Returns of materials
If you need to return a material — wrong product, change of mind, surplus — the return goes through the supplier you bought from. Restocking fees, packaging condition, and courier costs are usually the supplier's call.
If you need to return a material — wrong product, change of mind, or you've ended up with surplus — the return goes through the supplier you bought from.
Steps
- Have your builder check materials on arrival. The single biggest reason returns get awkward is a fault or wrong item being found weeks after delivery, by which point the supplier's return window may have closed. Your builder should open and inspect every delivery promptly. The article What to do if a delivery is missing or wrong covers what happens if something's off.
- Check the supplier's return policy. Each supplier has their own. Most allow returns within a window, in original packaging, with proof of purchase. Some charge restocking fees (typically 15–25%); some don't. Some cover return courier; some pass that cost to you.
- Tell your builder. If the item has already been delivered to site, your builder needs to know it's leaving. They'll usually keep it stored separately or mark it as returning.
- Initiate the return with the supplier. Through their website, by phone, or by email. Have your order reference and your reason ready.
- Arrange courier. Either the supplier's courier or one you arrange — depending on the supplier's policy.
- Track the refund. Refunds usually take a few business days from the supplier's receipt of the returned item. They flow back through the same payment route you used.
What the supplier will check
Suppliers usually verify:
- The item is in original packaging and undamaged.
- The order reference matches what they have.
- The return is within their stated window.
If any of these don't check out, the refund may be partial — or in extreme cases declined.
Surplus materials
If you've ordered more than you need (which is normal — most projects budget extra for breakage, offcuts, and contingency), you can return the surplus or keep it. Tile in particular is worth keeping a small surplus of for future repairs; your builder will tell you how much to keep.
When the issue is the supplier's
If the item is faulty, damaged on arrival, or not what you ordered, the article What to do if a product I receive is faulty and What to do if a delivery is missing or wrong cover that path. Those situations are different from a customer-driven return — the supplier handles them under their warranty or supply terms, not their return policy.
What this means for you
Returns are usually straightforward. Customer-driven returns go through the supplier; we don't sit in the middle of them. If a return is large or complicated and you'd like a hand, your build advisor can help you think it through.
Related articles
- How materials work — your role, the builder's role, ours
- What to do if a delivery is missing or wrong
- What to do if a product I receive is faulty