Plumbing Supply Stores

AustinReDevelop

Hey guys,
I have a client who had a gas valve go bad on his HVAC unit. He is not a licensed plumber, but the home he is trying to replace the valve on is his mothers. The client graduated from trade school, works in construction installing appliances for a builder and can easily handle the work. I was going to pick up the part and drive it over to his mom's house so that he could fix it, but the plumbing supply store won't sell to me because I'm unlicensed. I was just curious why that is? Anyone know? I'm in Texas so I suppose it could be a law, but that seems a little odd to me.

Thanks,
Joe

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Austin Remodeling
Contractor, Realtor, Investor

rbsremodeling

Errr so that only licensed installed can put it in. We have the same rules here and they are actually enforced.

May suck in situations like that (maybe) but in the end I think it is for the best

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JonM

But I'll betca you could buy crack within 20 yards of the store....

AustinReDevelop

I get what you are saying, but I read a few other threads about box stores selling H2O heaters and allowing licensed plumbers to install them. Is the "we don't sell to unlicensed people" a law? A store policy to keep the plumbers happy? or something else?

I personally am ok with the policy and probably wouldn't live in a house that I actually constructed myself (I know my strengths and weaknesses.), but I'm still wondering what about the motivation behind the restricted selling of supplies.

Anyone got a feel for this?

If the "rules" means law or administrative plumbing code then that's the answer I was looking for. ]

Thanks
Joe

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Austin Remodeling
Contractor, Realtor, Investor

thom

The supply house doesn't want the liability.

Assume they sold to a non-pro. The guy installs it for a customer, the place blows up, who gets sued. If they only sell to licensed professionals they are probably off the hook.

Tinstaafl

It could be as simple as just protecting their pro customers' sales. Here in PA there is very little in the way of specific trade licensing, but some supply houses still have policies (with varying levels of enforcement) of selling to pros only.

Also, it makes life simpler when you don't have to spend all that time and effort teaching Harry Homeowner what he needs to get the job done--and dealing with returns when he bought the wrong thing anyway.

AustinReDevelop

It makes sense to me that if that's your business strategy... Good enough.. I just had a hard time thinking that it was law. I would imagine that you could just order things you needed off of the net in lieu of the supply shops. I suppose with the way our society is litigious that wanting to dodge any responsibility is also a pretty valid concern. Still it does suck that we've regressed to a, "I don't want to get sued so here's my plan" type of mindset.

Hope all is well with you and yours,

Joe

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Austin Remodeling
Contractor, Realtor, Investor

SNC

Its not a rule as far as I know. We have supply houses in MD that wont sell except to licenced plumbers and then there are others that will sell to anyone.
Try a different place. Ferguson will sell to you if they are in TX.

MALCO.New.York

It is PROBABLY a Union Store and therefore they are protecting their Union Brothers and Counterparts.

The WAY IT SHOULD BE. Not the Union part, but the Licensed part.

There was a time, not so long ago, when I was 180 from this stand point................

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Something to One may be Nothing to another!

Ultimate Wisdom---------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW-cnizLDEE

MALCO.New.York

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__________________
Something to One may be Nothing to another!

Ultimate Wisdom---------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW-cnizLDEE

Ron The Plumber

Ouch my eyes now hurt, I'm seeing double post.

Ron The Plumber

Yea now we know how you got such a high post count.

MALCO.New.York

Look who is a talkin' there Ron......

Could have edited your above post to include this "second thought" that you had!

The twice double post tonight I shall chalk up to the fact that I have been on a fast. No Food. No Alcohol. (5 Days) now. It is getting exponentially EASIER!

Just Lemon Juice, Maple Syrup, Cayenne Pepper (Yummy) and Water.

1:1:1/10:10

I am now craving it as if it were my Beloved Prosecco!!!!

AND NO!!!!! I have NOT gone the way of the Shamen.

__________________
Something to One may be Nothing to another!

Ultimate Wisdom---------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW-cnizLDEE

BACKWOODS

I run into this from time to time in various trades.
Some supply houses are just A Holes. I used to work on 1 supply house's computer system years ago, they would sell me anything at a good discount. Went to a satellite store to buy something and I was dirt and kicked to the door.
I try to use Johnstone and Ferguson. The rest just tell me I am a nobody and we don't sell to nobody's!

nhmaster3015

It's all about liability.