
S
ShingleShuffler⭐ ExpertOP7mo
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.
P
PipeLord42029⚒️ Journeyman6mo
48
same shit here, feels like they forget we keep their lights on.
D
DrainDoctor⚒️ Journeyman6mo
33
nah, sharkbites are garbage for anything exposed, stick to soldered copper if you want it to last.
H
HammerTimeHero5⚒️ Journeyman6mo
8
what's the smallest order you've tried to pull off without them flipping out?
J
JoistJockey7⚒️ Journeyman6mo
56
same here, been dealing with it for years on shingle jobs.
L
LockPickLarry9⚒️ Journeyman6mo
33
frustrated as hell, lost a whole day chasing down materials last week because of their policies.
A
AmpedUp3⚒️ Journeyman6mo
30
we're all in this crap together, suppliers treating us like dirt.
W
WattTheHeck14⚒️ Journeyman6mo
33
hit up the local hardware store instead, they might not have the volume but they'll hook you up without the hassle.
L
LaminateLad⚒️ Journeyman6mo
43
yeah, or try online from supplyhouse, faster and no minimums for basics like ridge vent.
S
SparkPlugSam⚒️ Journeyman6mo
23
controversial take: boycotting ferguson entirely, their prices are inflated anyway for what they pull.
D
DuctTapeKing3⚒️ Journeyman6mo
75
yep, same boat, it's exhausting.
G
GeneralFixIt3⚒️ Journeyman6mo
37
customer called me out for a leak fix at 3am, turns out it was just bad flashing from the last crew.
B
BoxHauler⚒️ Journeyman5mo
26
rofl, had one where the dog chewed through the drip edge.
R
RoofRat883⚒️ Journeyman5mo
42
these suppliers are the real roof leakers, draining our time and patience.
B
BoxHaulerBob⚒️ Journeyman5mo
57
been there, it sucks but switching to a couple small yards changed everything for my tear-offs.
P
PipeDreamer22🔧 Apprentice5mo
78
LOL, remember that time a supplier sent the wrong underlayment and we had to redo the whole valley?
S
SpringSpecialist3⭐ Expert5mo
34
screw the big boys, they're just middlemen jacking up costs on asphalt shingles.
H
HammerTime22⚒️ Journeyman5mo
37
yep, solidarity man.
B
BloomBoss⚒️ Journeyman5mo
36
had a job where the supplier shorted us on nails, turned a one-day roof into three.
G
GarageGateGuy⚒️ Journeyman5mo
37
these corporate assholes think we're interchangeable, pisses me off.
K
KeyMasterKim⚒️ Journeyman5mo
43
don't trust synthetic underlayment from them, always curls up in the heat.
T
TenYearVet7⚒️ Journeyman5mo
22
we need to band together and call out this BS, like that thread on r/Roofing last month.
S
SparkSafety⚒️ Journeyman5mo
70
same, it's why i stockpile now.
D
DustBusterDave⭐ Expert4mo
37
watched dmitry lipinskiy on tiktok ripping into suppliers, spot on.
R
RoofRat885⚒️ Journeyman4mo
54
haha, yeah his takes are gold for us small crews.
W
WattTheHeck22⚒️ Journeyman4mo
36
total crap-show, but negotiating bulk deals helped me out.
T
TileTerror10⚒️ Journeyman4mo
22
guy in Roofing Contractors FB group said to go direct from malarkey distributors, skipped the middleman headache.
M
MiterMaster2⚒️ Journeyman4mo
30
we're getting hosed by these monopolies, time to push back.
R
RoofRat⭐ Expert4mo
22
storm damage claims are a nightmare with their delays too.
W
WireWhisperer3⭐ Expert4mo
41
join a co-op or something, spreads the cost without the BS.
L
LawnLad5⚒️ Journeyman4mo
20
yup, been burned too many times.
A
AmpedUpJoe⚒️ Journeyman4mo
25
frustrated doesn't cover it, lost a bid because of their stock issues.
M
MopMaster3000⚒️ Journeyman4mo
29
careful with ladder safety around their loading docks, slippery as hell.
S
SolderSavant2⚒️ Journeyman3mo
28
we all feel that rage, suppliers vs us every day.
B
BugBlaster6🔧 Apprentice3mo
29
build relationships with a few reps, gets you priority without the runaround.
L
LawnLizard⚒️ Journeyman3mo
8
how do you handle warranty claims when they mess up the order?
N
NailBender⚒️ Journeyman3mo
27
the big suppliers are killing the trade, favoring chains over independents.
D
DustBunnyHunter10⚒️ Journeyman3mo
35
agreed, it's a scam.
B
BrushStrokeBoss6⚒️ Journeyman3mo
40
had to laugh when they charged me expediting fees for their own mistake.
S
SolderSavant⚒️ Journeyman3mo
43
yep, solidarity.
B
BoxHaulerBen⚒️ Journeyman3mo
36
these guys are the worst, always short on ice and water shield.
D
DuctTapeKing4⚒️ Journeyman3mo
35
fight me, but synthetic felt is overrated anyway.
S
ShingleShuffler5⚒️ Journeyman3mo
78
don't do business with lowes for roofing supplies, their quality control is a joke.
P
PickLockPete⚒️ Journeyman3mo
45
we're all pissed, let's start a petition or something.
P
PipeDreamer18⭐ Expert2mo
79
pipe down or they'll raise prices even more lol.
P
PipeDreamer18⭐ Expert2mo
27
nah seriously, check out smaller wholesalers in your area.
L
LiftLegend⚒️ Journeyman2mo
6
watt's your go-to alternative for ridge caps?
Z
ZapZapZoe⚒️ Journeyman2mo
42
big box stores suck for this too, always out of stock.
F
FrameForge⚒️ Journeyman2mo
33
try acculynx for tracking orders, saved my ass from supplier drama.
C
CircuitSavage⭐ Expert2mo
32
had a near miss with a bad batch of nails from them, almost popped a tire on the job.
H
HammerTimeHero2⚒️ Journeyman2mo
25
the industry needs to unionize against this supplier BS.
P
PipeLord42029⚒️ Journeyman2mo
34
customer thought her flat roof was fine till it caved, thanks to cheap materials.
W
WattTheHeck14⚒️ Journeyman2mo
24
stock up on essentials yourself, cuts down on trips.
L
LaminateLad⚒️ Journeyman2mo
26
yeah, and use jobber to invoice them back if they screw you.
S
SparkPlugSam⚒️ Journeyman2mo
31
metal roofing suppliers are even worse, demand huge deposits.
D
DuctTapeKing3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
36
rofl, my crew calls it the supplier tax.
G
GeneralFixIt3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
30
private equity owning these places now, all they care about is margins, not us.
B
BoxHauler⚒️ Journeyman1mo
39
fight me on this: go with independent yards, better service hands down.
R
RoofRat883⚒️ Journeyman1mo
20
aim for co-op buying groups, levels the playing field.
B
BoxHaulerBob⚒️ Journeyman1mo
31
we're getting screwed, but small wins like negotiating helped my margins.