Where do roofers and contractors buy their tools and jobsite supplies? Roofing supply houses, distributors, hardware stores and online, what a supply house carries that a home center does not, buying by the case, and the crew tool list
Roofers buy roofing material (shingles, underlayment, membrane, flashing metal, fasteners) from roofing supply houses and distributors that deliver to the roof by boom truck and sell on account; they buy tools and jobsite supplies from the same supply houses, from industrial and safety distributors like us, from hardware and home centers for the odd item, and increasingly online by the case, which is how the C&R line on this site is sold. A supply house carries the trade items a home center does not: tear-off spades and shingle shovels, hook blades by the hundred, roofing hatchets, butyl tape in roofing widths, seam rollers and probes, roof brackets, spud bars, felt brooms, magnet sweepers and knee pads by the case. The basic roofing crew tool list fits in that line; the cleaning and janitorial supplies for the shop (rags by the pound, dust mops, hand cleaner by the gallon, contractor bags, stretch wrap) come from the same industrial distributors. We sell nationwide, by the piece and the case, with the part number on every listing.
C&R CRSH73 Roofing Shovel, #3, Serrated, All Steel Handle, FulcrumThe product data lists the CRSH73 as a #3 serrated tear-off spade with an all-steel handle and fulcrum, one of 456 C&R listings on this siteWhy this page exists. The questions in it are the ones people type when they are setting up a crew or a shop and do not yet know where the trade buys: where roofers and construction companies get their materials and supplies, where the cheapest place is, what the basic and essential tools are, what janitorial and cleaning supplies a shop needs and where to get them in bulk, which brands professionals use, and who the big suppliers are. The cards below answer them plainly, with the honest division between what a supply house, a distributor, a home center and an online seller each does, and without naming competitors. The 456-listing C&R roofing tool line on this site is what we can speak to directly.
Buying tools and supplies, question by question
The descriptions of the supply channels are the trade’s; the product figures are from this site.
Buying in plain words
- Materials from a roofing supply house on account, delivered to the roof; tools and supplies from distributors and online by the case.
- A supply house stocks what a home center does not: tear-off spades, hook blades by the hundred, roofing hatchets, butyl tape, seam rollers, brackets.
- Price per unit drops with the case; our listings are priced by the unit of sale with the count stated.
- Roofing crew list: tear-off, hatchets, blades, brackets, hooks, hoist, felt broom, tacker, rollers, torch, tarps, cement, tape, pads, bags, sweeper, trailer, plus PPE and fall protection.
- Janitorial supplies for a shop: brooms, mops, rags, bags, hand cleaner, squeegees, buckets, cleaner; the industrial extras are rags by the pound and pumice by the gallon.
- Cleaning businesses buy from janitorial distributors on account; the overlap items are here by the case.
- Real brands are named on each listing; C&R is the house label.
- We ship nationwide; oversize items go by freight.
Questions people ask
Where do cleaning companies get their supplies?
From janitorial and sanitary supply distributors on account, and from industrial suppliers like us for rags, mops, brooms, bags and hand cleaner by the case.
What is included in janitorial supplies?
Brooms, dust and wet mops, buckets, rags and microfiber, trash bags and liners, hand cleaner and soap, squeegees, brushes, floor cleaners and disinfectants, gloves and eye protection.
Where is the cheapest store to buy cleaning supplies?
By the case from a distributor; we do not compare other sellers’ prices.
Where can I buy janitorial supplies online?
From janitorial distributors and from this site for the overlap, by the case, shipped nationwide.
What are the 50 tools everyone needs?
The pouch, bag, truck and shop lists above; the roofing additions are tear-off, hatchets, blades, brackets, rollers, torch and the fall protection the rules require.
Where is the cheapest place to buy roofing material?
A roofing supply house on a contractor account, delivered to the roof.
What are the basic tools used in construction?
Tape, squares, chalk line, level, hammer, knife, pry bars, saws and blades, drill and bits, pliers, wrenches, snips, caulking gun, trowels, shovels, barrow, ladders, cords, compressor, brooms, sweeper, buckets and bags.
Where can I buy cleaning supplies in bulk?
By the case or the pound from a janitorial or industrial distributor; our rags come in 10, 25 and 50 lb boxes.
Where is the place to buy roofing materials?
A roofing distributor for materials; a distributor or this site for tools and supplies by the case.
Where do construction companies get their materials?
Lumber yards, building-supply dealers and specialty distributors on account, with home centers for small quantities.
What brand do professional cleaners use?
We do not rank brands; the janitorial items we carry are listed by name and part number on this site.
What are the top 10 construction tools?
Tape measure, hammer, utility knife, speed square, level, pry bar, circular saw, drill driver, pliers and a caulking gun, by most lists; the roofing crew adds its own set.
What cleaning supplies do janitors use?
Dust and wet mops, brooms, rags, bags, hand soap, squeegees, brushes and floor cleaners, bought by the case.
Where do contractors buy their supplies?
Supply houses and distributors on account for materials and trade tools, industrial and safety suppliers for consumables and PPE, home centers for the odd item.
What are 10 good cleaning products for a shop?
A push broom, a dust mop, a wet mop and bucket, rags, microfiber, contractor bags, pumice hand cleaner, a squeegee, a scrub brush and a citrus cleaner.
Where can I buy building materials in bulk?
From building-supply dealers and distributors on a contractor account.
What equipment does a cleaning business need?
The janitorial list above plus carts, vacuums, floor machines and a vehicle; the consumables come by the case.
Do you sell nationwide?
Yes; every listing ships to every state, oversize items by freight, and Contractor Direct orders ship free.
Related guides
Roof tear-off toolsShingle shovels, spud bars and how long it takesMicrofiber cloths and shop ragsWhat not to clean with microfiber, and washingDust mops and mop headsCleaning a dust mop and when it beats a broomHeavy-duty hand cleanersPumice, citrus and waterlessOSHA roof fall protection rulesLow-slope and steep roofsWork gloves for roofingGloves by job: roofingThe ratings, test results and standards shown here are the manufacturers' published values, reproduced as published. Nothing on this page is a recommendation by Bayshore Safety that any product is suitable for a particular task, hazard or workplace. Selecting safety products and protective equipment is the responsibility of the end user and the employer, based on their own hazard assessment and the regulations that apply to their work. Confirm every value on the manufacturer's own documentation before use.