A useful bathroom-product quotation begins with a useful brief. When a buyer sends only a reference image and asks for a price, every supplier must fill the gaps with assumptions. One quotation may include a basin and top, another may cover the cabinet only, and a third may use a different material or packing method. The numbers can look comparable while describing different products.
A structured request for quotation (RFQ) reduces that ambiguity. It also helps the buyer identify which decisions are complete, which require supplier input, and which must remain provisional until a drawing or sample is approved. The checklist below is designed for bathroom vanities, mirrors, mirror cabinets, basins, tapware and coordinated product packages.
Start with the commercial context
Begin by explaining how the products will be used. A retailer testing a new range, a distributor replenishing standard models, and a contractor supplying rooms in phases have different requirements even when the product image is similar. State the buyer type, intended sales channel or project type, destination market, target order timing and whether the enquiry is for budgeting, sampling or a confirmed purchase.
Include expected quantities by model rather than one combined total. If quantities are not final, provide a realistic range and ask for the pricing breaks that matter to the decision. Avoid requesting a fixed minimum order or lead time without a defined configuration; both depend on materials, components, model mix, packaging and current production conditions.
Identify every product in the package
Create one line for each model or room type. Use a temporary model code so that drawings, samples, quotations and comments can refer to the same item. For a vanity package, clarify whether the line includes the cabinet, top, basin, waste, tap, mirror, fixings and accessories. For a mirror, state whether the enquiry concerns a plain mirror, an illuminated model or a storage cabinet.
The ArcQuay product centre can help establish the relevant family. Buyers can also review bathroom vanities, mirrors and mirror cabinets separately before combining them into a schedule.
Provide dimensions and installation constraints
Reference images communicate style but not fit. Supply the required overall width, height and depth, together with any permitted range. Mark plumbing zones, wall conditions, door swings, adjacent finishes and clearance restrictions on a room plan or elevation. For wall-mounted furniture, the project team should resolve wall backing and fixing responsibility with qualified site professionals; a cabinet quotation cannot validate the wall construction.
For a mirror, record the mounting height, available wall area, relationship to the basin and tap, electrical point and any rear clearance limit. For tops and basins, show the basin centre, tap-hole position, waste position, edge profile and backsplash or upstand requirements. Dimensioned information prevents a visually attractive selection from failing at the installation interface.
Describe materials without relying on style words
Terms such as “wood,” “stone,” “matte white” or “brushed gold” are not complete specifications. For each cabinet part, identify the proposed substrate, nominal thickness, surface route, colour reference, sheen or texture, edge treatment and exposed-face requirements. If the buyer expects the supplier to propose the material route, state the performance and appearance priorities and request the construction to be declared in the quotation.
For tops and basins, identify the material family and request the exact offered composition or model. Note that natural or manufactured surfaces may have an approved variation range. The RFQ should distinguish an inspiration image from the physical sample or controlled reference that will eventually govern production.
Define function at model level
List drawers, doors, shelves, organizers and handles rather than asking for “standard storage.” Record opening direction, usable internal space, plumbing cut-outs and any controlled hardware requirement. Where a particular brand or component is requested, allow the supplier to identify availability and propose a documented alternative for review rather than making an unapproved substitution later.
For illuminated mirrors, specify functions individually. These may include light direction, control method, dimming, colour-temperature selection, demister behavior, clock or other features. State the destination electrical system and installation zone, but require the final configuration and applicable requirements to be checked for the exact model and market. Do not assume that a document for one component covers the complete mirror.
Make the quotation scope explicit
| RFQ field | What the supplier should confirm |
|---|---|
| Model and revision | The drawing, schedule and finish reference used for pricing |
| Included items | Cabinet, top, basin, mirror, hardware, fixings and accessories |
| Development costs | Samples, tooling, artwork or testing priced separately where applicable |
| Packaging | Individual protection, carton, pallet and labeling basis |
| Delivery term | Named place or port, trade term and excluded logistics costs |
| Documentation | Drawings, manuals, reports, labels and inspection records included |
| Schedule | Approval dependencies and an order-specific production estimate |
Ask the supplier to list exclusions and assumptions. A clean quotation should make it possible to trace every price line back to a product schedule. Optional items should be separated rather than hidden inside a single unit price.
State the approval and evidence plan
Describe which approvals are required before production: shop drawings, finish samples, functional samples, packaging samples or a complete pre-production unit. For each required document, ask for its model reference, scope, issuer and validity where relevant. The ArcQuay certificates and verification page explains why document applicability should be checked against the offered product rather than inferred from a logo.
Include the expected inspection points and acceptance references. The RFQ does not need to contain a full quality plan, but it should state whether first-piece approval, in-process records, pre-shipment inspection or independent inspection may be required. This makes quality activities part of the commercial discussion instead of an unexpected request after production.
Add packaging, labeling and delivery details
State the delivery route and handling conditions known at enquiry stage. Identify any limits on carton dimensions or weight, pallet requirements, barcode or carton-mark fields, language needs, assembly instructions and spare-part packing. For phased projects, request room, unit or batch labels that connect packages to the delivery schedule.
If the buyer has a required packaging test method, name the method, package configuration and acceptance criteria. “Export packing” is not a reproducible standard. Product-specific packaging should be reviewed after the dimensions and included components are fixed.
Use an RFQ version log
Issue the brief with a date and revision number. Record later changes to dimensions, materials, functions, quantities and delivery assumptions. Ask suppliers to reference the current revision on each quotation. This simple control prevents an attractive earlier price from being compared with a later, more complete specification.
Send a brief that invites precise questions
A strong RFQ does not pretend that every decision is already complete. Mark open items clearly and give suppliers a deadline for clarification questions. The goal is a comparable scope and an evidence-based route to approval, not a fast number built on invisible assumptions.
When the product schedule, destination, quantities and timing are ready, use the ArcQuay project brief form to send the enquiry. Attach drawings or reference files where available, and identify the decisions for which you want a supplier proposal.