Merbau pricing - Where to buy?

[Al Kilgour]

Hey guys, I am just about to buy my timber and i need advice on where to get the best price. I wouldnt normally worry about price but seen as i need over 1400 lineal metres even a 10cent per metre difference will save me a lot.

I want 90 x 19 Merbau preferably.

Bunnings currently has it priced at $3.98 per metre however im sure someone out there knows of a mill or something in Vic or southern N.S.W that can beat that price.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[silentC]

$3.98 is pretty good, considering the last time I got a price from Bunnings it was up around $5. My local Mitre 10 had it on special for $3.50 a couple of weeks ago and there was a bloke selling it in the paper for $3.75.

If I were you, I'd haggle with Bunnies. 1400 metres is a lot, they should be able to do something on the price for that quantity.

[Dirty Doogie]

Tell bunnies you want trade or pack price becuase you are buying so much - then it will be about 3.20 a mtre.

[Al Kilgour]

I just spoke to bunnings and they wont do a trade price unless i have a trade account or a trade card. I wonder if i get my builder mate to speak to them if he will be eligible for their trade prices.

[dan76n]

$3.98 is pretty good at Bunnings,but if you find it a bit cheaper Bunnings will better it by 10%.
When I built my last deck Bunnings had it for around $4.50 and a local hardware had it for $4.05 so I got bunnings to beat it by 10% making it $3.64.
Currently Bunnings is the cheapest in my area so I bought it at $3.98.

[oohsam]

Yeah...3.98 a meter is good. Tile importers here in melb sell it for around 3.10 a meter.
I'd do the dodge with your tradey mate if I were you...why not? Save yourself some mulah.

[Dirty Doogie]

Narangba timbers north of Brisbane were selling merbau decking for 3.10 a lineal metre last year. give em a ring and check then go back to bunnings and either demand trade or let you have it for 2.80 a metre.

[Tubby2]

Bunnings my friend. I've just gone thru the same exercise and they were the cheapest.
Get this my old man is a project manager for large building company that spend huge amounts thru bunnings. Their 'trade price' was $3.92 plus GST. So its cheaper to buy it as the average punter than on trade price.

[Spelunx]

Just to make you all jealous, you can get Jarrah decking direct from the sawmill here in the SW of WA for $3.20-$4.50 a metre!

[droog]

I have previously bought Treated Pine from H Waterhouse & Son Pty Ltd, Healsville-Kooweerup Rd Woori Yallock. Their prices are excellent.

In the local paper I noticed that they now have Merbau, cannot be 100% sure of the price but pretty sure it was quite a bit less than the prices above.

Have thrown the local papers out but when the new one arrives will post with details.

Dave.

[droog]

Just found their contact details if you wanted to give them a ring.

H Waterhouse & Son
Address: 935 Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Rd, Woori Yallock, VIC 3139 Phone: (03) 5967 3993

Dave.

[Al Kilgour]

Thanks for your help guys. I just found a local timber yard who can do it for $3.70 a metre. That will do me just nicely

[FlyingDuck]

Al, is that Mansfield, Brisbane? There are Grays auctions every second Tuesday at Archerfield, and they auction off a lot of Merbau for sometimes give away prices.

[Al Kilgour]

Nah mate im in Mansfield, Victoria.

[clackerz]

It does pay to shop around.
I juz picked up 550 l/m for $3.10 p l/m.
Previous best price I could find was $3.70.
Bunnies was a little more than that - having said that they have their T/P structual pretty cheap, so I'll prol get a quote through them for this and see....
Other places ranged from $3.70 up to $4.60.
I was also told by many timber places to buy now before the decking season starts. Then the prices go up! They say it starts around mid-end Oct.
So a little haggling now is good (they usually are clearing out their current stock to make way for the new shipment ready for the decking season!)