Contractor Manufacturer Rebate Programs You Never Claim
A contractor manufacturer rebate program pays for work you already did. Here is why claims lapse, which rebates were never yours, and what to keep on file.
By Alex10 min read
The invoice desk
What we learn reading supply-house invoices all day: how unit prices creep per SKU, why the counter price never matches the contract price, which billing errors repeat every month, how duplicate invoices slip through, and what all of it does to your job costing and material margin. Written for the people who approve the invoice.
HVAC and Plumbing Distributor Buying Groups Explained
HARDI, ASA and BLUE HAWK sit behind your pricing. Here is what an HVAC or plumbing distributor buying group negotiates, and what it never negotiates for you.
By Alex9 min read
Electrical Buying Groups: IMARK, Affiliated Distributors
An electrical buying group like IMARK or Affiliated Distributors sets what your supply house pays. Here is who these groups are and how they reach your price.
By Alex8 min read
Distributor Rebates and Contractor Pricing: Who Gets What
Distributor rebates drive contractor pricing more than negotiation does. Here is where SPA, buying group and loyalty rebate money goes, and what reaches you.
By Alex9 min read
Owner Rejects Your Escalation Clause? Four Answers
When an owner rejects your escalation clause, the job is not over. Here are the four objections owners actually raise and the answer that moves each one.
By Emily13 min read
Tariffs and Construction Contracts: Who Eats the Increase
A tariff price increase mid-job is a construction contract question, not a trade policy one. Here is which clause decides who pays, and what to do this week.
By Emily10 min read
Material Escalation Change Order Documentation Checklist
Material escalation change order documentation, line by line: the notice, the index proof, the quote trail and the invoices that get an owner to sign it.
By Emily10 min read
Which Index to Use in a Construction Escalation Clause
Which index to use in an escalation clause for construction: name the BLS series that matches your actual material exposure, not a broad construction average.
By Emily11 min read
How to Write a Material Escalation Clause That Pays Out
How to write a material escalation clause: picking the threshold, the cap and the index, with real BLS series IDs and the arithmetic worked line by line.
By Emily12 min read
ConsensusDocs 200.1 Price Escalation vs AIA A201
ConsensusDocs 200.1 price escalation is a real standard clause. AIA A201 has no equivalent. Here is what each document actually gives you, and what to add.
By Emily9 min read
Material Price Escalation Clause: How to Get One Accepted
How a material price escalation clause works in construction contracts: the named index, the trigger, the cap, and what to say when the owner pushes back.
By Emily10 min read
Bid vs Actual Material Cost: How to Measure the Gap
Bid vs actual material cost analysis in one hour a month: what to compare, where the numbers come from, and how to feed the gap back into the next bid.
By Emily11 min read