How to read a home interior quotation, line by line
Most interior quotes are designed to be compared on the last page. Here is how to compare them on every page, area maths, unit counts, hardware brands and exclusions.
A designer walks you through a beautiful 3D render and hands over a PDF ending in one big number. That number is the least informative part of the document. The decisions that determine what you actually pay, and what you actually receive, are buried in unit rates, area definitions and a short exclusions paragraph near the end.
Step 1. Normalise the scope before comparing rupees
Brand A quotes 11 units, Brand B quotes 9 units for 'the same' home. Until you list every unit side by side, you are not comparing prices, you are comparing different houses.
- Write out every room, and under it every unit: wardrobe, loft, kitchen base, wall units, tall unit, TV panel, study, crockery, dresser, pooja unit, bed, side tables.
- Mark units present in one quote and missing in the other. Missing lofts and crockery units alone account for ₹80,000–₹1.5 lakh in most 3 BHK gaps.
- Note quantities and sizes, a 7ft wardrobe against an 8ft wardrobe is a 14% material difference at the same 'rate'.
Step 2. Understand which area is being billed
| Basis | What it means | Effect on your bill |
|---|---|---|
| Shutter / front area | Height × width of the visible front only | Lowest apparent rate; loft and internals often charged extra |
| Carcass / developed area | Total board surface used, including internals and shelves | Higher apparent rate but usually a more complete number |
| Running foot | Length × a standard height assumption | Fine for kitchens; hides height differences (7ft vs 9ft) completely |
| Lump sum per unit | One price for the whole item | Easy to read, impossible to verify, always ask for the area split |
Audited insight
The most common comparison error
Comparing a shutter-area rate of ₹1,450/sq.ft against a developed-area rate of ₹1,150/sq.ft and concluding the second is cheaper. Convert both to the same basis first, the ranking often flips.
Step 3. Audit the hardware line
Hardware is typically 8–14% of woodwork value, and it is where mid-project substitution happens most often. 'Soft-close hinges' with no brand can mean a ₹90 hinge or a ₹380 hinge, across 120 hinges that is a ₹35,000 swing you never see.
- Insist on the brand and series for hinges, channels, tandem boxes, baskets and handles.
- Ask for the warranty term in writing, and whether it is the manufacturer's or the vendor's.
- Check the count: number of drawers, baskets and lift-ups is a quantity, not an adjective.
Step 4. Read the exclusions paragraph first, not last
- Civil work, plumbing shifts, and electrical points, often excluded and later billed at ₹700–₹1,500 per point.
- Countertop, sink, hob, chimney and appliances, regularly outside the 'modular kitchen' line.
- False ceiling, painting and wallpaper, priced separately in most 'full home' packages.
- Loose furniture, curtains, lighting fixtures and décor, almost always excluded.
- Transport, site handling, loading charges and design fees, small individually, ₹40,000+ together.
- GST. 18% on most interior work. A quote 'excluding taxes' is not a comparable number.
Step 5. Check payment terms and the change-order clause
| Clause | Reasonable | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Booking advance | 10% | 25%+ before design freeze |
| Milestone schedule | Design freeze / production / delivery / handover | One large payment before production |
| Change orders | Written approval with per-item rate | 'Rates as applicable at time of change' |
| Delay penalty | Defined per-week compensation | No mention of timelines at all |
| Warranty | 1 year service + 5–10 years on materials | 'As per company policy' with no document |
You are not negotiating a discount. You are negotiating a specification. Discounts on a vague scope are just cheaper vagueness.
Let us do the line-by-line for you
Upload two quotations and get a normalised, unit-by-unit audit report, scope gaps, area basis, hardware and exclusions. Free for your first comparison.
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