How to Read a Commercial Furniture Quote (Line by Line)

You requested quotes from three furniture dealers, and three very different-looking documents arrived. One is two pages. Another is twelve. The pricing formats don't match, and you're not sure what half the line items mean.

You're not alone. Commercial furniture quotes are notoriously confusing — even for experienced buyers. Here's how to read them, line by line.

The Anatomy of a Furniture Quote

A standard commercial furniture quote includes these sections (though the format varies by dealer):

1. Product Lines and Items

Each piece of furniture is listed with:

• Manufacturer — The brand (Steelcase, Herman Miller, HON, etc.)
• Model number — The specific product and configuration. Example: "462 Leap V2 w/ 4D arms, platinum frame, black mesh" is a fully configured Steelcase Leap chair.
• Finish/fabric selections — Colors, materials, fabric grades. Higher fabric grades cost more.
• Quantity — How many of this specific configuration
• List price — The manufacturer's published retail price (MSRP). This is NOT what you pay.
• Discount % — The discount from list price. Varies by manufacturer, dealer, and contract.
• Net price (or sell price) — What you actually pay per unit. This is list price minus the discount.
• Extended price — Net price x quantity

Example line item:

Item	Mfg	Model	Qty	List	Disc	Net	Extended
Task Chair	Steelcase	Leap V2, 4D arms, Platinum	50	$1,279	42%	$741.82	$37,091

2. List Price vs. Net Price

This is the most important concept in commercial furniture pricing.

List price is fictional — almost nobody pays it. It's the manufacturer's published MSRP, used as a reference point for calculating discounts.

Net price (or sell price) is what you actually pay. It's calculated as: List Price x (1 - Discount %).

Discounts range from 30% to 65% off list, depending on:

• The manufacturer (premium brands offer deeper dealer discounts)
• The product line (popular products have more competitive pricing)
• Order size (larger orders get better discounts)
• The contract (GSA, Sourcewell, OMNIA — see our cooperative purchasing guide)
• The dealer's relationship with the manufacturer

Red flag: If a quote shows no discount (full list price), the dealer is either inexperienced or not giving you their best pricing. Always ask for the discount percentage.

3. Freight / Shipping

Freight is the cost to ship furniture from the manufacturer's factory or warehouse to your building's loading dock.

• Prepaid freight: The manufacturer ships directly and the cost is included in the product price (common for large manufacturers on big orders)
• FOB Origin: You pay shipping from the factory. Cost depends on distance and weight.
• FOB Destination: The manufacturer pays shipping to your city, but you may pay for local delivery from the dealer's warehouse.

Typical freight costs: 5-12% of the net furniture cost, depending on distance and order size. Cross-country shipments cost more than local.

4. Receiving and Warehousing

Some quotes include a charge for the dealer to receive furniture at their warehouse, inspect it, and stage it before delivering to your site.

• Typical cost: 3-5% of net furniture cost or a flat fee
• This covers damage inspection, sorting, and coordinating delivery in the right sequence
• Not all dealers charge this separately — some bundle it into installation

5. Delivery

Getting furniture from the dealer's warehouse (or the truck) to your floor. This includes:

• Truck rental and driver labor
• Elevator scheduling and building access coordination
• Moving furniture to the correct floor and location

Typical cost: $50-150 per workstation for standard delivery. High-rise buildings, tight loading docks, or weekend/after-hours delivery cost more.

6. Installation

Assembly, placement, and connection of furniture at the final location.

• Task chairs: Minimal installation — unbox and adjust. $5-15 per chair.
• Freestanding desks: Assembly and placement. $50-100 per desk.
• Systems furniture / cubicles: The most labor-intensive. Panels must be connected, worksurfaces hung, power/data routed. $150-400 per workstation.
• Conference tables: $100-300 depending on size and complexity.

Important: Installation quality matters enormously for systems furniture. A poorly installed workstation wobbles, panels gap, and power doesn't work. Always use the dealer's certified installers, not a random moving company.

7. Project Management

A fee for the dealer's project manager to coordinate the entire process — scheduling, logistics, communication with your team, and overseeing installation.

• Typical: 3-8% of net product cost or a flat fee
• For small orders ($10K-25K), this may be waived or minimal
• For large projects ($100K+), a dedicated PM is worth every penny

8. Design Services

If the dealer provided space planning, 3D renderings, or finish selection assistance:

• Typical: $0-10,000+ depending on scope
• Many dealers include basic space planning free with the order
• Complex projects with custom designs, multiple revisions, and presentation renderings are billed separately

9. Tax

Sales tax on furniture varies by state (0% to 10%+). Some states exempt furniture for certain organization types (government, education, nonprofits). Your dealer should know the rules for your state and entity type.

How to Compare Quotes

When you have multiple quotes, normalize them by:

1. Make sure the specs match. Different chairs or desk configurations make price comparison meaningless. Ensure each dealer quoted the same or equivalent products.
2. Compare net prices, not list prices. List price is the same everywhere. The discount is where dealers compete.
3. Include ALL costs. Some dealers quote low product prices but high installation fees. Always compare the total project cost, not just furniture cost.
4. Check what's included vs. excluded. Does the quote include design services? PM? Warranty? Move-in coordination? The cheapest quote might be missing services that others include.

Red Flags to Watch For

• No discount shown: You should see 30-65% off list on commercial furniture
• Vague installation pricing: "Installation TBD" means they'll surprise you later. Get a firm number.
• No freight estimate: A quote without freight isn't a complete quote
• Unusually deep discounts: If one dealer offers 70% off and others offer 45%, they may be quoting a different product or cutting corners on service
• Missing sales tax: This isn't optional. If it's not in the quote, ask.

Next Steps

Before requesting quotes, use our RFP Builder to create a professional request for proposal. It ensures every dealer quotes the same scope, making comparison straightforward.

For an early budget estimate, try our Budget Estimator. And when you're ready to get real quotes, submit a project request to connect with vetted dealers.