China Product Checker, Construction & Renovation Sourcing
What B&Q Sells to UK Contractors – And 20 AliExpress Alternatives That Show the Real Price Difference
Dec
Title
What B&Q Sells to UK Contractors – And 20 AliExpress Alternatives That Show the Real Price Difference
Why compare B&Q with China in the first place?
Most UK contractors and serious DIYers end up at B&Q (https://www.diy.com/) for building supplies – plasterboard, insulation, cement, fixings, roofing felt, guttering and more. It is convenient, you can collect in an hour, and you know roughly what you are getting. But that convenience has a cost.
Behind the scenes, a huge amount of this kind of product is made in China or similar markets and then brought into the UK through layers of brands and distributors. On AliExpress and other China platforms, you can often see very similar items at much lower prices – especially for bulk packs and generic building materials.
Below is a trend list of 20 things contractors commonly buy from B&Q, with example AliExpress search links you can click to see how prices compare. The idea is not to say “never buy from B&Q” – it is to show where a sourcing partner like One Way Export can go direct to China and protect your margin on bigger projects.
Assumption: “Saving %” is calculated roughly as
(average UK price – average China price) ÷ average UK price × 100.
| # | Item | B&Q typical price (approx) | China typical price (approx) | Saving from China (approx %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standard plasterboard 12.5 mm (per m²) | £3–£6/m² | £0.50–£1.50/m² | 60–80% |
| 2 | Moisture‑resistant plasterboard (per m²) | £6–£10+/m² | £2–£4/m² | 50–70% |
| 3 | Loft roll insulation (per m²) | £4–£8/m² | £2–£4/m² | 30–50% |
| 4 | Roofing felt / shingles (per m²) | £5–£12/m² | £3–£7/m² | 30–50% |
| 5 | Cement / mortar (per 25 kg eq.) | £5–£8 | £3–£5 | 25–40% |
| 6 | Aggregates (850 kg bag eq.) | £50–£80 | £30–£50 | 25–40% |
| 7 | Bricks/blocks (per unit) | £0.70–£1.50 | £0.20–£0.60 | 50–70% |
| 8 | Structural plywood / OSB (per m²) | £12–£25/m² | £6–£12/m² | 35–50% |
| 9 | Polycarbonate glazing sheet (per m²) | £25–£50/m² | £10–£20/m² | 50–60% |
| 10 | PVC rainwater gutter (per metre) | £5–£10/m | £2–£4/m | 40–60% |
| 11 | Damp proof membrane (per m²) | £2–£4/m² | £0.80–£2/m² | 30–60% |
| 12 | Joist hangers / metal straps (per piece) | £1.50–£4 | £0.40–£1.50 | 40–70% |
| 13 | Box of screws (≈100 pcs) | £5–£10 | £2–£5 | 35–60% |
| 14 | Wall plug assortment (500–1000 pcs) | £8–£20 | £4–£10 | 35–50% |
| 15 | Filler / plaster (per kg) | £3–£6/kg | £1.50–£4/kg | 30–50% |
| 16 | Coving (per metre) | £3–£8/m | £1–£3/m | 40–60% |
| 17 | Access panel (small/medium) | £10–£25 | £4–£12 | 40–60% |
| 18 | Vent grille (100–150 mm) | £5–£10 | £2–£5 | 35–60% |
| 19 | Interior door (standard hollow core) | £60–£150+ | £20–£80 | 40–60% |
| 20 | Suspended ceiling tile (per m²) | £10–£25/m² | £3–£10/m² | 40–60% |
These % ranges are indicative and will change with volume, freight and exchange rates. The point is to show how much room there is for a sourcing partner like One Way Export to reduce material cost when going direct to China instead of paying full UK retail
1. Plasterboard (standard drywall)
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/plasterboard/DIY580007.cat
AliExpress (construction plasterboard and gypsum board):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-gypsum-board.html
2. Moisture‑resistant plasterboard (bathrooms and kitchens)
AliExpress (water‑resistant gypsum board):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-water-resistant-gypsum-board.html
3. Insulation rolls and slabs
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/insulation/DIY580011.cat
AliExpress (building insulation materials):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-building-insulation-material.html
4. Roofing felt and shingles for sheds
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/roofing-supplies/roofing-felt/DIY580022.cat
AliExpress (roofing felt and shingles):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-roofing-felt.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-bitumen-roof-shingle.html
5. Cement, mortar and additives
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/cements-additives/DIY580013.cat
AliExpress (cement additives and repair mortars):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-cement-additive.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-concrete-repair-mortar.html
6. Aggregates (ballast, sharp sand, gravel)
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/aggregates/DIY580001.cat
AliExpress (decorative stone, gravel, landscaping materials – mainly for understanding China supply and FOB pricing):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-decorative-stone-gravel.html
