What is the difference between an office furniture estimate and a quote?
NexGen thinks it is important to define a few quoting and pricing terms so our clients can better understand what they are seeing when it comes to pricing and how firm the price they are seeing really is.
Pricing has always been a tricky thing to be clear on and simplify in the office interiors industry. The sheer number of options makes the process difficult to quote and most furniture dealers “leave the meter running” as you work with their design team getting the space exactly right. Since they are charged by the hour, your final price with installation is only given at the very end. This does not seem fair.
To provide more clarity, we at NexGen thinks it is important to define a few quoting and pricing terms so our clients and anyone undertaking an office furniture project with a dealer can better understand what they are seeing when it comes to pricing and how firm the price they are seeing really is. There are three basic types of pricing you will get from a furniture dealer: Estimate, Budgetary Quote, Final Quote.
Estimate – this seems straightforward but just to be clear an estimate is just an educated guess. It is not binding. An estimate can be a useful tool when exploring the market to see if a purchase even makes sense or to decide between basic options. At NexGen we provide estimates based on office square footage or head count with our One – Minute Budget Builder to guide clients through their options in the initial phase. Variations from the estimate can vary greatly but is a good planning tool.
Budgetary Quote – A budgetary quote is given toward the end of the planning stage by most dealers when the major furniture selections have been made but there are still a few details to figure out. These final details are usually finish selections or a double check of actual lead times on selected items. The purpose of the budgetary quote is to provide a close ball park of the final price for approval of the C suite for the project. The budgetary quote is usually within 10% or 15% of the actual price. Additional services needed may be noted but are only either estimates or blank. They may include design, delivery and installation, electrical work, or data cabling.
The key differentiator with NexGen is that our revolutionary build tool gets you to the budgetary quote stage in minutes. While there may be slight variations based on the layout of your office, this price is 90% accurate if you choose the “Kickstarter Package” or even make custom finish selections with the same items through our 3- or 5-year plans. Nexgen also bundles its services so your budgetary quote will include design as well as delivery and installation.
Final Quote – A final quote has been checked and double checked for accuracy and includes all required services and even taxes. This quote has all finishes and options specified and is “order ready.” Once signed it can be sent to the manufacturer for order. Any errors or omissions made after this document is signed are the responsibility of the dealer.
Learn more about how to compare prices.
