Partnering with the right building material supplier is crucial for the success of your company. Therefore, it’s critical to partner with a dependable supplier specializing in high-quality materials accessible to your build sites.
Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to be deceived. While many suppliers may appear to be a good choice at first glance, if you take a closer look and ask the right questions, you might begin to notice they aren’t what they seem.
In this article, we will share seven questions to ask your building material supplier to ensure they are reliable and able to meet your needs.
1. How many locations do you have?
This question is essential, as you don’t want to spend money on high delivery fees and have difficulty getting to the supplier to pick up emergency materials and tools.
In today’s ultra-online world, many companies are starting to operate without a physical location at all. While that’s not always a serious issue, it does make it more difficult to verify how reputable they are, and stopping by to pick up last-minute supplies is out of the question.
You want to ensure your supplier has a range of locations central to you. That way, you can feel confident they’ll be able to deliver to your location easily, keep delivery fees to a minimum, and you’ll always have the option of visiting them in-store when you need to.
Yvon Building Supply has been assisting clients in a number of locations throughout Southern Ontario for years, making it easy to find a location near you, including:
- Burlington
- Vaughan
- Concord
- Etobicoke
- Cambridge
- Windsor
- Chatham
2. Do you deliver?
This is a simple question, but be aware it isn’t a simple answer! Although a building material supplier might answer yes, you must ensure they can accommodate your specific delivery and job site requirements. When choosing a supplier, it’s essential to ensure they can make the delivery in a timely manner at a competitive price.
At Yvon Building Supply, we always guarantee we can make the delivery before we send out the order. In cases where we’re uncertain, we’ll even send out our managers to scope the physical location ahead of time to ensure ease of access.
We operate a fleet that includes:
- Over 70 trucks
- Boom trucks
- Flatbeds
- 50’ axle trailers
- Trained, certified, and licensed drivers and operators
Our robust fleet and dedicated delivery professionals ensure we can deliver your material efficiently to all variations of construction sites and utilize the appropriate equipment, such as cranes, to deliver materials safely.
3. How many years have you been in business?
Sadly, some building material suppliers use unethical tactics to attract customers but fail to deliver on orders. While it’s easy to establish a business based on unethical and predatory practices, customers often catch on quickly and these ventures never last long.
While a supplier who has only been operating for a short time is not necessarily untrustworthy, the longer a supplier has been in business, the more reliable you know they will be. Material suppliers who have earned a reputation of consistency and quality will far outlast less-reputable competitors.
With over ten years of experience providing superior customer service and top-quality materials, Yvon Building Supplies is the supplier you can trust.
4. What brands do you carry?
This question is all about quality. You want to ensure your material supplier is carrying reputed brands that meet industry standards. After all, the materials and tools you invest in are the cornerstone of any construction project.
Purchasing no-name materials with cheaper price tags might save you money upfront, but it’s not a sustainable business practice. You need to ensure that you invest in the highest quality materials to protect your clients and your reputation.
When looking for building material supplies, you need to trust that your material supplier is committed to only sourcing and stocking top-quality materials that are trusted throughout the industry.
That’s why Yvon Building Supply partners with leading, proven brands, including:
- CertainTeed
- Georgia-Pacific
- CGC
- Cabot
- Owens Corning
- Dow
- DuPont
- Rockwool
- Insulthane
- Imperial Building Products
… and much more. You can depend on us to find the top vendors across all building material categories for high-quality materials that are safe, durable, and competitively priced.
5. What is your reputation in the industry?
Whether you read the company’s history, research online reviews, consider customer testimonials, or all of the above, you want a company that has earned a verifiable reputation for quality, consistency and dependable service.
If you are unable to find a lot of information about a supplier online, the best way to discover their reputation is to ask around. The construction industry is a tight-knit community; you likely have several contacts among the trades you deal with on a regular basis.
Asking your network about the supplier in question will provide valuable insights about the level of service, reliability, and materials sold to help inform your decision. If those you trust within your network are willing to vouch for the supplier, you can feel confident that you’re dealing with a company you can depend on.
At Yvon Building Supply, we have over 400 accounts, and have completed over 100 million customer transactions in less than ten years. We have a wealth of client testimonials available to confirm we can meet and exceed your needs.
6. How quickly can you fulfill my orders?
It is crucial to find a supplier who can deliver your orders when you are ready to receive them. Although special orders may take longer to fulfill, in general, basic materials should always be readily available to prevent any delays or disruptions to your project schedules.
If you can’t get a direct answer concerning timing when you place the order, chances are you can’t depend on the supplier and are more likely to face delivery issues.
When choosing a material supplier, it’s essential to ensure you count on them to get you the materials you need when you need them. That way, you can stay on track and get the job done. Delays don’t just disrupt your timeline; they also make you look bad, putting your hard-earned reputation on the line.
Yvon Building Supply understands the importance of timely deliveries. As such, we keep careful track of our inventory and vendor deliveries across all our locations to provide accurate delivery dates.
For in-stock products, we guarantee delivery by the next business day at 7 a.m. If the material you require is not available, we will go the extra mile to expedite delivery through our connections with industry-leading vendors across Canada.
7. How do you deal with damaged material replacement?
Accidents do happen. Although a good building material supplier will avoid damage during delivery, you want to feel confident that any mishaps will be managed promptly. When considering a material supplier, first, ask if they conduct a quality check with their team to confirm the materials are all in good condition.
You should also ask what steps are taken if damage is discovered. You want to know they have a process in place to quickly take care of damaged goods so you don’t experience undue delays at your job site.
Without a clear process for replacing damaged materials, you might run into problems if and when you receive damaged products. A trustworthy, reliable supplier will be able to advise you of their process and assure you that they do everything possible to rectify these issues.
At Yvon Building Supply, our delivery team is all about limiting the potential for damage and ensuring everything you sign for meets your expectations. If not, we are prepared to replace damaged items by the next business day at 7 a.m. as long as the item is in stock.
If you ever experience any issues with your orders, our dedicated customer service representatives are always ready to take immediate steps to correct the problem to ensure complete satisfaction.
Contact the Building Material Supplier Professionals
Finding the right building material supplier requires careful consideration. By asking these questions, you can determine if a supplier can meet your needs, get a feel for their level of customer service, and make an informed decision about whether partnering with them is the right choice.
If you’re in need of quality construction materials from a supplier with a proven record of exceptional customer service, reliable delivery, and competitive pricing, Yvon Building Supply is the partner for you.
The team at Yvon Building Supply has been working alongside our customers for over 30 years, and we take pride in going above and beyond to provide first-rate products and services.
If you would like to learn more about Yvon Building Supply, we’re always here to help. Give our location nearest you a call, or reach out to us online for more information.
