Building Suppliers & Merchants

Building supplies are the bread and butter of every house build or renovation, and one of the brilliant things about planning a project yourself is that you can choose every last supply, material and detail, right down to the last tile. Builders’ merchants, timber merchants and material manufacturers will be your first stop for all your essential supplies, and you can browse through them all on Houzz.

Why should I use building merchants and timber suppliers?

If you want to leave the building material selection to your hired contractor, architect or designer, then you probably won’t need to talk to builders’ merchants, but it is a good idea to do so if you plan to be more hands on with your project.

Timber merchants will be able to supply you with any wood materials you need for flooring, kitchen worktops, skirting boards, doors and more. The type of timber they can supply may depend on the supplier, but most will sell varieties of hardwood, plywood and softwood; suitable for a range of uses. If you’re after reclaimed building materials for a lived-in, vintage look, then plenty of timber merchants now offer reclaimed, salvaged or recycled wood for you to use as floorboards or wall cladding.

Traditional builders’ merchants will be able to provide all the basic building supplies, such as cement, bricks, stonework, plaster, fixings and hardware, but some will specialise in particular building products such as landscaping supplies, sustainable building materials or loft insulation products.

If it all seems a bit overwhelming, building merchants will be able to advise you on the advantages of choosing certain materials. Or, you can rely on building contractors, architects and designers that may be working on your house project with you to advise or select your building materials for you. Here are some related professionals and vendors to complement the work of building supplies: Specialist Contractors, Landscape Contractors, Home Builders, Main Contractors, Design & Build.

Questions you should ask builders’ merchants and timber suppliers:

• What building materials do you sell?
  
• Are you purely timber merchants or do you sell other building supplies?
  
• Where do you source your materials from?
  
• Do you work with particular building contractors and professionals that you can recommend for my project?
  
• What are your delivery options and fees?
  
• How is your wood prepared?
  
• Is your wood treated with any chemicals?
  
• How do you store your wood? Is it protected from the elements?
  
• Do you have any advice for looking after the wood once installed?
  

Find timber and building supplies on Houzz. Narrow your search for timber merchants and builders merchants’ by selecting the nearest city or postcode. Find building merchants and building suppliers with reviews from residential builders, interior designers and homeowners.