Why? Well, in order to find out if a supplier can meet your budget you have to get a bid from them. Just like with subs, you want to get at least 3 bids or take-offs from each category of materials or supplier that you need. While subcontractors bids vary widely, supplier prices can vary even more than subs do. This is something a lot of people do not realize. Prices are not set in stone, so despite what you have heard, you can always find a better deal.

You may not realize it, but a supplier may give you a deal just to get the inventory off their lot, as there are carrying costs with every item they have around. Also, you might find one of the items on your list has been discontinued by a supplier, and thus is offered at a substantially lesser rate than that of another supplier. Or, you might find that a supplier has had certain items returned and had to discount them, so you can get a good deal from that particular supplier, for that particular item.

You can't find these bargains and deals if you do not get at least 3 different bids on each item. You won't see the varying quality and prices if you don't talk to at least 3 different suppliers. Each type of supplier you need will come in droves. There are tons of suppliers out there. Sometimes another owner builder found a great deal from somewhere and will tell you about it. If you can get in contact with several other owner-builders, you may be able to use the knowledge and experience they gained, and the resources they used, to your advantage. You could create a whole list of "great deals" just by asking other people who they found, and what sort of deals they stumbled across. If you ask for a bid from a supplier that another person told you about, tell them about the deal that person got from them, and ask them to give you a bid that is similar.

Often times, getting 3 bids ensures a better negotiating stance. You can tell a supplier that a different supplier offered you a better rate, but that you would like to use them because they offer other items you want as well, and you would rather purchase them all from the same place, so can they match or beat the price. Everything in construction is negotiable. Nothing is as set in stone as it is at say.the post office! You will find that by asking for the best price, and letting each supplier know you are getting bids from at least 2 other suppliers, that you will get the best prices on the best materials, and thus you will be able to build a great home for an average price tag.