When it comes to the purchase of a new pole building kit package, there are really only three major areas to cover – quality, service and price.
Everyone wants to feel they have gotten a good value when they make a major investment, whether it is a vehicle, a house or a new pole building.
The important part of the above statement is “value”.
Anyone can provide a product at a lower price – by sacrificing quality and/or service.
As a potential purchaser, when you tell me:
“I don’t care about service, delivery or quality. Price is all that is important.” My response is: “Okay then we’ll provide you a great price with poor service, inferior quality and it will arrive months late.”
Let’s all face reality together, we all care and care a lot about things other than pole barn prices.
I know of a Midwest based supplier of pole building kit packages who almost always seems to have a really great price. I’ve spoken with more than a few people who purchased one of their kit packages – only to find out there is seemingly no one in the store who can help them out when they get “stuck” due to poor instructions or inadequate plans. Almost universally they voice concerns about the lack of quality in what they were delivered, and how they had to buy more materials to complete their building.
There was something about the disclaimer on this competitor’s quote, which they might not have had a firm grasp on:
“You may buy all the materials or any part at low cash and carry prices. Because of the wide variation in codes, xxxxxxx (insert store name) cannot guarantee the material list will meet your code requirements. These post frame buildings are suggested designs and material lists only. Some items may vary from those pictured. We do not guarantee the completeness or prices of these buildings. Labor, concrete flooring, some finish materials and delivery are not included. Some special order truss sizes may be jobsite delivered. Delivery is extra. This post frame may have been altered from the plan’s original design.”
When I hear, “Your price is too high”, my response is, “Compared to what?”
Compared to what pole barn prices were five years ago? Compared to a price someone gave you over the phone, or which was read on Craigslist or EBay? Or compared to another potential supplier who left out several features, or the doors, or didn’t even quote the same size.
I’ve spent the last five weeks in Ecuador, where the vendors selling things expect to haggle over price, so they ALL universally jack their prices up. They are all playing the same game. And once you have reached a price and have paid, they are vamoosed (hmm, great price, questionable quality, no service).
The post frame building industry in the U.S. is very competitive. The profit margins are small, and the costs of materials and their transportation are pretty much similar. Now granted, every once in a while we DO have the best price, but given the features we provide, and the high level of quality and service, it is a fairly rare occurrence. If someone else has a lower price, especially WAY lower, be a skeptic – there is a reason and the reason may not be obvious at first glance. If you don’t know how to compare quotes on pole barn prices…we’ll do it for you. Fairly.
