Ordering bathroom fixtures, etc. while waiting on permit (sales, buying)

[JaRuss01]

My contractor is filing a permit for a gut bathroom reno. He said the permit will typically take a month. I would like to start ordering some lead time items, especially if i could obtain labor day sales, that way things start arriving ahead of time.

He said this is normal practice, and I shouldnt worry about. Is that accurate?

(I dont want to call the town as I have bothered them a bit too often on other things)

[jaymoney]

Is the ordering things while waiting on a permit accurate or the time for a permit accurate?

Are you buying the fixtures yourselves or is your contractor doing it? Your contractor's pricing is not going to be affected by Labor Day sales. And if you're doing the buying directly then why would they care when you get things?

[JaRuss01]

"Is the ordering things while waiting on a permit" normal?

We are buying the fixtures and tile ourselves. I am saying is it common / safe to start ordering these things before the permit is approved? Or do these permits sometimes get denied? I could shave 2-3 weeks off the completion time, and save money, by ordering everything now, as I am waiting for the permit, and also get labor day pricing.

But if the permit gets denied, I dont want to have to return a cast iron tub, toilet, tiles, etc. etc. and pay for return shipping etc....

[jdacunha]

Buy your fixtures on ebay. you can find Moen and all the big names discounted and no sales tax.

1 month for permits is normal.

[JaRuss01]

^^I found the best deals on Houzz, etc. and other online companies. Everything but the tile is online. Which is why i really want to order before the permit is approved. Many of my selections were picked because of sales price, and limited inventory. If i wait a couple weeks, my 50% off vanity may be out of inventory, and I may need to start redesigning / returning other items, etc.

Anyway...I guess the question is, whats the probability that a bathroom permit gets denied? And am I crazy for ordering things ahead of time?

[jaymoney]

You are not crazy for ordering things beforehand. See what return policies are like (watch out for those 25% restocking fees!), but it's unlikely that a decent contractor is going to have a permit denied.

Worst case you can sell it on Craigslist later on (hint, you should check craigslist first) and take a bit of a loss but at least get rid of stuff you couldn't use.

[sonofagunk]

Originally Posted by jaymoney

You are not crazy for ordering things beforehand. See what return policies are like (watch out for those 25% restocking fees!), but it's unlikely that a decent contractor is going to have a permit denied.

Worst case you can sell it on Craigslist later on (hint, you should check craigslist first) and take a bit of a loss but at least get rid of stuff you couldn't use.

unless you are doing something crazy, your permits are 99.99% guaranteed, so no reason to wait. If you wait, then your project will be delayed yet another month

[vinodelotus]

Order your items ASAP. You'll be amazed how many things are out of stock, come in wrong or damaged. Any household renovation items will cause you more problems than a typical Amazon order.