Materials group buying: how it works on Buildzz, honestly

Step 1 — Aggregate demand on an identical spec

A campaign is built on one exact product spec: same material, same grade and type, same size, same brand where brand matters. Demand is only aggregated when the spec snapshot is identical — a 5/8-inch Type X gypsum board and a 1/2-inch regular board are different campaigns, never blended to inflate a number. (Why spec identity matters: see the drywall spec guide.)

Step 2 — One centralized RFQ to suppliers

The aggregated, confirmed demand goes to suppliers as a single RFQ with ladder pricing: unit prices at stated quantity tiers. Suppliers quote against the same spec and the same delivery window, which is what makes their prices comparable.

Step 3 — Each buyer confirms and orders on its own

Buildzz does not buy, stock or resell materials in this phase, and there is no pooled order. When a campaign forms, each buyer confirms its own quantity and places its own order with the supplier — its own contract, its own invoice, its own payment. The platform coordinates the aggregation and the RFQ; the transactions belong to the buyers and suppliers.

The three states are never blurred

• Intent — a buyer signals interest in a quantity. It is not a commitment and does not count toward forming a campaign
• Confirmed — the buyer explicitly confirms its quantity. Only confirmed quantity counts toward the campaign threshold
• Ordered — the buyer has placed its own order under the campaign terms. Confirmation alone is not an order

Below threshold means not formed

Every campaign has a stated threshold. If confirmed quantity is below it at the deadline, the campaign is not formed — full stop. Nobody is charged, nobody is bound, and the platform does not quietly lower the threshold or count intent to rescue the number.

Price changes require re-confirmation

If the price or the spec changes after buyers have confirmed — a different ladder tier, a substituted product — the change is shown to each buyer and requires that buyer’s explicit re-confirmation before it affects their order. Silence is never treated as acceptance.

Savings: calculated only against a sourced solo price, or not at all

A savings figure is published only when it can be computed honestly: the campaign price compared against a solo (single-buyer) price with a stated source and date, minus any known extra transport or cost differences. If the solo price has no source or date, or extra costs are unknown, the platform reports “cannot calculate” — it does not estimate, round up, or borrow a list price from somewhere else. A smaller honest number beats a larger invented one, every time.

Frequently asked questions