Working with a new general contractor for the first time is one of those “this should be simple” situations that turns into a surprisingly high-stakes conversation.
Because it is not really about faucets versus flooring.
It is about clarity, accountability, client experience, and yes, profit. Get this right, and your project feels calm and professional. Get it wrong (or get it late) and you spend the rest of the build managing confusion, blame, and a client who cannot believe the “team” is not aligned.
A member asked a practical question: how do you decide who purchases what during a renovation or new build when partnering with a new GC? Plumbing fixtures, lighting, slabs, tile, appliances, and millwork. And how do you do it without stepping on toes or creating liability landmines?
Let us make it repeatable. Below is a clear framework you can use in kickoff meetings, along with a checklist and scripts you can integrate into your process immediately.
The three questions that decide everything
Before you get lost in categories, anchor the conversation on three questions:
- Who is responsible for the outcome? Performance, function, code compliance, water, safety. If it fails, who owns the fix?
- Who controls the details? Finish, scale, trim, placement, design intent. Who is driving the decisions, and who can quickly course-correct when something is off?
- Who owns the warranty path? Product warranty vs labor warranty vs the real-world question: when something goes wrong, who is the point person who makes it right?
Here is the principle that keeps projects from turning into finger-pointing theater:
- Responsibility should be clear.
- Profit should follow responsibility.
- Warranty risk should match who purchased and who installed.
“Typically whoever orders it (and deals with everything that comes with ordering) makes the profit… It’s better to only have one set of hands on something from order to install so there’s no finger pointing when there’s a problem.” – @lsi_workshop
That “one set of hands” idea is not the only model, but it is a powerful default. Wrong finish arrives? Someone says, “Not my order.” Schedule slips. Client spirals. You will serve as the emotional support coordinator for the entire jobsite. Clear ownership prevents that.
A simple decision framework: risk vs control
When you are working with a new GC, stop thinking in product categories and start thinking in two buckets:
- Bucket A: Risk and accountability items. If it leaks, cracks, fails inspection, causes damage, or causes a costly delay, who is responsible for it?
- Bucket B: Control and curation items. If it arrives wrong, can it be swapped without ripping out walls? Is it highly design-sensitive, and does it require trade accounts, specialty ordering, or long-lead-time coordination?
Your client does not want a debate. They want a plan. This framework provides a plan that protects them and keeps the schedule on track.
The most common split (and why it works)
Across firms, a pattern shows up again and again:
- Designers purchase what is design-driven, spec-sensitive, trade-only, and easier to replace.
- General contractors purchase what is construction-core, permanently installed, and warranty-heavy.
This split works because it aligns control, risk, and workflow.
Think about it like this:
- If the item is easy to swap and highly tied to aesthetic intent, it often makes sense for the designer to procure.
- If the item is closely tied to installation coordination, inspection timing, or long-term performance, it often makes sense for the GC to procure it.
This is not about “who gets the margin.” It is about who can solve problems fast when things inevitably get weird.
Where designers commonly procure (and why)
These are categories where designers often buy because the details matter, the accounts matter, and replacement is usually manageable:
- Decorative lighting (statement fixtures, specialty pieces)
- Decorative hardware (especially specialty finishes)
- Mirrors and medicine cabinets (when design-specific)
- Wallpaper and wall coverings
- Furnishings, rugs, art, accessories
- Trade-only and specialty items (including some international sourcing)
If you procure these, your process should clearly cover lead times, receiving and inspection, storage and insurance, damage claims, and install coordination handoff.
Where GCs commonly procure (and why)
These are categories where contractors often buy because they are tied to the construction schedule, labor warranty, and the practical realities of jobsite coordination:
- Framing, drywall, insulation, and waterproofing systems
- Setting materials (thinset, grout, underlayment)
- Core plumbing and electrical rough materials
- Countertop fabrication and installation (templating, seams, liability)
- Cabinet install packages (even when you spec and approve)
- Flooring (often due to volume, storage, and labor timing)
“We make a checklist with the items we supply that the contractor will install… We let the contractor buy flooring because it is too much volume for us to handle… It is always a dialogue and it can differ from project to project.” – @christinarichardsoninteriors
That is the grown-up answer: a checklist, a dialogue, and the humility to adjust by project type.
