Freeway Building Materials

Prices are extremely high. there are plenty of other salvage yards that are more than half the price than here. Great guy who runs the place, just asking too much. when he comes back down with prices or is more willing to negotiate, I’ll be back.

I love this place. Family owned with care and attention. It ain’t pretty; it isn’t trying to be. It’s the real deal if you know what you need and even if you don’t. I usually leave with something unexpected. They love cash so take it with you. They know they’re stuff, they stock like a library does so if you know your measurements and what era or vintage you’re looking for, they’ll either shake their head nope, don’t have it, or yep, follow me. Love that. Sure you can call ahead if you want. But in this day and age of digital items in our digital carts … isn’t it fun every now and then to shop with your eyes and let the past whisper it’s stories into your imagination. AMAZING front door collection. DO NOT EVER BUY A NEW FRONT DOOR MADE IN CHINA FROM HOME DEPOT, when Freeway has your house era, your size, and all your problems solved. :)

So I have been looking for a salvage yard for sometime now. Finally found this place and was so excited to take a trip out there. First thing my sister and I got out of the car and the owners daughter greeted us in the street to tell my sister the owner did not allow purses in the salvage yard, ok I can except that, some people would steal things by putting them in a purse, no problem put the purse in the car. We then went in and the daughter proceeded to follow us around and tell us she could not help because she was pregnant ok that’s great, she then told us while following us she was pregnant, she must have said this 5 to 6 times, anyone looking at her could tell she was pregnant (7months). We asked her questions because she was following us, so we thought she could answer them, WRONG, every thing we asked she had to ask her dad. So I finally found some really cool iron asked her how much, she left to get her dad, if your going to follows us around at least answer my questions. So the dad comes over and I ask how much, he responds how many do you want, I said 4 he looks me up and down as to say I wonder how much she will pay, finally he blurts out $ 500 ok for 4 not bad, oh wait you mean $ 500 each, is this guy drunk? They may have been worth $ 100.00 each, so had he said $ 500 for 4 I would have tried to negotiate it down to $ 400, which is what they were worth. He honestly stood there and tried to convince me that it’s old aluminum and it will last longer than new aluminum what the hell, did they make aluminum different 30 years ago. So we go to leave and my sister sees this probably 5 year old, child’s rocking chair, she ask the daughter how much, she responds oh that’s not for sale, what you can’t answer any question but you know that’s not for sale. I will never go back here. I agree with other reviews they treat you like you’re going to steal and they treat you like your stupid. Horrible customer service. Two stars because they have maybe a couple cool things.

**UPDATE: The owner took the time to directly message me and showed genuine concern about the employees behaviors. Any one who takes the time to address issues with their customers for the betterment of their business is A-​OK with me.

The thing that gets me about the reviews here are people who are complaining about A) The prices
and
B) The dirt
A) Yea the prices are high… because its Los Angeles. The cost of real-​estate and taxes and insurance for a small business are insane, not to mention the overhead to salvage these materials and keep the place staffed. The biggest laugh I get is when people compare the prices here to Home Depot. If you want a brand new, generic, everyone and their mom has one item, then don’t go here.
B) IT’S A SALVAGE YARD. «Ew it’s so dirty.» Holy crap, sack up people. I know there is not an espresso bar and an organic hemp lulu lemon shopping cart here, but what were you expecting? It’s an open lot in Boyle Heights. It’s a storage place for crap people didn’t want anymore.
This place totally sucks, no doubt, but c’mon, let’s be realistic about what we are reviewing.

I dig this place. Good selection. Cute dog. Very nice woman helped me out. If it was more wander-​able I probably would have bought more.

Fantastic place! Good selection of old stuff, and the prices are fair. But please stay away. Go to Home Depot for some modern knock offs. That will leave more old good stuff rei the rest of us.

My husband and I came here hoping to find some unique objects to add to our home. The sales staff was incredibly rude and treated us like we were going to steal something. I don’t know how anyone could because everything there is huge and weighs a million pounds. Their prices are incredibly inflated and the quality of the products they sell are awful.

I wanted to like this place. Was ruined by the grouch who runs the place. He needs tips on good customer service. I’m sure he’s a decent guy but wow… calm down buddy.
First off: You need to make an appointment to look at this stuff at the yard! Nowhere did I read that in the Unilocal reviews, so now you know.
Your NOT allowed to really roam the ground without assistance nearby according to man running the place. Safety hazard he says. It’s a little bit less of a treasure hunt when you feel like your being watched and rushed along.
There are however Tons of doors and «stuff» laying about. Go here for the doors but forget about the customer service.

