CALGARY – Whether you’re a contractor or a homeowner doing your own renovation, you want to save money.
Many are now taking advantage of a new trend to buy and sell used or leftover construction materials.
It’s a well-known fact after many construction jobs, there are supplies left over. From unused lumber and drywall to mis-sized doors and windows, if it isn’t used, it’s often thrown out.
Calgary-based Renoback.com has capitalized on this surplus building material by allowing builders and suppliers to sell it at a fraction of the cost, says VP of sales Jeff Douglas.
“We basically see anywhere from free up to commonly 50 per cent, sometimes more. A lot of these materials are perfectly fine but they’re used and we all want new. But when you throw the cost savings into the factor suddenly all of this starts making sense.”
Kelsey Miler is a plumber and sees the construction waste regularly. When she was doing her own basement renovation a fellow contractor told her about Renoback.
“We ended up doing a full gut so it would have been anywhere between $12,000 and $15,000. With what we ended up doing and we did the final numbers, it turned out to be about seven-and-a-half, eight,” says Miler.
Besides construction materials, Renoback also lists people who are selling tools and trade services.
Retailers often use it to liquidate stock or give things away rather than face transportation and dumping fees.
It’s free to use and the company makes money off advertising.
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