The warranty reality check: do not create a gray zone
This is where designers get burned.
You order the plumbing fixture. The GC installs it. Something leaks. Everyone looks at you because you “bought it.” Or the GC looks at you because “your product was defective.” Either way, the client feels like nobody is accountable.
The goal is not to dodge responsibility. The goal is to eliminate ambiguity. Ambiguity is where relationships die.
“Generally, I would say if you’re not responsible for providing the warranty, you shouldn’t be the one to purchase it… If it’s something that can pretty easily be changed out (like lighting) or it’s not permanently affixed, the designer should purchase it, otherwise it’s the GC.” – @katerinabuscemi
That boundary is strong enough to become a policy: if you are not positioned to manage the warranty path, do not be the purchaser.
Quick note (not legal advice): If you want a plain-language overview of how warranties are generally handled in the U.S., the FTC has a solid primer you can read quickly: Businessperson’s Guide to Federal Warranty Law.
Profit (because you are running a business, not a hobby)
Let us not pretend margin is a dirty word. Your studio needs healthy revenue to deliver high-touch work. The tension is that some categories have low margin, high admin, and high risk. Others are the opposite.
“I know a lot of designers let the GC buy plumbing… But if I sell my client on Waterworks, for instance, shouldn’t I get to see some profit from that sale… That can be a really significant profit.” – @jo.lyle.design
This is the heart of the procurement conversation. If your business model relies on procurement margins, you need to protect them intentionally. If your business model relies on design fees (and procurement is a convenience), you have more flexibility to hand off procurement-heavy categories to the GC.
The key is to decide your model first, then align procurement decisions with it. Otherwise, you end up making decisions on the fly, and that is when resentment creeps in.
“We make a clear distinction between construction items and our design scope… those items are implemented and purchased by the general contractor. Anything we purchase has a procurement fee… We outline these responsibilities at the start of the project and confirm them in writing.” – @nikkilevyinteriors
If you take nothing else from this section, take that last part: confirm it in writing, early.
The contractor’s perspective is worth borrowing
When working with a new GC, it helps to hear the contractor’s perspective without defensiveness. One contractor described a model that protects everyone (including the client) while keeping things collaborative:
“We love purchasing our products directly from the designers we work with so that they secure their markup… we buy things like lighting, hardware and specialty items that have been specified by the designer from them directly… then the stuff that the client is price comparing online… we purchase directly from our wholesalers and pass along our discounts to the client.” – @chadofall_chadillac
Notice what is happening here:
- The designer keeps margins where they make sense (trade-only, specialty, design-sensitive).
- The GC keeps accountability for ordering and installation where they need control.
- The client feels protected because roles are transparent, and the schedule is not held hostage by confusion.
This is the vibe you want in a kickoff meeting: collaborative, not territorial.
The gray zone categories (decide intentionally)
These categories cause the most drama because they sit in the middle: highly visible, often expensive, sometimes easy to swap, sometimes absolutely not.
- Plumbing fixtures
- Tile and stone
- Cabinetry and millwork
- Architectural lighting (recessed, tape, drivers, systems)
- Windows and doors
- Appliances
Instead of defaulting to “designer buys” or “GC buys,” use two practical questions per category:
- How painful is it to replace? If the wrong thing arrives, does it trigger demo, re-waterproofing, re-inspection, or a multi-week delay?
- Who is best positioned to solve problems fast? Who has the accounts, the installer relationships, and the time to quickly coordinate returns, damage claims, and substitutions?
Examples: a chandelier is often swap-friendly. A shower valve behind tile is not. Slabs and countertops carry high liability and schedule dependency. Tile is tricky because the tile itself is design-driven, but the installation system is performance-driven, so a hybrid approach often works.
Specialty and international sourcing: when it should often be you
If you are sourcing trade-only lines, specialty makers, or international brands, the GC may not have the accounts (or the desire) to manage ordering, freight, damage claims, and communication. That does not make them difficult. It just means it is not their lane.
If you procure specialty items, spell out logistics in writing:
- Freight and access (liftgate, inside delivery, white glove)
- Receiving location (jobsite vs warehouse vs GC storage)
- Inspection window (who inspects, within how many days)
- Storage responsibility (where it sits, who insures it)
- Damage claims process (who files, who documents)
- Install coordination handoff (who schedules and confirms readiness)
If procurement is part of your model, build the system so it is not chaotic.
