Fixtures & Hardware

Buying surplus fixtures & hardware: what to know

The small stuff with big markups: light fixtures from redecorating, faucets from upgrades, door hardware by the box, and the bin of hinges and pulls every job leaves behind. Nothing here is heavy or hard to move; the check is completeness, not condition.

Check before you buy

• Open the box and count the parts

  a faucet missing its mounting hardware or a light without its canopy screws turns a bargain into a scavenger hunt at the hardware store.

• Match finishes in person

  brushed nickel, satin nickel and stainless are three different finishes that look identical online and different on one wall.

• Check threads and connections on used plumbing fixtures

  crossed threads and crushed compression ferrules do not seal again. The supply connections should look unmolested.

• For used light fixtures, look at the wire ends

  brittle, cracked insulation at the socket means the fixture ran hot. Fine on a lamp you rewire; not fine buried in a ceiling.

Rather have it installed? The directory has local handyman pros you can message directly, and the cost guide shows what jobs like yours run locally.

Also browse: Kitchen & Bath · Electrical · Doors & Windows