Trade accounts
Open the account before you need it.
An account is what turns a price into a credit term, a reservation into a held pallet, and a verbal request into a written order. It takes one conversation and a few documents, and it is worth doing on a quiet week rather than a busy one.
Account opening
What we need from you.
Nothing here is unusual. The two items that hold up most applications are the resale certificate — where the purchase is for resale — and a delivery address that a truck can actually reach.
- Legal name
The entity that will be invoiced, exactly as registered, with any DBA it trades under.
- Billing address
Where the invoice goes, and the email address that reaches whoever approves it.
- Delivery addresses
Yard, shop or site. Site deliveries need access notes: gate width, overhead clearance, hours, and whether a forklift is available to unload.
- Resale certificate
Where goods are bought for resale, a valid certificate — CDTFA-230 in California, or the equivalent from another state. Material bought for use on a job is not a resale purchase.
- Trade references
Two suppliers or a bank reference, for a credit account. Without them the account can still open on prepaid or payment-on-delivery terms.
- Day-to-day contact
The person who raises the order, and the person who signs for the delivery. They are rarely the same person.
Order units
What a quantity means.
Half of all invoice disputes are a unit disagreement. A carton is not a square foot, a bundle is not a piece, and a pallet is whatever the manufacturer decided it is.
| Unit | Means | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Each / piece | A single item as packed by the manufacturer. | Connectors, doors, windows, cut stone |
| Box / pack | A fixed count per box, stated on the quotation. | Screws, nails, anchors, abrasives |
| Linear foot | Length, priced per foot, sold in fixed lengths. | Moulding, trim, coping |
| Square foot | Area, priced per foot, sold by the carton coverage. | Tile, flooring, stone |
| Carton | A covered quantity that does not equal a round square footage. | Tile and flooring — always check the coverage figure |
| Bundle | A manufacturer’s pack, for lumber or for slab. | Framing, stone slabs |
| Pallet | A stated count or coverage per pallet, defined per product. | Pavers, bagged goods, block |
Worked example
A 320 sq ft floor in tile that covers 15.5 sq ft per carton is 21 cartons — 325.5 sq ft, not 320. The extra is not waste; it is the packing unit. Add the cut allowance on top of that, and the order is 23 cartons. Quoting 320 sq ft rounds down into a shortage.
Payment & credit
Terms, before the first order.
We do not publish a credit policy on a website, because it is agreed per account. What we will publish is the order in which it is decided.
| Basis | When it applies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prepaid | New accounts, first order, or a special-order line. | Payment clears before dispatch. The quickest route to a first shipment. |
| Payment on delivery | Established local accounts and will-call collections. | Settled at the point of receipt, by the method agreed on the account. |
| Credit account | After references and a trading history. Terms are stated in writing. | A credit limit and a due date are both named. Neither is implied. |
| Deposit and balance | Indent and container orders, and cut-to-size work. | Deposit at order, balance before release. The split is stated on the quotation. |
Two things that are never asked for
We do not ask for card details by email, and this website does not take payment of any kind. If a message claiming to be from us asks for a card number or a bank change, telephone the trade desk on the number in the footer before acting on it.
Returns & claims
Where the line is drawn.
Material that can be put back on a shelf can usually be returned. Material that has been cut, opened or made to order cannot, because it cannot be sold to anyone else.
- Returnable
Stocked material in unopened original packaging, by prior arrangement and inside the agreed window. A return authorisation is issued before the material comes back.
- Not returnable
Cut, opened, installed or mixed material; special-order and indent lines; opened bags and pails; clearance stock.
- Visible damage
Noted on the delivery document at the point of receipt. A signature without a note is an acceptance of the load as delivered.
- Concealed damage
Reported in writing with photographs as soon as it is found, before installation. Once material is installed, the claim is with the installer.
- Short shipment
Counted against the packing list at receiving. Discrepancies reported the same day, while the load is still traceable.
Questions
Asked often enough to answer here.
If the answer is not here, it is probably specific to your account or your line, and the trade desk will give it in writing.
- Is there a minimum order?
Yes, and it is set per account and stated on the quotation. It is not a number this page can give you honestly, because it depends on the line, the freight and whether the material is stocked.
- Can I collect from the yard?
Yes. Will-call collections need a booking and a vehicle that suits the load. Long material needs racks; a pallet needs a way to unload it at the other end.
- Do you deliver outside the Los Angeles area?
Yes, by LTL or FTL. The freight basis is quoted per shipment rather than absorbed into the unit price, so you can see what the transport actually costs.
- Can you match a sample I already have?
Usually. Send it, or send a photograph with the dimensions, the finish and where it was bought. Matching an existing floor is the hardest request in the trade, so it is worth asking early.
- Do you sell to the public?
We supply commercial buyers — contractors, retailers, builders, fabricators and property managers. There is no retail counter.
Trade desk
Open an account,
then order against it.
A call is enough to start. Have the legal name, the billing address and the delivery address to hand, and ask what the account will need for the terms you want.
Or email the trade desk at info@onesourcedepot.net