Construction materials in Anchorage (Home Depot, buying, live)

[burrows]

How are prices at Home Depot or Lowes in Anchorage compared to the lower 48?

I am moving up in January and considering buying a fixer-upper. I am familiar with this type of thing in Durango, CO where prices are high. I've also worked in larger communities in Oregon were prices were much lower.

Considering Anchorage is a large city, can I expect prices for remodel materials to be similar to the lower 48? Or does the location (isolation) drive costs up significantly?

Thanks!

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by burrows

How are prices at Home Depot or Lowes in Anchorage compared to the lower 48?

I am moving up in January and considering buying a fixer-upper. I am familiar with this type of thing in Durango, CO where prices are high. I've also worked in larger communities in Oregon were prices were much lower.

Considering Anchorage is a large city, can I expect prices for remodel materials to be similar to the lower 48? Or does the location (isolation) drive costs up significantly?

Thanks!

The easiest way is to go to lowes.com or homedepot.com - you'll want to put in a location for Alaska. Put in Anchorage or either the zip code 99503. You can look at lumber and other materials for price comparisons.

[Moose Whisperer]

If it is an item that is normally in-stock in their stores, the prices are the same as in the -48. However, if it's something that needs to be special ordered, for example something you order through their website which requires "in-store" delivery, you will pay approx 10% over lower 48 prices - neither one offers free shipping up here. This pretty much negates the benefit of web special at the HD and Lowes online stores up here since you still need to ensure whatever your looking at is physically in stock, or expect to pay a price. But of course their stores are so big in the first place that I usually don't have any problem.

[rppearso]

Its not the same price, when I graduated I came back home to AK and looked for a sheet of double A face plywood and it was like 100$ and it was only A/B face, in colorado I paid like 40$ for double A face. So its alot more $$$$$ up here.

If all you are buying is some plastic fittings or something liek that you might not notice the price difference but large construction material is alot more.

[rsgis]

I have been checking adds, and websites, for Lowes, Walmart, Sam's Club, etc. and so far every page has had same prices as those advertised in lower 48.

[Crossfire600]

Originally Posted by burrows

How are prices at Home Depot or Lowes in Anchorage compared to the lower 48?

I am moving up in January and considering buying a fixer-upper. I am familiar with this type of thing in Durango, CO where prices are high. I've also worked in larger communities in Oregon were prices were much lower.

Considering Anchorage is a large city, can I expect prices for remodel materials to be similar to the lower 48? Or does the location (isolation) drive costs up significantly?

Thanks!

The prices are higher and your material selection will be much more limited up here than in the lower 48.

Material prices vary.. I have seen prices as much as double the lower 48 prices and others are pretty close lower 48. I believe it depends on where it is being shipped from and the overall weight and size of the items.

[rppearso]

The material costs at lowes are nothing compared to the labor rates up here if you dont know how to install and fix things yourself, I suggest to anyone to learn to do there own plumbing, electrical, dry wall etc because as soon as you involve a 3rd party the price is going to go through the roof. All these outragious prices you hear of for bathroom remodles, its not the material prices at lowes, its like 80% labor just fix it yourself its not rocket science.

[warptman]

Spell check...

[blueflames50]

Originally Posted by warptman

Spell check...

give up...he can't figure out how to use it!!! not educated at all!!

[rppearso]

Originally Posted by blueflames50

give up...he can't figure out how to use it!!! not educated at all!!

Yea because im writing a PhD thesis here, and its all about the grammer right who cares about content, or is content just a secondary check if the grammer is flawless. Wake up this is an internet forum, I spend like less than 30 sec writing most posts, im not going to go through and do a spell and grammer check.