10 Things Your Office Furniture Installer Wants to Know Before Pricing Your Project

4 days ago

3 min read

"Can you send us a price to install about 60 workstations?"

We get that request often. And we can answer it. But without a few more details, any installer has to fill the gaps with assumptions, and assumptions turn into contingency.

A vague request gets a padded quote. A complete request gets a sharp one.

If you're asking for an installation price, these are the ten details that make the biggest difference. Send them with your first email, and you'll get a faster, more accurate number, and far fewer change orders later.

✅ 1. Floor Plans

The current furniture plan shows how many workstations, offices and meeting rooms there are and how they're laid out. Make sure it's the latest revision. Pricing an old plan is pricing a different project.

✅ 2. Furniture Specifications

The spec or order acknowledgement lists every component on every station. It's the single biggest driver of labour time, because it tells us exactly what's being built.

✅ 3. Quantities

How many of each workstation type, chair, table and storage unit. If the spec doesn't summarize it, a simple count helps.

✅ 4. Manufacturer and Product Line

A Teknion system, a Steelcase bench and a Herman Miller height-adjustable table all install differently. Knowing the brand and series lets us price accurately and send a crew that knows the product.

✅ 5. Site Address and Building Type

A downtown Toronto tower, a suburban office park in Mississauga and a single-storey industrial building are very different jobs. The address alone tells us a lot about parking, access and building rules.

✅ 6. Loading Dock and Elevator Access

Is there a dock? A freight elevator? Is it shared or dedicated? What floor is the space on, and are there stairs anywhere along the route? These details can move a price significantly.

✅ 7. Schedule

When does the work need to happen, and when is move-in? Is the space empty, under construction or occupied? Will we be working evenings or weekends?

✅ 8. Existing Furniture

Does anything need to be removed, relocated, stored, donated or recycled before or during the install? This is often separate work, and it's the item most often missing from early quote requests.

✅ 9. Electrical Scope

Does the furniture include power? Who connects it to the building: the installer's team, or an electrician hired separately? Clear responsibility avoids gaps and double-counting.

✅ 10. Storage and Delivery

Will the furniture ship straight to site, or does it need to be received and stored first? Will it arrive all at once, or in phases? ECS offers secure, climate-controlled storage, but it needs to be in the quote if it's part of the plan.

Bonus: Who Is the Site Contact?

Name the person who can answer questions, book the elevator and make decisions on site. A responsive contact speeds up quoting, and keeps the project moving once it starts.

The Result: A Quote You Can Trust

With this information, the price reflects your actual project. You can compare quotes fairly, budget with confidence, and avoid surprises once work begins. For a deeper look at what drives the number, see What Does Office Furniture Installation Actually Cost?

ECS Solutions has spent over two decades installing, relocating and reconfiguring workplaces across Ontario and Canada, working with Herman Miller, Steelcase, Teknion, Haworth, Framery and more. We're a CAMSC Certified Supplier and a participant in the WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program.