A quotation that is significantly cheaper is not automatically a better quotation. It is a different specification, usually in a place the quotation does not show.
Where the money goes
| Cost line | Share of price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 30-38 % | Basswood versus MDF versus PVC changes both cost and the market you can sell to |
| Machining | 20-26 % | Louver machining and jig setup; the precision you are paying for |
| Assembly and hinges | 15-20 % | Hinge quality is the difference between a 5-year and a 15-year product |
| Finishing | 12-18 % | Paint or stain, with a separate operation to clear the louvers |
| Packaging and freight | 10-15 % | Shutters are bulky; flat-packing saves 30-40 % of freight |
Reading the structure
The largest line is material at 30-38 %. That is where a supplier has the most room to move and the most temptation to substitute. When a quote comes in well below the market, the difference is almost always here rather than in labour or packaging.
The smallest line is often the one that protects you: packaging and freight at 10-15 %. Cutting testing or packaging saves a visible amount per unit and costs a multiple of it in claims. This is the first place a new supplier cuts and the last place a serious one does.
Three levers that actually move the price
Colour count, which is where shutters cost is really set
Most buyers push on total quantity. The factory cost is driven by setups, not by total metres, and 100-300 panels per finish is quoted per colour because a colour change resets the process. Four shades at a quarter of the volume each cost more to make than one shade at the full volume, even though the total is identical. Consolidating shades usually beats a volume discount.
Loosening finish, if the product allows it
A tight tolerance on a parameter the product does not need is pure cost. Finish at painted / stained / primed is usually where a specification has been carried over from another programme without being re-examined. Loosening it recovers more than the discount being negotiated, and it does not damage the product.
Timing against a 30-45 days cycle
Production slots matter. A 30-45 days cycle can usually be met; a two-week expedite usually cannot, and when it is accepted the cost appears as overtime and air freight rather than in the unit price. Booking a slot four weeks out is the cheapest concession a buyer has.
The savings that come back as claims
Daylight shows through between panels and frame. The cause is frame out of square, or panels machined without a jig. This is what a 10 % saving looks like eighteen months later, and it is why the cheapest quote is rarely the lowest landed cost.
A working rule: price the difference between quotes against the cost of one replacement shipment. If the gap is smaller than that, the decision is not really about price.
What to ask for in the quotation
- The specification, line by line, against material and panel configuration at the values you asked for.
- The validity period, because the raw material index moves before the price list does.
- What is included: light gap, packing, certification, sample courier.
- The MOQ per colour (100-300 panels per finish is typical) separately from the order minimum.
- The payment terms and what would change them.
Cost detail for the material itself is on the shutters page; the commercial terms we work to are on the logistics page.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Which louver width should I stock?
89 mm covers 80 % of residential demand. 114 mm is a premium upgrade that needs a deeper frame, so stock it only if you sell design-led projects.
Can shutters be fitted inside a recess?
Yes with an L-frame. Outside the recess with a Z-frame. The measuring method differs and getting it wrong is the most common installation complaint.
What light gap is acceptable?
3 mm or less between panels. Buyers inspect this first, and it is the clearest signal of machining quality.
Reading a quote that looks too low
A quote 15-20 % below the market is not a negotiating position, it is a different product. These are the five places the difference hides, in the order it usually appears.
- A lighter construction. Frame type quoted at the bottom of L-frame / Z-frame / deco frame rather than the middle. Ask for the measured figure per lot.
- One coating pass instead of two. Cheaper to make, fails at the fold within a season.
- Testing excluded. The quote is ex-works without reports; the reports then cost more than the saving when a buyer asks for them.
- Packing downgraded. Thinner cartons, no moisture barrier, more transit damage and a claim at destination.
- Payment terms tightened. A deposit-heavy structure is often funding the order, which is a credit risk rather than a price advantage.
Three concessions that lower the price honestly
None of these damages the product, and together they usually recover more than the discount being negotiated.
- Fewer colours. Setup is per colour, so consolidating shades cuts cost without touching the specification.
- A longer slot. Four extra weeks lets the factory combine runs; the saving is real and it costs you nothing if the launch date allows it.
- Looser non-critical tolerances. A tight figure on finish adds cost and the product does not need it.
The three tiers of shutters, and what each one buys
| Tier | Louver width | Material | Programmes it suits | Where it fails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Louver width at the low end | Material at the low end | Short-life, promotional, market testing | Visible light gaps |
| Standard | Louver width mid-range | Material mid-range | Repeat retail and industrial programmes | Louver sag |
| Contract | Louver width at the top | Material at the top | Projects with a warranty attached | Rare, and usually a process failure rather than a material one |
The tiers are not marketing labels; they are different constructions at different points in louver width and material. A supplier who quotes one price for all three is quoting the middle and calling it whatever you asked for.
The useful question is which tier your programme can defend. If the end product is replaced before visible light gaps would appear, entry is rational. If it carries a warranty, the premium for contract is usually smaller than one claim.
Failure modes, and the test that catches each one
A specification only earns its keep if it names the failure it prevents. These are the two that matter for the price you are trying to move.
| Failure | What triggers it | Test to demand on the production lot |
|---|---|---|
| Hinge pull-out | Thin frame section or the wrong screw for the material. | Finish adhesion — cross-hatch; acceptance no lift |
| Paint bridging | Paint applied after assembly without clearing the gaps. | Moisture content (wood) — meter; acceptance 8-12 % |
The other two, with acceptance numbers attached, are in the full failure analysis for shutters. A supplier who cannot name the mode he sees most often is describing a catalogue, not a process.
From quotation to specification in seven lines
Leave the tolerance and the method out and every dispute is settled by whoever needs the goods more.
- Hinge (hidden / aluminium / stainless): state where in the band this order sits. The middle of the band is not what a tolerance is for.
- Light gap: the figure you will accept inside the <= 3 mm between panels band, the tolerance on it, and the method used to measure it.
- Tilt rod (front / hidden / gear-driven): name the number, not the word. If the answer only repeats the band, ask which point inside it is being offered for this order.
- Finish: painted / stained / primed is the market band. Fix the figure you will test at goods-in, and the instrument you will test it with.
- Sample retention: one production sample per lot stays with the mill for twelve months. Claims are settled against it, not against memory.
- Test reports: name the standard as well as the test. A pass on a development sample is not a pass on a production lot.
- Deviation rule: anything outside the agreed bands is reported before shipment, not after arrival.
Want a costed quotation against a real volume?
Send a window schedule or a single set size and we will return a quotation with the loading plan, the safety standard that applies to your market and the lead time for the colour you need. Catalogue and current price list on request.
Related reading
Catalogue and current price list · Neutral packing and private label · Consolidation, documents and lead times
