Send Your Material List for a Quote

How It Works

Whether you are planning a backyard deck, a full home renovation, or a commercial build-out, getting a list quoted through Chicago Lumber & Building Materials is simple. We do not prepare estimates ourselves, and partner suppliers in our network do the quoting. Here is how it works:

1. Submit your project information. Use the quote form to describe the project and list what you need, or note that you have plans, sketches, or measurements to share. The more detail you provide, the clearer the quote.
2. We pass it to partner suppliers. Your request goes to lumber yards and building-material suppliers in our network.
3. A partner supplier follows up. The supplier responds with its quote and pricing. Ask it to confirm quantities, grades, and delivery so you have a clear budget picture and can compare.
4. Ask questions and adjust. Work directly with the supplier to ask about material choices and make adjustments if you want to upgrade, downgrade, or change any part of the project.

What to Provide

Suppliers can work from many starting points, but good project information leads to the clearest quote. Here is what helps most:

• A material list with species, grades, sizes, and quantities is the simplest way to get a quote.
• Architectural blueprints or construction plans include the dimensions, structural details, and specifications a supplier needs.
• A scaled sketch or drawing with key dimensions noted. This works well for decks, fences, pergolas, and other simpler structures.
• Property measurements, such as linear footage for fencing, square footage for decking or siding, and room dimensions for framing or drywall.
• Photos of the project area can help a supplier understand site conditions and any special requirements.
• A project description. Even a short written description of what you want to build gives suppliers a starting point to ask the right questions.

Types of Projects You Can Send

You can send material lists for most types of residential and light commercial construction. Common project types include:

• Decks and porches: Framing lumber, decking boards, railing systems, posts, hardware, and fasteners. A complete list accounts for joist spacing, beam spans, guardrail details, and structural connections.
• Fences: Posts, rails, pickets or panels, concrete for post setting, and hardware, with gate openings and terrain changes factored in. Check fence rules with the Chicago Department of Buildings or your local building department before you finalize the design.
• Framing packages: Studs, plates, headers, joists, rafters, sheathing, and structural hardware for new construction, additions, and gut rehabs.
• Siding and exterior trim: Siding material, starter strips, J-channel, corner boards, soffit, fascia, and associated trim and fasteners.
• Roofing: Shingles, underlayment, drip edge, flashing, ridge vent, and nails, based on roof area, slope, and the number of penetrations.
• Interior renovations: Drywall, insulation, interior trim, door packages, and finish materials for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and whole-home renovations.
• Commercial build-outs: Retail spaces, office renovations, restaurant fit-outs, and other light commercial projects.

Why Start With a Material List

Many homeowners and even some contractors rely on rough guesses or online calculators to figure out how much material they need. That can lead to problems: either you overbuy and deal with returns, or you come up short and lose a day waiting for more material. A written list you can have quoted helps reduce both risks:

• Avoid over-buying: Working from actual project dimensions with an appropriate waste allowance makes you less likely to end up with a pile of unused material.
• Prevent shortages: Allow for cuts, angles, and defects. Running out of material mid-project is a common preventable delay in residential construction.
• Check code requirements early: Confirm requirements for joist spans, guardrails, fire blocking, and insulation with your designer, contractor, and the Chicago Department of Buildings or your local building department.
• Get a realistic budget: With pricing on each line of the quote, you can see what materials will cost before you commit to starting the project.

What to Look For in a Quote

The format varies by supplier. Here is what to look for:

• Complete material list with quantities: Each item listed with quantities: linear feet of lumber, sheets of plywood, pounds of fasteners, rolls of flashing, tubes of adhesive, and anything else the project requires.
• Product specifications and grades: The grade (#2 SPF, Select Structural, etc.), treatment level (UC3B, UC4A), species, and dimensions for each line item so there is no ambiguity about what to order.
• Current pricing: The supplier’s pricing for each line item. Ask how long the quote is valid, since lumber prices move with the market.
• Delivery cost: Many suppliers include a delivery charge based on order size and your job-site location. See delivery through partner suppliers.
• Waste allowance: An allowance for each material type. As a rough rule of thumb, framing is often around 10%, decking and siding somewhat higher because of end cuts and angles, and finish trim higher still for color and grain selection.
• Alternative material options: Where practical, ask the supplier to price alternatives. For example, if your plan calls for cedar decking, ask for pressure-treated and composite pricing too so you can compare in one round.

Sample Material List: 14×20 Pressure-Treated Deck

To show what a useful list covers, here is an illustrative breakdown for a 14-foot by 20-foot pressure-treated deck with stairs and railing. Actual items and quantities depend on your design, and pricing is by quote from partner suppliers.

Footing size, member sizes, and guard and stair details should follow your approved plans. Check requirements with the Chicago Department of Buildings or your local building department.

Sample Material List: 150 Linear Feet of Cedar Privacy Fence

A cedar dog-ear privacy fence running 150 linear feet is a common residential project. Here is an illustrative material breakdown:

Cedar pricing moves with market conditions, and pressure-treated pine is usually the lower-cost alternative for the same fence dimensions. Ask suppliers to quote both. See the Chicago Fence Guide for material comparisons.

How to Prepare Your Request

The more prepared you are when you send your request, the clearer the quote. Here is what to have ready:

• Measurements or sketches: Even a rough sketch with key dimensions (length, width, height) is a solid starting point. For decks, include the height above grade. For fences, note the total linear footage and any grade changes.
• Photos of the project area: Photos showing the space, existing conditions, and any obstacles (slopes, trees, utilities) help a supplier understand site-specific factors.
• Architect or contractor plans: Professional blueprints or construction drawings, ideally as PDFs, show details sketches may miss.
• HOA requirements: If your property is governed by a homeowners association, have the architectural guidelines handy. Material restrictions, color requirements, and height limits affect what gets specified.
• Permit approval (if applicable): If you already have your building permit, use the approved plans. They are the definitive specifications and may call for materials or grades that differ from early design plans.
• Timeline expectations: Say when you plan to start. Lead times vary, so ask the supplier that quotes your project about availability and lead time.

Working From Plans

Building from professional architectural plans? Send the plan set with your request and note what you want quoted. Whether a supplier will work from a full plan set varies, so ask when it responds. This can be useful for gut renovations and new construction in Chicago, where projects often involve structural steel, masonry interfaces, and complex framing conditions.

Ready to get started? Request a quote and we will pass your project to partner suppliers in our network.