Diggerslist: A Benefit to Builders or Just another Craigslist?

By Bruce Erickson

11/03/2009

Got any extra 2x4s stashed in the rafters of your garage? What about that pile of left over cinder blocks? Up until now, getting rid of leftover construction materials wasn't worth the effort. But that is about to change. Recently, a new player showed up in the building materials sector under the name of Diggerslist. Created by co-founders Matt Knox and Johnnie Munger the site seeks to reduce the amount of construction materials going to landfills by creating a venue for builders, contractors and do-it-yourselfers to exchange the materials. So far, registration is free for both buyers and sellers. Like Craigslist, items are divided into several categories. The site also has the ability to post construction services and list projects being bid. This could turn out to be the best part of the website.

Currently, homeowners have been posting projects on Craigslist. Unfortunately, there are very few contractors who monitor Craigslist. Whereas, since Diggerslist was created just for contractors, the projects don't get lost in the noise. Registered users can sign up for alerts to be notified when the item they are looking for is posted. Contractors can also add a widget to their website that shows all the items they have listed on Diggerslist. The challenge for the administrators at Diggerslist is going to be what to do with all the non-construction related items that end up being listed. If left unchecked, they could lose their niche they are working so hard to create. For example, on the Raleigh site, there is currently a motorcycle and go cart listed.

Right now they operate in fifteen of the hottest markets in the US. There are plans to open new markets in the coming weeks. With around 4000 site visitors per day, the project is still in its infancy. But the potential and the need is there for this enterprise to grow. Similar to other social media, registered users can create connections to other users and even In addition, if you want instant access to new items being listed, you can follow them on Twitter.