Common jobs in a builders merchants yard
Builders merchants employ a wide variety of individuals, from the physical yard-based role to the warehouse-based role, the trade counter, travelling to customer sites and working out quantities from drawings in an office. As a first job in construction supply or even as a change from a trade, a merchant can offer a lot to build a career from and many branch managers started out in the yard.
Trade counter sales assistant
The counter or trade counter is where builders, tradespeople and public customers place orders and collect materials. Sales assistants take orders and find products for customers, check stock levels, price up and quote for orders and process payments at the till, often with a queue of busy customers first thing in the morning. Experience in construction or a related trade can be a real advantage when dealing with customers, who expect you to understand what they are asking for, but product knowledge can be acquired quickly on the job.
Yard operative
Yard operatives receive deliveries of timber, blocks, bricks, aggregates and sheet materials, store them safely around the yard and load customers’ vehicles. Yard Operatives are physically active jobs, using forklift trucks and other equipment. Many require a counterbalance license.
In the UK there is no official forklift licence. Instead, employers expect evidence of suitable training and assessment for specific types of trucks used in the yard, for example, counterbalance trucks and telescopic handlers. The Health and Safety Executive expects lift truck operators to be trained to the standard outlined in the HSE code of practice. Many merchants offer new employees a programme of training to meet the requirements of this code.
Warehouse or stores picker
Larger branches and distribution centres have a warehouse where they hold small products such as fixings, tools, plumbing and electrical fittings. These would be picked from the shelves for each order by a picker, who checks the quantities. The products would then be prepared for the counter or sent out on a lorry. It’s a job where accuracy matters more than speed, because a missing box of fixings can stop work on a site.
Delivery driver
The job of a delivery driver is to take products from the yard to customers’ building sites, often on a multi-drop route. Depending on the type of vehicle that the role involves, a C1 licence is required to drive trucks up to 7.5 tonnes, a Category C licence for larger rigid vehicles (Class 2) and a Category C+E licence for articulated lorries (Class 1). Professional lorry drivers also require a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.
Many merchant lorries carry a crane for unloading, and drivers are trained to use it safely on site. It is a customer-facing role, because the driver is often the person the builder actually meets. For Builders Merchants Jobs take a look at https://bmcareers.com/distributors-and-builders-merchants-vacancies/.
Estimator or trade sales rep
Estimators work out the quantities of materials needed from plans and specifications and produce a quote for the work. Trade sales reps visit contractors and builders to try to win and retain accounts. They follow up on quotes submitted and promote new products. The two roles often overlap. Many people move into them after a few years on the counter, and both need a good knowledge of how buildings are put together.
Branch manager
The branch manager is responsible for running the entire site, including sales, staff, stock, health & safety and the day-to-day running of the yard. The role is typically filled by someone with years of experience on the counter or in sales roles and good knowledge of the products and customers.
| Role | Where you work | Useful to have |
|---|---|---|
| Trade counter sales | Counter and showroom | Trade or construction knowledge |
| Yard operative | Outdoors in the yard | Lift truck training |
| Warehouse picker | Warehouse or stores | Accuracy, stock systems |
| Delivery driver | On the road and on site | C1, C or C+E licence, Driver CPC |
| Estimator or sales rep | Office and customer sites | Reading drawings, sales experience |
| Branch manager | Whole branch | Years of merchant experience |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need construction experience to work at a builders merchant?
Most roles in the yard and warehouse are open to non-trade individuals as long as they are reliable, able to work in a physically demanding environment and willing to learn. However, individuals with some trade experience will find roles on the counter and sales team easier to get into as customers use a lot of technical terms when ordering products, but many merchants train individuals on the product ranges they sell.
How do people progress in a builders merchant?
At a merchant, a typical career path starts in the yard or warehouse, then moves on to the trade counter followed by a move to the sales or estimating department, then assistant manager and eventually branch manager. The time it takes to gain product and customer knowledge is why merchants tend to promote from within, so showing an interest in counter time and products could be the first step up for you.
Where to go next
If you are weighing up the wider industry, see our list of the highest paid construction jobs in the UK.
