Construction materials procurement in Batumi: schedule, buying, delivery, acceptance

Construction materials procurement: so the crew never stands idle

Construction materials procurement means buying, delivering and accepting everything the house is built from, in the right quantity and on the right day. If the blocks have not arrived when bricklaying starts, the crew stands idle and you pay for the downtime. If the rebar arrives two months before the pour, it rusts in the rain. We buy against the schedule of materials from the estimate, compare prices from several suppliers, accept every truck on site and store materials so that they survive until they are used.

Where it starts: the schedule of materials

The basis of procurement is the schedule of materials: every material with its quantity, grade and the date by which it is needed on site. It is put together from the design along with the estimate, with an allowance for cutting and breakage that differs from one material to another. Without a schedule, buying happens "as you go", and by the end of the build a noticeable share of the money has gone on top-up purchases in small lots at retail prices. How quantities are calculated is on the house construction estimate page.

Where we buy

We buy concrete, rebar, blocks, sand and gravel from suppliers in Batumi and Adjara, close to the plot: delivery is cheaper and a batch is easier to replace if it is not right. Some finishing materials, sanitary ware and hardware are better value brought from Turkey; the Sarpi border crossing is half an hour from the city. Windows, doors, roofing and equipment are ordered from manufacturers in advance: production takes from several weeks, and that has to go into the schedule. Why windows are ordered only after measuring the finished openings is explained on the glazing page.

How the price is visible

With procurement per m², supplier discounts go to you, not into our margin. If we find a cheaper material with the same properties, we propose the substitution in writing, and the decision is yours.

Delivery schedule

• rebar and concrete for each pour, no earlier than a few days ahead;
• blocks in batches per storey, so as not to clutter the plot;
• windows and doors are ordered after measuring the finished openings;
• roofing is ordered once the rafters are ready;
• finishes are brought in at the start of finishing works, so they do not sit in a damp shell.

Storage on site

In Batumi's damp climate storage matters a great deal. Cement and dry mixes in an open bag set into lumps within a couple of weeks, aerated concrete soaks up water and then takes a long time to dry out in the wall, rebar rusts, boards and timber warp. So we put up a shelter, pallets and covers on the plot, keep dry mixes in a closed room or container and try not to bring in more than will be used within a week or two.

Incoming inspection

Every truck is accepted on site: we check the delivery note against the order, the rebar markings, the concrete grade on its delivery note, the geometry of the blocks and the condition of the packaging and glass. From concrete for critical structures we take cubes for laboratory testing. A defective batch is not unloaded but returned to the supplier, and the replacement dates go into the schedule. How we check reinforcement before a pour is on the reinforcement page.

If you buy materials yourself

Sometimes an owner wants to buy some materials themselves: tiles from a supplier they know, or windows from a manufacturer they have already agreed with. That is possible. We give you an exact list with quantities, specifications and the date by which the material is needed on site, and accept it against a record when it is unloaded. The supplier answers for the quality of such material, and we answer for the work done with it. Furniture and appliances for a finished apartment are chosen differently; that is covered on the apartment furnishing page.

How much construction procurement costs

Construction materials procurement with a schedule of materials, buying, delivery and acceptance costs from 30 ₾ per m² of house; the materials themselves are paid at suppliers' invoices. A bill of quantities for works and materials from the design from 840 ₾, materials delivery by crane truck with unloading on site from 420 ₾ per trip. A shelter, pallets and covers for storage on site from 1 260 ₾, concrete cube sampling and laboratory testing from 280 ₾ per set. The final cost is set after agreeing the schedule of materials and the delivery schedule.