When evaluating ERP systems for your building materials business, it’s easy to focus on headline features and monthly pricing. But while the comparison charts and demos look promising, the real cost of an ERP goes far beyond the sticker price.
If you’re not careful, hidden costs can quietly pile up—turning what looked like a good deal into a budget overrun.
Here’s what to watch out for when comparing ERP features and pricing for building materials distribution.
- Modules That Sound Included—But Aren’t
Many ERP platforms advertise a long list of features, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find:
Mobile apps, barcoding, and CRM integrations may require separate licenses
Warehouse management, delivery tracking, or contractor pricing modules might be “add-ons”
User-based pricing tiers may limit access to advanced functionality unless you upgrade
💸 Hidden Cost: You’ll need to buy extra modules just to get the core workflows your team actually uses—especially if you manage multi-yard inventory, bulk materials, or delivery scheduling.
- Customization That Becomes a Money Pit
Building materials suppliers often require workflows that generic ERPs aren’t built for—like bundled product handling, length-based pricing, or mixed-unit inventory.
That means custom work. And while some customization is expected, watch for:
High hourly rates for development
Expensive change orders if your needs evolve mid-project
Delays caused by complex custom logic breaking during updates
🛠️ Hidden Cost: Customization drives long-term costs, especially if you rely on outside developers for every change. A solution that seems cheaper may cost more just to make it fit your business.
- Data Migration and Cleanup Surprises
Your ERP vendor may include “data migration” in the contract—but that usually means basic imports.
If your product catalogs, customer records, or pricing tiers are messy (and let’s be honest—they usually are), you may need:
Data standardization before import
Custom field mapping
Manual entry or reformatting help
📊 Hidden Cost: Cleaning and importing data the right way can take time and internal resources you didn’t budget for. If you skip it, bad data leads to poor adoption and slow ROI.
- Training and Change Management Gaps
ERP systems change how people work—but many vendors leave training to a few quick sessions or PDFs. That’s not enough in real-world yard and warehouse environments.
You may need:
Department-specific hands-on training
Ongoing coaching for new hires or seasonal workers
Extra time for slower adopters to get comfortable
📚 Hidden Cost: Poor training = user frustration, low adoption, and more support calls. You may end up spending more just to fix process breakdowns later.
- Long-Term Support and Upgrade Fees
Ask what happens after go-live. Some vendors include support for 90 days, then charge for anything beyond basic tech issues. Others offer upgrades—but only if you’re on their premium plan.
Watch for:
Extra charges for bug fixes or workflow tweaks
Upgrade fees if your ERP isn’t cloud-based
Per-hour support billing or minimum contracts for help desk access
🔧 Hidden Cost: Long-term success with your ERP depends on support. Make sure it’s part of your pricing—not a surprise six months in.
- Integration Complexity
You’ll likely want your ERP to talk to other tools—CRM, accounting, e-commerce, barcoding, or delivery apps. Some platforms offer plug-and-play integrations. Others require:
Custom API development
Third-party middleware
Additional licenses or subscriptions
🔌 Hidden Cost: What looks like a feature-rich system may cost you more to connect than it’s worth if integrations aren’t included or supported well.
Final Thought
When comparing ERP systems for your building materials business, don’t stop at the feature list or monthly fee. Look under the hood. Ask real questions about what’s included, what’s extra, and what it really takes to get the system working for the way you operate.
A slightly higher upfront cost can often save you far more in the long run—if it means faster setup, better support, and fewer surprises.
