At a glance
| Scope line | Confirm in writing | Wording that signals a gap |
|---|---|---|
| Drawings and approvals | Shop drawings included? Rounds of review allowed? Who approves? | “Drawings by others”. |
| Survey and dimensions | Who surveys, when, and what if measured sizes differ from the drawing? | “Subject to survey”, “as drawn”. |
| Materials, build | Species, boards, veneer, drawers and hardware as the specification names them. | “Or similar”, “to suit”. |
| Finishes | System, coats, sheen, match to the control sample; insides, edges and backs. | “Standard finish”. |
| Samples and prototypes | Which are included, which are separate, and when. | “Samples by separate arrangement”. |
| Evidence and certificates | Test reports, timber and fire evidence, handover documents, and when. | “Certificates on request”. |
| Delivery and access | Crating, address and floor, who lifts, access assumed. | “Ex works”, “delivery to be advised”. |
| Installation | Fitting, fixings, scribing, making good, packaging removal. | “Supply only”, “fixing by others”. |
| Insurance, warranty | Insurances, who insures transit and site, cover after handover. | Silence on warranty. |
| Programme, validity | How long the price holds; dates assumed: approval, deposit, site access. | “Lead time from order”. |
| Price basis | Fixed or provisional, what each sum covers, currency, tax, adjustments. | “Allowance”, “provisional sum”. |
| Changes and variations | How a change after approval is priced and agreed. | “Variations at cost”. |
Mark each line for each tender: included, excluded, qualified or not stated. Wording shown is illustrative, not quoted from any real tender.
Mark the scope before you read the total
A total hides what it is made of. The quickest way to see why two quotes differ is to lay them in one grid, scope line by scope line, and give every cell one of four marks. Included means the tenderer says so in writing. Excluded means it says the opposite. Qualified means it is included on a condition. Not stated means the quote is silent, and silence is a question, not an inclusion.
Where a project uses competitive tender, this is how the returns are kept comparable. BIID’s practice guidance names nominated supplier and competitive tender as the two basic procurement routes for FF&E. With a nominated supplier, the same grid checks a single quote against the specification.
Words that move scope to someone else
Most gaps are not hidden. They sit in a short phrase that is easy to read past. Each phrase below has an ordinary meaning, and each can be settled with one question. Treat the question as a clarification, not an accusation: a missing line is often an honest assumption, made because the specification left it open.
| Phrase on a quote | What it can mean | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| “Subject to survey” | The price may change once the site is measured. | By how much can it move, and what triggers it? Can the survey come before the price is fixed? |
| “Based on drawing dimensions” | Sizes were taken from the drawing, not measured on site. | Who carries the difference if the site is not as drawn? |
| “Allowance” or “provisional sum” | A placeholder amount for something not yet defined. The final cost can be higher or lower. | What does it cover, and what would settle it? |
| “Or similar” or “or equivalent” | A different product may be supplied from the one specified. | Which product is priced? Ask for any alternative as a separate option, with its data sheet. |
| “To suit” | The choice is left to the tenderer. | Which product, size and rating? |
| “Excludes” or “by others” | Someone else has to do or pay for the item. | Who, and what does it cost? Ask for it as an option. |
| “Ex works” | Collection from the maker. Transport, and often the risk in transit, are not in the price. | Which delivery term is the price based on, and where does risk pass? |
| “Subject to material availability” | Price or programme may change if a material is scarce. | Which materials, and what is the fallback? |
| “Lead time from order” | The clock may start at the order rather than at drawing approval or deposit. | What event starts the clock? |
| “Price valid for [n] days” | The price may change after that date. | Will the price hold if approval takes longer than programmed? |
Put the quotes on one footing
- Build the grid. Use the same lines for every tender, and fill each cell from the tenderer’s own wording, quoted.
- Mark blanks as not stated. Never as included.
- Send one clarification to every tenderer at the same time, asking each to confirm every blank, exclusion and qualification in writing by a stated date.
- Price the gaps as options. Ask for the difference between the lighter reading and the specified one as a separate figure, so nothing is quoted again from scratch.
- Adjust only with a figure you can support. If an exclusion has to be bought elsewhere, use the tenderer’s option price or a cited source, and write down where it came from.
