Most procurement failures on a building job are not about a supplier letting anyone down — they're about nobody checking a lead time, storage arrangement or supply split early enough for it to matter. All of that is checkable before a single trade turns up on site.
Running through a short list of questions at the quotation stage catches the gaps that otherwise surface halfway through the job, when there's no easy way back.
Confirm exactly who is buying what
This split needs to be written into the quotation or specification, not left as a shared assumption. Disputes over 'I thought you were sorting that' are avoidable entirely by naming every significant item against a supplier before the contract is signed.
- Which items are included in the contractor's price
- Which items the client is expected to choose and supply
- What happens if a client-supplied item is delayed or wrong
Ask for lead times on anything non-standard
Standard stock items rarely cause delay. The items worth asking about specifically are anything bespoke, made-to-order, imported or produced by a small specialist supplier — these are the items where a six-week estimate can quietly become twelve.
A contractor who can give a realistic current lead time, rather than a generic 'a few weeks', is one who has actually checked with the supplier recently rather than quoting from memory.
Check where materials will be stored
Bulky items ordered early need somewhere dry and secure to sit until they're needed — a kitchen delivered weeks before first fix is complete has to go somewhere that isn't blocking the site or exposed to damage. Ask where deliveries will be kept and who is responsible for them while they wait.
This matters especially on smaller sites or occupied houses, where storage space is limited and a badly stored delivery is a realistic risk rather than a hypothetical one.
Ask what the substitute policy is
Find out in advance whether the contractor will substitute a specified item without checking with you first if it's unavailable, or whether any substitution comes back to you for a decision. This matters most on visible finishes, where a substitute of similar price can still look noticeably different.
Agreeing this principle before it's needed avoids a situation where a decision gets made under time pressure on site, without the client having any say in it.
Check delivery inspection is actually happening
Ask whether deliveries are checked against the order as they arrive, or simply signed for and stored. A quick check at the point of delivery — quantity, condition, correct product — catches errors while there's still time to fix them without delaying the relevant trade.
This is a small operational detail, but it's a reliable indicator of how carefully the wider job is being run day to day.
Common questions
What should I ask about lead times at quotation stage?+
Ask specifically about any bespoke, made-to-order or specialist items in your specification, and request a current lead time rather than a general estimate — suppliers' lead times change, sometimes significantly, from one month to the next.
Who decides if a specified product needs substituting?+
This should be agreed before work starts. A reasonable approach is that any substitution affecting appearance, performance or price is put to the client for a decision, rather than assumed.
Is it my problem if I'm supplying an item and it arrives late?+
Usually yes, under most standard contracts, which is exactly why confirming delivery dates for anything you're sourcing yourself well ahead of the relevant trade is worth doing early.
Ask us for a procurement plan before you commit
We'll set out lead times, storage and the supply split in writing before your job is priced.