When a plumbing problem strikes, Maffet Plumbing is always here for you. But should you try to solve a plumbing problem yourself, we want you to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about where to find plumbing products and supplies.
While the pricing is comparable at your nearest Home Depot or Lowe’s to your local plumbing supply shop, and you may find that the big box stores take a win on price. However, you may be sacrificing quality for that price difference.
The big box stores may sometimes cut back on quality of the products to offer a deal to customers, while the local plumbing shop offers top quality on all supplies. In addition, the local shop generally offers products made in the USA.
Another major factor in deciding big box stores vs. a plumbing shop would be the expertise that you will get from the plumbing supply shop. Workers at big box stores often have a general knowledge of plumbing, but it’s not even close to what workers at the plumbing supply shop have. They can customize your order for material down to two feet of pipe, and provide you the exact parts and tools you need to tackle your plumbing project.
On top of customizing your plumbing materials, the plumbing supply shop also carries items that might be hard to find at the big box store. Plumbing supply shops are a specialty – they know what they are talking about, and they take care of their materials in the best way possible.
You might even be surprised to learn that while the big box stores carry the products from popular names like Moen and Kohler, they are not of the same quality as the products at the plumbing supply shops. Moen and Kohler make special lines for the big box stores, so that it can fit into their price range.
Overall, we recommend going to your local supply shops for your plumbing materials…they have the expertise you need, the supplies are well managed, their products are made in the USA, and you will get what you pay for in the end.
If your project doesn’t work out, reach out to us and we’ll take care of all of it for you. Our trucks are stocked and ready to meet your plumbing needs!
