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Understand Changing Supply House Dynamics

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Is this True about Contractors and Supply Houses in 2026? Master Electrician says be careful, True?

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What happens here

The speaker, a master electrician, explains that the business landscape for electrical contractors is changing, particularly concerning supply houses. He recounts an experience where his long-standing Schneider Electric (Square D) distributor quoted him double the price for a standard three-pole, 120-volt circuit breaker compared to a GE and Siemens distributor. He emphasizes that loyalty and past relationships no longer guarantee preferred pricing, and that supply houses "don't care" about individual contractors anymore. He advises fellow electricians to always call around and compare prices from multiple distributors because "nobody has your back anymore."

Goal: Be aware of changing pricing strategies in electrical supply houses and adapt purchasing habits.

What they say

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Business is changing. Today, my Square D representative, my Schneider Electric go-to supply house that I've been doing business with for over 20 years, never owed him a dime, has quoted me two times the price of a non-Square D Schneider distributor. I'm going to repeat that. My Square D Schneider distributor quoted me two times the price of a three-pole QOB simple 120-V circuit breaker. Yet, my GE and Siemens distributor did it half the price. Make any sense? It makes no sense. So, originally, I wasn't even going to call another distributor. If I need Square D, boom, I go to this guy. It's called honor, right? Well, there is no more honor. There is no more reason for you just to go and buy from a local supply house because they don't care. Now, look, I always as I am an advocate for two-xing your materials. You deserve it. But, you can't two-x something that's already been two-xed to you. It's one thing if you and I, electrical contractor, are competing with each other, okay? We get the specs, we're competing against each other, and you don't want to mark your material up, that's up to you. But, if you're getting material for half the price than me, and I'm putting a two-x mark up, I'm in trouble. And it used to never be that way. Used to get preferred pricing. It used to People would call me asking me to buy them things for homeowners thinking I'd get a discount. So, call around and get prices because nobody has your back anymore.

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