Using distributors worth it?

[ul_1973_tested]

Do wholesale distributors like Walters Wholesale, Scott Electric, or Mars Electric really give much of a better deal/ft of say NM-B than Amazon or Home Depot? (I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble...are we talking 1% price diff or 10%?)

 

[marmathsen]

For us right now it's about 10% cheaper through a local wholesaler. This fluctuates though. For several months or years at a time, the local suppliers may be more expensive than big box stores. For context we are a small 4 person residential only company in Seattle.

Rob G - Seattle

 

[ptonsparky]

I rarely used anything but wholesalers. PMO when I discovered some items could be cheaper, but I also learned wholesalers were competitive. There were four in the closest town and seven more within a 50 mile radius.

Waiting for non stocked items was the worst. Online companies such as AD changed that and they have only gotten better.

I tried to work on anything but residential. Not to many PLCs or VFDs at Menards.

 

[ul_1973_tested]

Thanks all, 10% discount is pretty good. So ballpark wire cost $0.42/ft retail, a 2000-sq foot house using ~3500 ft of wire could lower cost by $142 using wholesaler/distributor. (3500*0.42*0.1=$142). Probably worth doing if it only takes a few hours to get for a couple of houses.

Any national ones you recommend or you just look locally, shipping eats national up too fast?

 

[petersonra]

Wire is pretty much sold by the ounce of copper or aluminum.

You probably won't get a much better deal than what your local supply house charges unless you don't have a purchasing agreement with them.

 

[electrofelon]

Many supply houses will deliver too, which can be a huge plus.

 

[tortuga]

For several months or years at a time, the local suppliers may be more expensive than big box stores.

This is what I have found for basic residential supplies like NM cable, PVC conduit etc. at first I figured it was because we are a small outfit so I asked a friend at a larger company to compare and he said the box stores were also cheaper.
He then proceed to buy them out of NM cable.
After that they set a limit of rolls per customer.
NM cable is often a 'loss leader' where box sores will sell it at loss and advertise a great price to get you in the store, then make it all back when you buy all the other overpriced stuff.

Loadcenters at the box stores around me all have an aluminum buss where as the wholesale house panels have a mostly have a tin plated copper buss. The bus bars look identical. I am old school and prefer the plated copper buss.