I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

wrote in message
...
I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

I'm sure it varies from area to area. The most common supplies MAY be
slightly cheaper at HD, but I'd make a list and check with local electrical
supply houses as well

wrote:
I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

I would think that Romex, junction boxes, outlets, conduit, connectors, etc.
are commodity items - interchangable.

Light fixtures, I dunno. Probably you'd find better quality and greater
selection at a lightinng store.

On 4/18/2008 4:50 PM spake thus:

I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

My answer is to buy at both places.

Cable and such will probably be cheaper at Home Despot, and it's easy to
just grab what you want. Same for standard boxes, switches, outlets,
etc. However, I'd go to a *real* electrical supply house for the rest of
the things you need. You might actually pay a little more for them there
(but you may pay less); the real reason is that the people at the
electrical place will actually know what the hell they're talking about,
and will have a much larger variety of stuff, which could end up saving
you $$$ in the long run.


--
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute
conversation with the average voter.

- Attributed to Winston Churchill

RBM wrote:

wrote in message
...
I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

I'm sure it varies from area to area. The most common supplies MAY be
slightly cheaper at HD, but I'd make a list and check with local electrical
supply houses as well

It depends on what you need. I found that the local supply house was
cheaper on things like conduit bodies and boxes of EMT connectors and
about the same on wire.

I found that 'Depot beat everyone on special order Square D QO parts by
a significant amount. For a 125A 32 space QO load center, a 125A 2 pole
QO breaker to feed that panel, a surge breaker and a QO generator
interlock kit, 'Depot beat both Lowe's and the supply house by more than
$100 on the order.

And of course when you find you're short a part or two on a weekend
evening, the big boxes win since they are open and you can get what you
need and continue the project.

"HeyBub" wrote in message

I would think that Romex, junction boxes, outlets, conduit, connectors,
etc. are commodity items - interchangable.

Light fixtures, I dunno. Probably you'd find better quality and greater
selection at a lightinng store.

Those "commodity" items can be had at a better quality at the electrical
outlet though. You can buy switches and outlets for 99¢ at Wal mart, but
they don't hold up as well as the $3 commercial grade units.

I've not done any comparisons for electrical supplies, but a circulator pump
from the plumbing supply store was $45, while at HD and Lowes it was $60.
While cheaper, the supply store has a 15% re-stocking charge if I buy the
wrong item and they close at 1 PM on Saturday, the big box stores refund
your money and are open late 7 days a week. Depends on your needs.

"Pete C." wrote in message
...

RBM wrote:

wrote in message
...
I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

I'm sure it varies from area to area. The most common supplies MAY be
slightly cheaper at HD, but I'd make a list and check with local
electrical
supply houses as well

It depends on what you need. I found that the local supply house was
cheaper on things like conduit bodies and boxes of EMT connectors and
about the same on wire.

I found that 'Depot beat everyone on special order Square D QO parts by
a significant amount. For a 125A 32 space QO load center, a 125A 2 pole
QO breaker to feed that panel, a surge breaker and a QO generator
interlock kit, 'Depot beat both Lowe's and the supply house by more than
$100 on the order.

And of course when you find you're short a part or two on a weekend
evening, the big boxes win since they are open and you can get what you
need and continue the project.


Must be Murphy's law, but I have 4 HD's and 1 Lowes within 15 miles of my
house, and when I need a part, any part at an off hour, I spin around, guess
at which one to go to, and almost always find they don't have it. No, I
don't waste time trying to call first anymore, as no dept ever picks up the
phone. I do find that if I go online and get a HD - SKU # off the website,
the CS person that answers the phone will look it up and check store stock.
Much as they frustrate the hell out of me, I'd rather have them then not. If
for nothing else, they keep hardware prices competitive

On Apr 19, 7:33�am, "RBM" wrote:
"Pete C." wrote in message

...







RBM wrote:

wrote in message
...
I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. �Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? �Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

I'm sure it varies from area to area. The most common supplies MAY be
slightly cheaper at HD, but I'd make a list and check with local
electrical
supply houses as well

It depends on what you need. I found that the local supply house was
cheaper on things like conduit bodies and boxes of EMT connectors and
about the same on wire.

I found that 'Depot beat everyone on special order Square D QO parts by
a significant amount. For a 125A 32 space QO load center, a 125A 2 pole
QO breaker to feed that panel, a surge breaker and a QO generator
interlock kit, 'Depot beat both Lowe's and the supply house by more than
$100 on the order.

And of course when you find you're short a part or two on a weekend
evening, the big boxes win since they are open and you can get what you
need and continue the project.

Must be Murphy's law, but I have 4 HD's and 1 Lowes within 15 miles of my
house, and when I need a part, any part at an off hour, I spin around, guess
at which one to go to, and almost always find they don't have it. No, I
don't waste time trying to call first anymore, as no dept ever picks up the
phone. I do find that if I go online and get a HD - SKU # off the website,
the CS person that answers the phone will look it up and check store stock..
Much as they frustrate the hell out of me, I'd rather have them then not. If
for nothing else, they keep hardware prices competitive- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

wrote in message

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

**************************

Expensive when you think about it. You are paying the electrician $60 an
hour to go shopping instead of having the supply house deliver to the job
site or his office/shop.

