How to quote custom furniture without losing margin
A simple method so your quote reflects the real cost of the job, including the parts everyone forgets.
Separate cost, overhead and margin
A reliable quote has three layers: direct cost (material and hours), a share of company overheads, and the margin you intend to earn.
When those blend together the job looks good on paper and bad in the bank. Set a target margin per job type and apply it consistently.
Material: current price and waste
Always use the current supplier price, not last year's. An up-to-date material catalog removes most quoting errors.
Add a waste factor per material. On sheet goods 10% to 20% is common depending on the part and the cutting plan.
Hours: what you spend, not what you wish
Estimate hours per operation: cutting, edgebanding, drilling, assembly, finishing, transport and on-site installation.
Log real hours on jobs and within a few months you will be estimating from your own data instead of intuition.
What usually gets left out
Travel, site surveys, loading, packaging, post-installation touch-ups and warranty visits.
These rarely make it into the spreadsheet and they are exactly what eats the margin.