Materials procurement sounds administrative, but on most jobs it's one of the biggest single risks to the programme — not because materials are hard to buy, but because the timing of buying them has to be worked backwards from when they're actually needed on site, sometimes months in advance.
A clear split of who is buying what, agreed early, and a habit of checking deliveries properly on arrival, prevents most of the delays that trace back to materials.
Splitting client-supplied and contractor-supplied items
Some materials — often tiles, sanitaryware, ironmongery, light fittings — are commonly supplied by the client rather than the contractor, either for cost or because the client wants to choose them directly. This split should be agreed and written down item by item at the start, not assumed.
Wherever the split falls, both sides need to be clear about who is responsible for confirming lead times and placing the order, because a gap in that responsibility is exactly where delays happen.
Confirming lead times before the programme is fixed
Before a programme date is set for fitting a particular item, its actual lead time needs confirming with the supplier — not assumed from a previous job, since lead times shift with demand and season. Bespoke joinery, certain windows and made-to-order kitchen units are common items where lead times run into many weeks.
A programme built without confirming these lead times first is really a guess dressed up as a schedule, and it's one of the most common causes of a fitting trade turning up to find the item they need isn't there yet.
Ordering long-lead items at contract signing
Once lead times are known, anything with a significant lead time should be ordered as close to contract signing as practical, well ahead of the trade that fits it being anywhere near ready. This is sometimes uncomfortable for clients who'd rather delay a decision, but delaying the order simply delays the finish date by the same amount.
Where a decision genuinely can't be made that early — a finish or colour choice, say — it's worth flagging as a programme risk explicitly, rather than pretending the finish date is unaffected by it.
Checking deliveries properly on arrival
Every delivery should be checked against the order and inspected for damage on arrival, while the delivery driver is still present and a claim can be raised immediately. Signing for a delivery without opening it is a common shortcut that turns a supplier's mistake into a programme delay once the damage is found days later at fitting.
This is particularly important for anything fragile or bespoke, where a replacement, if needed, carries the same lead time as the original order — meaning a damaged item discovered late can cost weeks, not days.
Managing substitutions when the original item isn't available
Occasionally a specified product goes out of stock or out of production between order and delivery, and a substitute has to be agreed. This should go through the same written approval as any other change, with the client seeing and accepting the substitute before it's ordered, not discovering it once it's fitted.
A contractor who substitutes materials without asking, even with good intentions, removes the client's ability to have a say in a decision that's genuinely theirs to make.
Common questions
Who decides whether an item is client-supplied or contractor-supplied?+
This is agreed between both parties at the outset, usually reflecting where the client wants direct choice — such as tiles or sanitaryware — versus items better left to the contractor's trade suppliers and account discounts.
What happens if a client-supplied item doesn't arrive in time?+
This is exactly why the split of responsibility needs to be explicit and agreed with a deadline attached — the trade booked to fit it will otherwise be delayed or has to be rescheduled at cost, and it's a risk that should sit clearly with whoever's supplying the item.
Should I check deliveries myself if I'm supplying materials?+
Yes, and as soon as they arrive rather than leaving boxes unopened until the trade is due — checking for correct quantity, colour and damage early gives time to resolve a problem before the fitting date is at risk.
Ask us to confirm lead times before you commit
We check and confirm real lead times on every material before fixing the programme, and flag risk items early.