Supplying Your Own Fixtures: What It Saves and What It Costs

At some point during a custom home, almost everyone finds a faucet, a light fixture, or a tile online for less than the allowance would cover through the builder. The natural next thought is to buy it yourself and have the builder install it.

That can work. I've seen it work well on plumbing trim, lighting, and appliances. But supplying your own materials changes more than the price, and the time to sort out how it works is before you buy anything.

What it can save

The savings usually come from two places. First, you may find a better price than the builder's supplier, especially on items sold widely online. Second, you skip the builder's markup on that material, which on an allowance overage or a change order can be meaningful. See Allowance math for how that markup adds up.

There's a quieter benefit too. You pick exactly what you want, from wherever you want, without working through a builder's preferred showroom.

What it changes

Markup rules. Many builders charge a fee or markup on client-supplied items anyway, because they still handle receiving, storage, installation, and the risk that comes with it. That's reasonable. Find out what it is before you do the math on savings.

The allowance credit. If you buy something the builder carried an allowance for, the allowance should be credited back. Find out how much, and whether the builder's markup on that allowance comes back with it.

Coordination. Someone has to know what you ordered, when it's arriving, and what the installer needs to know. Rough-in dimensions for a tub filler or a recessed light depend on the exact product. If the builder doesn't have the spec sheet before rough-in, things don't fit.

Delivery and damage. Who receives it? Where is it stored? If a box shows up damaged, or the wrong finish arrives, who catches it, who deals with the return, and who pays if it's damaged on site after delivery? These questions don't come up when the builder orders. They do when you do.

Warranty. When a builder supplies and installs a fixture, they usually stand behind the whole thing during their warranty period. When you supply it, the manufacturer's warranty covers the product, and the builder may cover only the installation, or nothing at all, so ask. If a valve fails, figuring out which one it is can be awkward. Agree on that ahead of time.

Schedule. If your item arrives late, or arrives wrong, the work that depends on it waits. That delay is usually yours, not the builder's. On a tight schedule, a late vanity can hold up a countertop template, which holds up plumbing trim, which holds up a final inspection.

Where it tends to work

It works best on items that are finished, boxed, and installed late in the job: plumbing trim, decorative lighting, appliances, hardware, mirrors and accessories. These have clear specs, short install windows, and little effect on other trades.

It's harder on items that are built into the house early or that other trades depend on: windows, rough plumbing valves, structural or framing materials, anything that needs to be measured on site. The coordination risk on those is high, and the savings rarely cover it.

Put it in writing

If you're going to supply anything yourself, list it in the contract or a written agreement before construction starts. Say what you're supplying, when it needs to be on site, how the allowance is credited, what markup applies, who receives and stores it, and who handles defects and warranty. It doesn't need to be long. It needs to exist.

Questions worth asking

• Do you allow client-supplied materials, and is there a fee or markup on them?
• How is the allowance credited when I supply an item myself?
• When do you need spec sheets, and when does each item need to be on site?
• Who receives deliveries, inspects them, and stores them?
• Who's responsible if something is damaged on site after delivery?
• How do you handle warranty on installation for items I supplied?
• If my item is late, how does that affect the schedule and any costs?