- Add up last. Only when every line is marked and every gap is answered are the totals made of the same things.
| Step | Comparable total, worked with placeholders | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Price as quoted by the tenderer, for the lines it has marked included | [amount] |
| 2 | Plus: items marked excluded that someone else must now supply, priced by the tenderer as options, or by you from a source you can cite | [amount] |
| 3 | Plus: options needed to bring a qualified or lighter line up to the specified reading | [amount] |
| 4 | Plus: any provisional sum, at the figure you will actually carry | [amount] |
| 5 | Comparable total | [amount] |
When the difference is real
Once the grid is complete, some gaps remain, and they are legitimate. Makers differ in construction route, in where the work is produced, in how a repeated item is batched, and in the programme they can offer. A lower comparable total is not a poorer one, and a higher one is not automatically better. Ask each tenderer to explain any remaining difference in the language of the grid: which line, and what changes in the work.
Tip: ask for the reason before you ask for a discount. A reduction asked of a tender that has priced a lighter reading of a line widens the gap in what you receive. For choosing which lines can carry a lighter reading on purpose, see our journal guide to value engineering in interior design.
Specification wording
Paste into your schedule or specification and replace anything in [square brackets] with your own figures. Wording is a starting point: your specification governs.
Tenderers are to return their price against the scope lines in Schedule [number], marking each line Included, Excluded or Qualified. A line left blank is taken as included to the specification. Every qualification, exclusion and assumption is listed in Schedule [number], and not in the covering letter or elsewhere.
Subject: [Project], [package]: clarification [number] Thank you for your quotation [reference] dated [date]. To compare the returns on the same footing, please confirm in writing by [date] whether your price includes: [shop drawings and rounds of review; survey; samples; certificates; packing; delivery to address, floor and access; installation and making good; warranty terms]. Where an item is excluded, please price it as a separate option. Please also confirm the price validity and programme assumptions. All tenderers are being asked the same questions.
Each qualification is listed with the scope line it affects, the reason, what would trigger a change in price or time, and the amount or limit. A qualification not listed in Schedule [number] is not accepted. Alternatives to the specification are priced separately, with data sheet and sample, and accepted only by written approval from [designer]. Items excluded from the tender price are priced as options where they are needed to complete [package].
The comparison record for [package] is kept by [name]. For each tenderer and scope line it holds their own wording, the mark, the date of each written clarification, and the comparable total.
Terms used on this page
- Qualification
- A condition attached to a price or an inclusion, such as 'subject to survey' or 'valid for 30 days'. It limits what the price promises and should be listed separately from the price.
- Provisional sum
- A placeholder amount for work or items not yet defined. The final cost may be higher or lower. The contract in use defines how it is settled.
Standards and sources
- BIID: Professional Practice Series, FF&E: dated 15 Dec 2020, read 5 Nov 2026; used only for the two procurement routes.
- No standard applies: we found no British Standard on comparing bespoke quotations; this sheet is practice guidance.
- Make Bespoke Studio: Why bespoke quotes differ: the ten specification lines that let tenders differ.
Questions we are asked
How do I compare two bespoke joinery quotes that differ by a wide margin?
Put both into the same grid, scope line by scope line, and mark each cell included, excluded, qualified or not stated using the tenderer’s own words. Ask both tenderers, at the same time, to confirm every blank and qualification in writing, then add up the totals last.
What should a bespoke furniture quote say it includes?
At minimum its drawings and approvals, survey, materials and construction, finishes, samples, certificates, packing, delivery and access, installation and making good, insurance, warranty, programme and validity, price basis and how changes are priced. Treat anything unstated as a question.
What is the difference between an exclusion and a qualification?
An exclusion says an item is not in the price. A qualification says it is in the price on a condition, such as a survey or an approval date. Both change what the price promises, so both belong in the grid.
Should I ask for an itemised quote?
It helps, because each line then maps to a row of the grid. If a quote is not itemised, ask the tenderer to break it down by the same scope lines rather than estimating the split yourself.
Is the cheapest quote the one to avoid?
Not necessarily. A lower quote may be priced on a lighter reading of a line that does not matter to the design, which is fine when the specification says so. It becomes a problem when the lighter reading is a silent assumption instead of an agreed choice.
Can I ask tenderers to reprice after I clarify the specification?
Usually yes, if every tenderer gets the same clarification at the same time. Check the rules of the contract or procurement route you are using, because they can limit how tenders may be changed.
Download the factsheet
A two-page A4 PDF with the comparison grid, the twelve scope lines, the steps for putting quotes on one footing, and the clarification wording.