RBM wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
...

RBM wrote:

wrote in message
...
I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?

I'm sure it varies from area to area. The most common supplies MAY be
slightly cheaper at HD, but I'd make a list and check with local
electrical
supply houses as well

It depends on what you need. I found that the local supply house was
cheaper on things like conduit bodies and boxes of EMT connectors and
about the same on wire.

I found that 'Depot beat everyone on special order Square D QO parts by
a significant amount. For a 125A 32 space QO load center, a 125A 2 pole
QO breaker to feed that panel, a surge breaker and a QO generator
interlock kit, 'Depot beat both Lowe's and the supply house by more than
$100 on the order.

And of course when you find you're short a part or two on a weekend
evening, the big boxes win since they are open and you can get what you
need and continue the project.

Must be Murphy's law, but I have 4 HD's and 1 Lowes within 15 miles of my
house, and when I need a part, any part at an off hour, I spin around, guess
at which one to go to, and almost always find they don't have it. No, I
don't waste time trying to call first anymore, as no dept ever picks up the
phone. I do find that if I go online and get a HD - SKU # off the website,
the CS person that answers the phone will look it up and check store stock.
Much as they frustrate the hell out of me, I'd rather have them then not. If
for nothing else, they keep hardware prices competitive

I'm lucky enough that the Depot and Lowe's are across the highway from
each other, and the electrical supply house is about 1 mile further.
Distance wasn't an issue though for my project since it was large enough
that I did a lot of prep work and gathering materials before I started
the actual work. A week or two of prep before a Saturday afternoon of
work.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

wrote in message

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

Probably in CT, not here in north Texas. We still have a lot of industry
here and Depot / Lowe's doesn't carry the type of supplies needed for
most industrial work.

Pete C. wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
wrote in message

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

Probably in CT, not here in north Texas. We still have a lot of industry
here and Depot / Lowe's doesn't carry the type of supplies needed for
most industrial work.

Really probably not in CT, either, except for specific circumstances...

--

Pete C. wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
wrote in message

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

Probably in CT, not here in north Texas. We still have a lot of industry
here and Depot / Lowe's doesn't carry the type of supplies needed for
most industrial work.

Not in PA either. A contractor isn't going to go to the big box store to
get part of what they need and then go to the real supply house to get
the rest.

dpb wrote:

Pete C. wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
wrote in message

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

Probably in CT, not here in north Texas. We still have a lot of industry
here and Depot / Lowe's doesn't carry the type of supplies needed for
most industrial work.

Really probably not in CT, either, except for specific circumstances...

--

CT has little industrial left. What industrial is left is large enough
to buy their supplies direct and have plane electricians. Most of CT is
now residential and light commercial.

"Pete C." wrote in message
...

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

wrote in message

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

Probably in CT, not here in north Texas. We still have a lot of industry
here and Depot / Lowe's doesn't carry the type of supplies needed for
most industrial work.

In the burbs of NYC, electric supplies have been opening and closing long
before HD came to town. What they have done is raised the prices of much of
the less common items that HD doesn't sell

On Apr 18, 5:50 pm, wrote:
I'm finishing my basement, and I'm about to do the electrical rough-in
work. Are places like Home Depot and Lowes a rip off when it come to
buying things like romex wire, outlets, and lighting fixtures? Should
I head to a specialized electrical supply store instead?


Thanks for all the responses. Great info to have.
rj

"George" wrote in message
...
Pete C. wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
wrote in message

locally the electrical supply stores are closing, contractors largely
buy at home depot

Probably in CT, not here in north Texas. We still have a lot of industry
here and Depot / Lowe's doesn't carry the type of supplies needed for
most industrial work.

Not in PA either. A contractor isn't going to go to the big box store to
get part of what they need and then go to the real supply house to get the
rest.


Actually I do shop around for the best prices. I am always comparing prices
when I go to the box stores with the supply companies. At the supply house
the price of copper wire changes daily. Home Depot's price on Romex doesn't
fluctuate that often. Consequently depending on the pricing cycle, I can
sometimes get Romex cheaper at Home Depot than at my regular supply
companies.

There's one place that you won't beat for breakers and breaker panels. Even
your deal will be beat by the 'breakerguy' on ebay.

I've bought QO stuff from him several times.

steve


"Pete C." wrote in message
...
I found that 'Depot beat everyone on special order Square D QO parts by
a significant amount. For a 125A 32 space QO load center, a 125A 2 pole
QO breaker to feed that panel, a surge breaker and a QO generator
interlock kit, 'Depot beat both Lowe's and the supply house by more than
$100 on the order.