# PVC price increase Jan 1



## Drumma Plumma (Jun 5, 2012)

Supply house just told me PVC fittings are going up significantly jan 1. Spears going up 20%. Lasco 18%. Don't know about Charlotte yet. 

Make sure you bid accordingly, or stock up now!


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## KCplumber (Dec 31, 2009)

Would be nice if it went up higher than ABS, than our supply houses would bring it back


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

As long as I don't need a large amount of PVC at my house, I could not care less what happens to the price.


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## Drumma Plumma (Jun 5, 2012)

Well then you must not bid remodels or new construction. I have jobs starting next month that are already bid, signed and In for permit.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Drumma Plumma said:


> Well then you must not bid remodels or new construction. I have jobs starting next month that are already bid, signed and In for permit.


I was thinking of something different.

If you have bids out where you are committed to the pricing, then I suppose that can become a very big deal. :yes: 

I did not meant to belittle your situation.


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

Drumma Plumma said:


> Supply house just told me PVC fittings are going up significantly jan 1. Spears going up 20%. Lasco 18%. Don't know about Charlotte yet.
> 
> Make sure you bid accordingly, or stock up now!


Is this just your supply house upping prices or straight from factory?


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Drumma Plumma said:


> Well then you must not bid remodels or new construction. I have jobs starting next month that are already bid, signed and In for permit.


Your contract doesn't have an escalation clause to cover increases in material costs?


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Your contract doesn't have an escalation clause to cover increases in material costs?


Never

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## Drumma Plumma (Jun 5, 2012)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Your contract doesn't have an escalation clause to cover increases in material costs?


No. My estimates are only good for 30 days. In most cases I am ok with minor fluctuations in cost as I usually bid out to 3 suppliers and use the highest number. In this case Though a 20% increase is a little extreme in my opinion. After 30 days I reserve the right to recalculate the quote. Usually doesn't keep me from doing the job , but sometimes does if the general is tight on the budget. It's a jungle out there right now.
I'm a one man show and logistics are a witch sometimes as I juggle contract work with service.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> Never


That is the only thing that saved us at Museum Park, the three years we were there the price of copper was all over the place, including actually doubling at one point from the price the bid was based on, and we were installing over five thousand feet per floor between water and waste and vent.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> That is the only thing that saved us at Museum Park, the three years we were there the price of copper was all over the place, including actually doubling at one point from the price the bid was based on, and we were installing over five thousand feet per floor between water and waste and vent.


When I roll up on a job all the pipe and fittings have already been purchased. I enjoy watching other guys order as they go, complaining about the price all the way. 
Pipe gets pretty cheap when you buy it by the train car......

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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> When I roll up on a job all the pipe and fittings have already been purchased. I enjoy watching other guys order as they go, complaining about the price all the way.
> Pipe gets pretty cheap when you buy it by the train car......


We didn't have anywhere to store enough pipe and fittings for what ended up being 164 floors of condos, and we would have had to hire an army to guard it, and hope that the guards didn't steal it.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> We didn't have anywhere to store enough pipe and fittings for what ended up being 164 floors of condos, and we would have had to hire an army to guard it, and hope that the guards didn't steal it.


I guess you've never heard of " tag and hold"

I pay nothing down. My wholesaler locks in the pricing and delivers upon my request. Whether its 1 trip or 20 trips. Same money.....

If the price goes down. I still have to pay the locked in price....

No storage. No guards. No risk.............

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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

IL's got it down. 
Or you could do like I do and stock pipe and fittings. It takes some warehouse space, but that I have. Buying in bulk is capital intensive, but a lot cheaper in the long run If it isn't an FFA (full freight allowance) factory shipment, it isn't for me. With factory shipments you'll only pay around 5% over your wholesaler's cost. You can buy like the big boys and your investment only has to be big enough to qualify for FFA which in the case of PVC fittings can be as few as 50 boxes. 
As for pipe, a better price can be had by ordering a couple thousand feet (no need for train loads).
Just place the order by Dec 31 and you won't have to pay for it until February.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

I stock all the commonly used stuff. 1/2 - 2" L and 1 1/2 - 4" pvc.

Most big stuff gets ordered. Fixtures get ordered. 

Material gets stupid cheap when you order a bunch. 
I would like to direct buy. I have a buddy who does. 

A large job hits tag and hold minites after the ink hits the paper on the contract......

Only problem is wholesalers have jacked his pricing on stuff he buys from them. We compare notes. His prices raised when he cut them out of the deal.....


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> When I roll up on a job all the pipe and fittings have already been purchased. I enjoy watching other guys order as they go, complaining about the price all the way.
> Pipe gets pretty cheap when you buy it by the train car......
> 
> Sent from my iPad using PlumbingZone


That's one nice thing about the service side. I buy pex pipe and fittings by the pallet when prices fall. I know exactly what my costs are when I bid jobs and there is no ordering material for each job. When the price goes up for the guys buying it by the job, it just makes me more competitive. I've never understood buying on a job by job basis when you do the same types of jobs all year.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Protech said:


> That's one nice thing about the service side. I buy pex pipe and fittings by the pallet when prices fall. I know exactly what my costs are when I bid jobs and there is no ordering material for each job. When the price goes up for the guys buying it by the job, it just makes me more competitive. I've never understood buying on a job by job basis when you do the same types of jobs all year.


In your arena the above holds very true. 
I cant imagine stocking more than a piece or 2 of each size of larger diam cu.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

so you guys are sayin to stock in bulk the materials you use often....

:laughing:


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> I guess you've never heard of " tag and hold"
> 
> I pay nothing down. My wholesaler locks in the pricing and delivers upon my request. Whether its 1 trip or 20 trips. Same money.....
> 
> ...


They would do that on cast iron and steel, but not on copper. The wholesalers were just middlemen, all of our copper was ordered forty thousand pounds at a time and shipped directly from the manufacturer.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

GREENPLUM said:


> so you guys are sayin to stock in bulk the materials you use often....
> 
> :laughing:


I think I missed the joke. :blink:


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

plbgbiz said:


> I think I missed the joke. :blink:


GP and I share the same type of sense of humor.....

:thumbup:


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