Two furniture quotations are comparable only when they describe the same products, services, destination responsibilities and assumptions. A lower total can reflect a different material, missing accessories, excluded freight, unpaid destination charges or no installation. Review the scope before comparing the number.
Compare each quotation on the same matrix
| Scope area | Questions to ask | Common source of difference |
|---|---|---|
| Products and quantities | Are the room, line item, quantity, dimensions, components and accessories all identified? | One offer includes screens, storage or cable parts that another omits. |
| Materials and samples | Is construction written down, and are project samples, testing or mock-ups included? | Similar appearance is based on a different substrate, surface, edge or hardware. |
| Design and measurement | Which plans, drawings, revisions and site measurements are included, and who approves them? | A proposal assumes the buyer supplies final drawings or measurements. |
| Packing and freight | What packing, named trade term, port, transport and insurance are included? | Destination charges, inland delivery, unloading or storage sit outside the quoted term. |
| Assembly and installation | Are site delivery, movement, assembly, fixing, connection, testing, waste removal and acceptance included? | Installation is excluded or site enabling work belongs to another party. |
| Taxes and destination costs | Which duties, taxes, fees, approvals and local services are excluded? | The buyer compares a pre-import cost with a delivered local cost. |
| Timing and validity | What is the offer-validity date, approval deadline and quoted production or shipping basis? | A response target is mistaken for a delivery commitment. |
Understand the current commercial references
- Reference order threshold: there is no general minimum number of pieces, while the reference minimum order value is USD 18,000. The actual quotation controls the threshold and any exception.
- Quotation preparation: five working days is a usual reference once the brief is sufficiently defined. It is not a production or delivery promise.
- Quotation validity: 30 days is usual. The actual quotation controls its validity, currency, included scope and exceptions.
- Installation: on-site installation can be discussed and is charged separately. It should not be assumed free or included.
- Trade term: institutional projects commonly start from a CIF discussion. The named port, destination costs and every service after the contractual handover point must be stated.
These figures are light B2B reference terms. The quotation and contract determine the actual project terms.
Cost factors that need evidence, not guesses
Quantity, dimensions, construction, finish, hardware, product complexity, sample or drawing work, project documents, inspection, packaging, shipment volume, route, destination, installation access and delivery phases can affect cost. Exchange rates, freight and material conditions can also change an offer within the limits stated in the quotation. A reliable project total requires the underlying brief and an itemized quotation.
Ask for explicit inclusions, exclusions and assumptions
Request a line-item schedule and a service schedule. Each should show what is included, what is excluded, what information it assumes, what remains provisional and how changes are priced. Confirm currency, taxes, payment terms, validity and acceptance documents. If one proposal offers an alternative, compare it against the same functional and documentary requirements rather than the same marketing name.
Send enough information for a scoped quotation
Provide the project location, measured plans, room and furniture schedule, quantities, material and finish direction, required samples and documents, delivery phases, site access and requested installation services. The project brief checklist gives a reusable structure.