What to Include in a Commercial Millwork Quote Request

A useful millwork quote request lets each bidder answer the same question: what work is included, with which materials, under which project conditions? A reception desk described as “wood with a stone top” leaves room for very different interpretations. A marked elevation, finish schedule, equipment list, and clear installation scope give the conversation a firmer starting point.

Use the following checklist to organize a pricing package. These are suggested preparation steps; agree on the final submission requirements with the estimating team.

1. Explain the project and the decision you need

Start with a short cover note containing the project name, address, building use, and primary contact. State whether you need an early budget, pricing against developed drawings, or a proposal for a defined construction package.

Include the response deadline and expected award date. If the design is still changing, identify the open decisions. For example: “Price the reception desk shown on A-501; the veneer is selected, but the countertop color remains open.” Ask bidders to identify their pricing assumptions beside the affected item.

2. Send an identifiable drawing set

Provide the relevant plans, elevations, sections, details, specifications, and finish schedules. Include sheet numbers, issue dates, and the addenda that apply. A short drawing register helps everyone confirm which revision they used.

Mark the rooms and items included in the request. If a rendering illustrates the intended appearance, pair it with dimensioned drawings and label any features that are illustrative. Separate confirmed dimensions from dimensions that still need field verification.

The Architectural Woodwork Institute’s submittal standard treats shop drawings, material information, samples, and product information as coordinated parts of communication. That is useful context for assembling your package; the pricing request itself should clearly state which design information is available. AWI 100 purpose and scope

3. Define where the millwork scope starts and stops

Create a short scope list by room or item number. Give quantities and drawing references, then identify who supplies and installs adjacent work. A simple responsibility table can expose unanswered questions:

Item	Clarification to include
Reception desk	Cabinetry, finished end panels, transaction surface, and access panels included?
Countertop	Supply, templating, cutouts, supports, delivery, and installation assigned to whom?
Integrated lighting	Channels, fixtures, drivers, wiring, and final connections assigned to whom?
Wall attachments	Who provides backing, verifies its position, and repairs adjacent finishes?

Also identify demolition, protection, unloading, and disposal responsibilities where relevant. Ask bidders to return an explicit list of inclusions and exclusions so the proposals can be compared item by item.

4. Describe materials beyond their color

For each finish code, provide the manufacturer and product reference if selected, its intended location, and the available sample information. For veneer, record the species, cut, matching expectations, and grain direction. For painted or laminated work, identify the intended appearance of edges, interiors, and exposed ends as well as the main face.

These distinctions belong in design coordination: AWI’s casework guidance addresses veneer selection and matching, grain direction, hardware, and interior clearances. It also advises checking technical data against the intended use. AWI casework specification guidance

When a selection is unresolved, request a clearly described allowance or separately priced alternative. Keep the base proposal tied to one stated material choice. A note such as “alternate laminate finish, separately priced” is easier to compare than an unexplained substitution inside a total.

5. Attach hardware and equipment information

List selected hinges, drawer systems, locks, pulls, and specialty fittings by product reference where possible. Describe the contents a cabinet needs to accommodate, including equipment, bins, or files. For integrated equipment, attach its current technical sheet and identify the person responsible for resolving service access, ventilation, power, and plumbing requirements.

Hardware planning can involve more than a finish selection. For example, Blum’s Cabinet Configurator includes fittings selection and collision checking alongside cabinet planning. Use the selected manufacturer’s information to coordinate the proposed arrangement. Blum Cabinet Configurator

6. Make site conditions and milestones visible

Describe loading access, delivery hours, elevators, stairs, storage arrangements, and occupied areas. Include useful site photographs, labeled by location and date. Flag any restrictions already known, rather than leaving bidders to assume unrestricted access.

List the target milestones for design decisions, field measurements, submittal review, delivery, and installation. Ask bidders to state the dependencies behind their proposed schedule. Avoid treating a requested installation date as a confirmed commitment before those dependencies are discussed.

Where AWI 100 applies, its supplier requirements call for submittals before fabrication and separately identified material or design changes. Make space in project planning for that review rather than assuming pricing resolves every fabrication detail. AWI supplier responsibilities

Before you send the request

Check that another reader can locate five things without searching through an email chain:

• The current drawing and specification references.
• The rooms, quantities, and scope boundaries to price.
• Selected finishes and the decisions still open.
• Site constraints and the requested project milestones.
• A contact for questions and a clear proposal deadline.

Preparing a reception, conference room, lobby, or office casework package? Explore TrueCraft’s commercial millwork services, then start a quote conversation with a summary of the project and the information available.