7. Bricks, blocks and lightweight blocks
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/bricks-blocks/DIY580003.cat
AliExpress (construction building materials – bricks/blocks category):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-construction-building-materials.html
8. Timber and sheet materials
B&Q (timber & joinery):
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/timber-joinery/DIY580028.cat
AliExpress (construction timber boards, LVL/LVL beams, plywood):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-construction-plywood.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-lvl-timber.html
9. Glazing sheets (polycarbonate / acrylic)
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/glazing-sheets/DIY580014.cat
AliExpress (polycarbonate sheets and glazing panels):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-polycarbonate-sheet.html
10. Guttering and downpipe systems
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/guttering/DIY580016.cat
AliExpress (PVC gutter and downpipe systems):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-pvc-gutter.html
11. Damp proof membranes and DPC
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/damp-proofing/DIY580010.cat
AliExpress (damp proof membranes and DPC rolls):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-damp-proof-membrane.html
12. Builder’s metalwork (joist hangers, straps, angles)
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/builders-metalwork/DIY580004.cat
AliExpress (building metal brackets and hangers):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-joist-hanger.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-building-metal-bracket.html
13. Screws and fixings (bulk boxes)
B&Q (hardware – screws and fixings):
https://www.diy.com/departments/hardware/screws/DIY580025.cat
AliExpress (contractor‑style screw and fixing packs):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-drywall-screws.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-multi-purpose-screws.html
14. Wall plugs and anchor assortments
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/hardware/fixings-wall-plugs/DIY580026.cat
AliExpress (assorted wall plug and anchor kits):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-wall-plug-assortment.html
15. Plastering compounds and filler
B&Q (plaster and fillers):
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/plastering-supplies/DIY580009.cat
AliExpress (gypsum powder, jointing compound, ready mix filler):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-gypsum-plaster.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-joint-compound.html
16. Coving and interior trims
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/plastering-supplies/coving/DIY580006.cat
AliExpress (PVC coving and decorative trims):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-pvc-coving.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-decorative-cornice.html
17. Access panels
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/access-panels/DIY580002.cat
AliExpress (plastic and metal access hatches):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-access-panel.html
18. Ventilation grilles and ducting
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/ventilation/DIY580027.cat
AliExpress (vent grilles, ducting, extractor accessories):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-ventilation-grille.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-flexible-ducting.html
19. Interior doors
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/doors-windows/doors/DIY580017.cat
AliExpress (interior MDF / composite doors – for reference):
https://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/CN/interior-door-mdf-doors.html
20. Ceiling tiles
B&Q:
https://www.diy.com/departments/building-supplies/ceiling-tiles/DIY580005.cat
AliExpress (acoustic and PVC ceiling tiles):
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-ceiling-tiles.html
How to use this comparison in your post
For each of the 20 items above, you can:
-
Take a typical B&Q price (per board, per m², per pack).
-
Click the AliExpress link, filter to “Ship to United Kingdom” and look at per‑unit and per‑m² prices, especially when buying larger quantities.
-
Show readers simple examples like:
-
“Standard 12.5 mm plasterboard at B&Q is roughly £X per m²; similar China‑made boards on AliExpress often work out around £Y per m² if you buy in bulk or through a sourcing partner.”
-
Then you bring it back to One Way Export:
Instead of a small contractor gambling alone on 20 different AliExpress sellers, One Way Export can:
-
Identify which Chinese suppliers and products make sense for UK jobs.
-
Handle quality, import and logistics.
-
Turn those price differences into real savings on your projects.
