Steel, aluminum, lumber and cement have been repriced by headline after headline since July, with a three-day pause announced August 19. Contractors do not expect you to control the market. They will absolutely remember who kept them informed while it moved.
What happened
The 50 per cent U.S. tariffs that took effect in late July have been paused, unpaused and renegotiated in public. Every swing changes replacement cost at the counter, quote validity windows and what a contractor should buy this week versus next.
Sources: Ontario Construction News · Daily Commercial News
If you distribute building materials
Contractors are getting their price signals from rumours and group chats. Replace that with you.
- Publish a short weekly pricing and availability note, on your site and by email. Plain words: what moved, what did not, what we suggest.
- Put quote validity and stock position on your quotes and your website so pros can plan a buy with confidence.
- Give counter staff the same one-pager, so the story is identical online, by email and in person.
If you own a hardware brand
Dealers stock the brands that help them sell through uncertainty, not just the cheapest ones.
- Send dealers a monthly margin-and-supply note they can repeat to customers without checking with you.
- Lean on country of origin where it favours you, on packaging pages and product pages alike.
- Spend co-op dollars on the searches contractors actually make when prices jump, like "in stock" and "price list" terms.
If you fabricate glass
Aluminum moves your framing and spacer costs, and your customers quote jobs weeks out.
- Publish how surcharges work and how long quotes hold. Glaziers reward suppliers they can price against.
- Show live or typical lead times by product family so shops can promise dates with a straight face.
- When a headline hits, email your account list the same day with what it means for orders in the queue.
The part most companies skip
The weekly note feels like admin. It is actually the cheapest customer-retention campaign in the industry right now, and after three months it becomes the reason new accounts move their business to you.
