When renovating a house to change water pipes or build a drainage system, many people will stare at the price of PVC drainage pipes and mutter - some stores sell by the meter, some by the root, and some merchants recommend "it is cheaper to purchase by batch". What is the difference between these pricing methods? Which is more cost-effective? Let's clarify this problem today.

First of all, you must understand the "basic pricing logic" of PVC drainage pipes: whether by the meter or by the root, the essence is "by the length". Most of the common PVC drainage pipes on the market are "fixed-length specifications", such as 50mm, 75mm, 110mm and other commonly used pipe diameters, which are basically 4 meters/root, and a few have special specifications of 3 meters or 6 meters. So "selling by the root" is actually the "packaged version" of "selling by the meter" - for example, a 4-meter pipe sells for 16 yuan by the root, which is 4 yuan per meter; if it sells by the meter for 4.2 yuan, the unit price of buying the whole root is lower at this time, but if you only need 2 meters, buying by the meter is more flexible and will not waste the remaining 2 meters.

Let's talk about "batch purchase": Simply put, it is to buy in large quantities. For example, when the project requires more than 1,000 meters of pipes, you can directly negotiate the "whole batch price" with the manufacturer or dealer. The core advantage of this method is "large quantity and low price" - if you buy 4 yuan per meter alone, the batch production may be reduced to 3.5 yuan or even lower, but the premise is that you have to buy a certain amount (such as more than 500 or more than 2000 meters). However, batch production also has "hidden costs": to stock up on goods to occupy space, the dosage estimate is not allowed to be smashed, and you have to bear one-time financial pressure.

Next, compare "which is more cost-effective", the key depends on the purchase volume and scenario:

- Home decoration/small projects (10-20 meters): priority is given to by meter or by root. For example, if you need 12 meters, it is cheaper to buy 3 pieces of 4 meters; if you need 13 meters, you can buy 3 pieces plus 1 meter by meter, which is flexible and not wasteful.

- Engineering/Large Purchase (Thousands of square meters): Choose batch purchase. Although you have to buy a lot at one time, the unit price per meter is much lower and the overall cost is lower. Remember to leave a 5% -10% margin to avoid higher unit prices for supplementary purchase.

- Universal Tip: Either way, be sure to calculate the "unit price per meter". Sell by root with "root price ÷ single root length", and use "total cost ÷ total length" for batch purchase. The price per meter is the core - don't be confused by "cost-effective by root" and "cheap by batch purchase". Look at the cost per meter.

Final reminder: In addition to the price of the pipe itself, hidden costs should also be considered - buying by the meter may add cutting fees, buying by the root may add freight, although the wholesale freight is cheap, it is necessary to ask whether the package is delivered; the installation fee is also calculated by the meter, which should be included in the total budget.

In short, the calculation of the price of PVC drainage pipes is not complicated: first calculate the unit price per meter, and then combine the purchase volume and scenarios to avoid hidden costs. What suits you is the most cost-effective. Whether by the meter, by the root or by the batch, the core is "cost per meter" - seize this and you will not step on the pit.