Your “Who buys what” checklist (copy and customize)
This is a starting point, not a universal rule. Customize it per project, then confirm it in writing.
Commonly designer purchases:
- Decorative lighting
- Decorative hardware
- Mirrors and design-specific medicine cabinets
- Wallpaper and wall coverings
- Furnishings and decor
- Trade-only and specialty items
Common GC purchases:
- Setting materials tied to install warranty (thinset, grout, waterproofing)
- Framing, drywall, and insulation
- Flooring (often due to volume and labor coordination)
- Countertops and slabs (templating and fabrication coordination)
- Core rough electrical and plumbing materials
- Cabinet installation packages (and often the cabinet order itself)
Project-dependent (decide intentionally):
- Plumbing fixtures
- Tile and stone
- Cabinetry and millwork
- Architectural lighting systems
- Windows and doors
- Appliances
One rule that works well for the project-dependent list: who can best control the details, and who is best positioned to stand behind it when something goes wrong?
The kickoff script (calm, not combative)
Use this when you are working with a new GC. It maintains a collaborative, client-centered tone.
- “I would love to align on procurement responsibilities now so the client gets a smooth experience.”
- “Let us decide who is ordering each category, who is receiving it, and who owns the warranty path.”
- “Where possible, let us keep one set of hands from order to install so we avoid finger-pointing if there is an issue.”
- “For trade-only or specialty items, I can procure to protect design intent and lead times, and we will outline installation responsibilities in writing.”
That is it. Calm, confident, professional.
Put it in writing: the one sheet that saves projects
You do not need a 20-page legal document to start. You need a shared responsibility sheet that everyone agrees to, then you reference it in your agreement and your kickoff notes.
Your “Who buys what” one-sheet should include:
- Category (plumbing fixtures, lighting, tile, slabs, appliances, cabinetry, etc.)
- Purchaser (Designer, GC, Client)
- Who receives (jobsite, designer warehouse, GC storage)
- Who verifies on arrival (and within what timeframe)
- Who owns damage claims (shipping damage, concealed damage, defects)
- Who installs (GC sub, owner, specialty installer)
- Who warrants (labor vs product, and who is the point of contact)
- Lead time assumptions (and what happens if it slips)
One extra line that saves your sanity: If changes are made without written approval, schedule and cost impacts are acknowledged.
Common scenarios (and how to handle them without drama)
Scenario 1: The GC does not want you to purchase anything they install
This can be liability, workflow, or profit. Get curious, then propose a clean hybrid: you sell through your trade account (protecting design intent and margin), the GC purchases from you (keeping accountability and install coordination), and the client gets one point of responsibility.
Scenario 2: You need a margin from the installed finish categories
If profitability depends on selling some installed finishes, decide it early and bake it into the model. Negotiate procurement categories before finalizing bids, or shift your fee structure so design fees carry a greater share of the revenue burden and procurement becomes optional. This is a pricing strategy decision, not a personality conflict.
Scenario 3: The client wants to buy everything online
Define what happens if the client procures: do you charge a coordination fee, limit what you will manage, or assign ownership of errors, returns, missing parts, and late deliveries? Clear expectations protect your time and protect the GC schedule.
The goal is not control. It is teamwork.
When working with a new GC, it is tempting to treat procurement as a territory issue. Treat it like a systems issue instead. The best teams are not the ones where everyone is quietly resentful and protecting their slice. They are the ones where everyone is clear, paid fairly, and able to do great work without constant friction.
Quick recap for design pros
- Decide early. Ideally, before bids finalize and before work starts.
- Put it in writing. A shared responsibility sheet is often enough.
- Match warranty to procurement. Avoid gray zones.
- Use “one set of hands” where possible. Less finger-pointing.
- Protect margins intentionally. Through procurement categories, procurement fees, or your overall pricing model.
- Keep it collaborative. Great projects are built on trust.
If you are navigating this right now, the simplest upgrade you can make this week is to build that one-page “Who buys what” sheet and use it in every kickoff. It turns an awkward conversation into a professional process.
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