About Us

At Building Materials Nationwide, people are at the heart of everything we do, from the customers we provide tools and materials to, our team who always delivers beyond expectations and the suppliers and manufacturers we built strong business partnerships with over the years.

Where it all started...

Building Materials Nationwide began its reign as one of the UK's leading suppliers of materials and tools in 2003, under the name Distributor Ltd, with its founder and managing director, Phil Lidgerton.

Starting out from his dining room table, Phil was determined to make his mark and grow the business as the go-to destination for the building industry. With £15k of credit card debt, a family to provide for, and fighting off tough competition from big-name rivals, it was never going to be easy.

Things did, however, turn around quickly. From the initial £500k target he set himself when he started, Phil managed to double this in the first year, as well as hire three staff members by the end of the second year of trading.

The journey so far

The company has come a long way since first setting up shop from Phil’s dining table. In December 2009, the buildingmaterials.co.uk domain name was bought and it was not until January 2018 when Building Materials Nationwide Ltd started trading.

After this date, Phil began to consolidate all his businesses (including Distributor Ltd) under Building Materials Nationwide Ltd, process completed in April 2022.

In July 2018, we moved from our head office to Ruscombe Business Park in Twyford, Reading and by March 2022, we achieved combined sales of £28 million.

Everything you need

One stop shop

Whether you are planning your next construction job or doing some DIY work around your home, we can source and deliver all the building materials you need when you need them.

Account manager

Your personal trade account manager will offer friendly and knowledgeable advice, as well as do all the hard work by sourcing all the materials you need and arranging for a quick delivery.

Speedy delivery

Get your orders delivered as soon as the next day across the whole of the UK or arrange for a future delivery at a time and place that works for you. Collections also available.

Our values

Our company values define what we are all about, how we treat our customers and how we work together to achieve greatness across the board.

Honesty

We are honest about the products we sell and the service to our customers.

Ambition

We are ambitious and always strive to be the best in the industry.

Teamwork

We work as a close-knit team to deliver an excellent customer journey.

Resilience

We remain resilient through tough economic challenges.

Accountability

We own everything that we do and take full responsibility for customer experiences.

Loyalty

We show loyalty to the people that work for us and our long-standing customers.

Building Materials Nationwide today

Nowadays, Building Materials Nationwide has around 60 staff members who are passionate about helping you buy the very best materials and tools at competitive trade prices.

A strong formula of offering the right product, the right price, the right time and the right terms has helped the business grow from strength to strength for two decades.

Here for our customers

Not only do we sell materials and tools for the building and construction trade customers, but we also supply products for retail customers keen to try their hand at DIY projects.

Building a garden shed, plastering a wall and fitting skirting boards - you can search thousands of products on our website for what you need. If you need some advice or help with finding a particular item, be sure to get in touch with our knowledgeable team.

Get in touch with our sales team to discuss opening a trade account, advice on materials or anything else on 01628 674910. You can also email us at sales@buildingmaterials.co.uk.

Our team

Find out more about our energetic and dedicated team that makes us who we are.

Become one of us

Join the best team you'll ever be a part of and get the life-work balance you always wanted.