Alejandro is a magic magic man. He knows the value of well made pieces and I personally think his prices are fair based on the work and time that goes into saving such beauties… most of which he gets from local builders and day laborers who find the pieces and make a better living with Alejandro’s consistent support.
Add on top of that: his wisdom on living green – down to growing food and nurturing animals – and you get much more than you can imagine on every visit. Freeway has also been a huge supporter of the arts by partnering with local arts spaces with a commitment to green builds. I can’t say enough about the gems I’ve uncovered, I’ve learned so much about building green and living in harmony with the earth – THANK YOU ALEJANDRO

I had not read any of the Unilocal reviews before coming here. I found Freeway Building Materials online and my boyfriend and I had been trying to make it out here for a few weeks now. What a total let down.
The doors are really not that great and the owner said we could buy one for $ 60. I don’t think he has been to Home Depot lately but the door he was offering us for $ 60 can be purchased for about $ 90 in mint condition and does not come with cobwebs, rust and mystery water damage or stains.
I could see why you’d want to come to this place for um, well, I’m sure there are a few treasures here but it’s really hard to find anything decent under the piles of dirt and clutter.
My boyfriend asked if the signs were for sale (there are a couple of really cool freeway signs or vintage lighted signs from storefronts) and he flatly said none of the signs were for sale. Which was totally weird. And my boyfriend asked «Why not?» And he said, «Because I use them.»
Like alright I can see you are using them — they are ever so usefully shoved up against a pile of doors over there by another pile of doors and piles of wood. Oh and what about that other sign — oh yeah that other one that’s propped up against another pile of wood and the scary old dentist chair.
My bad.
Needless to say, we left disappointed and empty-​handed.
I have to say we saw some interesting light fixtures and a nice pedestal sink that would be good for someone who wanted those types of things. There was this cool looking metal thing that looked like it came from the tip of an airplane or something related. So he does have some cool things thus the 3 stars instead of 2 but you just have to look (REALLY HARD) and hope he’s in a good mood to let you buy whatever it is you might like.
After visiting this place and then reading some of the reviews here, I’m kind of glad we didn’t really find anything that we wanted because it sounds like the owner was in one of his odd moods (saying the signs were not for sale) and I would not even be nice about it if he pulled that kind of crap with us.
Oh well — too bad. I will not let this place discourage me from our vintage DIY project! I sure would love to know if there is a better place in Los Angeles though — they are hard to find online.

The owner this yard, Alejandro, is the typical angry antique dealer, furious at a world that has passed many of his treasured items by. He’ll give you his Home Depot rant at the drop of a hat and, like every dealer whose business is slowly dying, he gets even angrier if you don’t buy something. Make sure to go there if you like being followed around, glared at and then being tolder «you have 10 minutes left because I have things to do» and «stop handling my merchancise.» What? A real dick and the prices aren’t that great.
And yeah– I’ve spent hundreds of dollars at this place.

PLEASE! Do Not Shop Or Buy From This IDIOT! lol
What an experience! I needed an old door, antique hardware, and maybe a few ideas for some small home projects. Unilocaling salvage yards brought me here but their are SO SO SO many better places to get these things.
Greeted at the entrance by a strange man very friendly at first.(beware) keep close watch on that guy… anyway, he sends me looking with his henchmen, who by the way does not know any prices and will only ask the strange entry man any questions you may ask him or any negotiating you attempt.
So after awhile, this helper guy disappears and i am all alone wandering this place, and its kinda scary. Everything is covered in dust, dirt, cat poop, dirty rainwater, who knows what else. given they do have some cool stuff, BUT i mean most of the yard is exposed to the elements so you can just imagine at one time this place was probably pretty cool but then i had my encounter with the owner…
I found an old doorknob that i liked and proceeded to the front entrance where this man was sitting with mangy old cats. How much for this? I asked…
Uhhh. That ones not for sale he replied, thats one of a kind he says smirking at me.
Okay, i said, then do you have any like this for sale? I asked, right around that time, the other helper guy returned and starting talking spanish or some foreign language i didn’t understand and i waited, looking thru another box of knobs sitting next to the owners chair.
So the owner then says, where did you get this? i told him i found it back by all the old doors, he says «No you took this off one of the doors. i paused in disbelief at what seemed like a 20 minute silence and confusion on my part. was he joking? senile and old or just mental idk… but after not knowing how to respond. things just got quiet and un comfortable at that point.
Bottom line: This guy tried to accuse me of stealing a knob from a door and then trying to buy it? wtf? I tried to explain that i had picked it up off a table amongst piles and piles of stuff. but he acted very strange and just kept making stupid jokes like he actually said to me» nothing is for sale here its just a museum”. What???
I was like WTF but didn’t bother to argue with his crazy behavior, and left.
as i was leaving the gates the helper guy shuts the gate behind me and locks it with padlock as if i was gonna rob them ! LMAO that was a strange experience.
last time i step foot in there. just plain weird!

Alejandro (the owner) is a cool old cat. He also has a shitload of cats. And a dog that farts really loud. If you want to repurpose items, go here. If you want amazing doors from the past, go here. If you want a water heater from the 1930s that is cast iron and inlaid with intricate patterns and weighs more than a house, go here. Love this place. It’s not stupid cheap, but he’ll haggle with yah. Bring him a Budweiser 40 to sweeten then deal.

We’ve been shopping here for years. We have a vintage plumbing and lighting business in Anaheim for 35 years. Their stock changes constantly, but several of our high end sinks and toilets have come from here. You don’t find something evertime, but they are certainly worth going back to and supporting. Vintage fixtures are disappearing and will eventually be gone. Expect to pay a little more, but unique items have always cost a little bit more, they are worth it. John Armstrong, Armstrongs Antique Plumbing and Lighting.

Good customer service, cool stuff, good prices… 5 stars. Thanks Alejandro!

This place is a must for Old House Restoration (or fixing old houses in general).
Adding this to my Old House Restoration List.

Cool stuff, eclectic. Saw some gorgeous windows. Owner helpful. My friend scored a gorgeous wrought-​iron style design with peacocks for good price. The ticket booth was very cool, wish I was in the market for balustrades, etc. I was a bit creeped out by the sheer # of toilets. Do people buy them? I prefer not to think about that. We will be back.

The «treasures» that you guys are finding here kind of scare me. Unless you guys grabbed it all before I came???
I came right after it rained and the puddles of dirty water were full. There was so much rust on everything. I saw a shelf that only held rusty bolts. So rusty that they looked orange… yay!
I asked him for a crystal knob and he came out with 2 sets and asked for $ 40 and $ 50 depending on which set I wanted. They were okay but I wasn’t looking to pay the price I can get for new knobs for the old dinky things covered in paint and whatnot.
I guess I just don’t appreciate the antiques like some do??? =T

I’m an artist and have been searching for the perfect old windows and doors for some projects. After seeing a few photos on here and being on the hunt for a great salvage yard, I headed there yesterday.
I was greeted by the funny, helpful, knowledgeable and talkative Alejandro and started to look around. I laughed that I had come to search for doors and windows… I swear there are thousands!!! No joke. Rows upon rows and stacks upon stacks. I was sooo excited!
Bare in mind that this is not an «architectural» salvage yard so for those searching for mantels and doorknobs to fit your restored craftsmen, you may want to checkout a more expensive yard like the one in Pasadena. Unless you are willing to spend some time searching, digging and swatting away a few spiders here and there to find pieces you will need to refurbish as they have been exposed to the elements and collecting dust for years, head elsewhere.
The cool thing is most of the pieces are pre-​war, meaning the wooden windows are hand-​made with «wavy» glass and come with latches enabling them to open in ways modern windows don’t.
There isn’t much besides doors, windows and toilets, but if that’s what you’re looking for, this is definitely the place to check out. I got so excited when I’d find something only to turn a corner and «oooh!» find something else and then confuse myself.
I got there an hour before he closed so I didn’t have too much time to explore the nooks and crannies of the place, although I did find what I’d been looking for for the time being.
I only gave it 4 stars for letting me down a bit on not having other items that could have been salvaged. There are very few old signs, etc.
I loved it though. It is dirty and cluttered but organized in a chaotic way. And yes to other reviewers, that probably is urine in the toilets, so what, it’s a salvage yard! At least you aren’t digging through a junk yard and everything is for the most part accessible.
Prices are decent for the age of the items. I would have spent way more at any other salvage yard in LA. After a nice hosing down and some light sanding, my windows will be good to go!

Meh, I hate to bring the place down, but it isn’t as great as the reviews made it out to be.
Bonus points for the sorcerer that greets you on the roof of the building, but other than that it’s a bunch of rusted junk. If I could visit this place 10 years ago I’m sure a lot of the stuff would be in better shape, but since it’s all in the open, the weather’s destroyed a lot of the jems.
Also, is that urine in those old toilets? Ick.