Start with the structure, not the total
A fit-out quotation usually arrives as a bill of quantities, or BOQ: a schedule that breaks the work into items, each with a description, a unit, a quantity and a rate. The total at the bottom is simply the sum of those lines plus tax. Reading the total first invites a comparison that may not be fair. Reading the structure first shows whether the comparison is possible at all.
A well-organised BOQ groups work by trade or by element. Civil and demolition, partitions and drywall, flooring, false ceilings, joinery, painting and finishes, electrical, lighting, air conditioning, fire, plumbing, data cabling, furniture, signage and preliminaries. If one bidder has fifteen sections and another has four, the second is not necessarily cheaper or simpler. It may be hiding scope inside broad lump sums that are hard to question later.
Mumbai gives this exercise particular weight. Many offices occupy older commercial buildings with irregular plans, low ceilings, aging risers and building societies or management companies with their own rules. Those conditions belong in the quotation, and you should be able to find them.
Rates and quantities are separate questions
Every line combines two things: how much, and at what price. Check them separately.
Quantities should trace back to drawings. Measure a few yourself. If the plan shows a certain length of glass partition, does the BOQ match it? Is flooring measured on the net carpet area or on a larger figure? Are skirtings, door frames and ceiling bulkheads counted, or left out to be added later? Small errors in quantity, repeated across many lines, move a total more than most rate negotiations.
Rates should reflect a clear specification. A line that reads only "vinyl flooring" or "gypsum ceiling" can be priced at many levels. Ask for brand, range, thickness and installation method, or at least an equivalent standard. Without a specification, a low rate today becomes a substitution tomorrow.
Provisional sums and allowances
Some items cannot be priced accurately when the quotation is prepared. The final light fittings may not be chosen; the condition behind an old wall may be unknown. These appear as provisional sums or allowances: placeholders with a figure attached.
They are useful when used honestly and dangerous when used to make a bid look complete. Look at how many there are, what they cover and how they will be adjusted. A quotation in which much of the value sits in allowances is an estimate, not a price. In an older Mumbai building, where opening a ceiling can reveal rusted ducts or brittle wiring, it is reasonable to see an allowance for remedial work. It should be named, scoped and paired with a method for agreeing the final figure.
Exclusions and assumptions
The two most important pages are often at the back. Exclusions list what the bidder will not provide. Assumptions list the conditions their price depends on. Read both slowly.
Common exclusions in fit-out quotations include:
- Building society or landlord approval fees and deposits
- Fire NOC drawings and liaison with the fire department
- Structural reports where slabs are cut or loads change
- Data and AV equipment, as distinct from cabling
- Loose furniture, appliances and planting
- Night-shift premiums, debris removal beyond a set limit, and insurance
Assumptions in Mumbai deserve particular attention. Many buildings allow noisy work only at night or on Sundays, restrict deliveries to certain hours and limit the use of passenger lifts for materials. Some older buildings have no service lift at all, which means carrying boards and glass up stairwells. Monsoon months affect the movement of materials, the drying of finishes and the reliability of labour travelling across the city. A bidder who assumes daytime working and free lift access has priced a different job from one who has read the society's rules.
GST and how tax is shown
Tax should be shown clearly and separately. Interior fit-out is generally treated as a works contract for GST purposes, but the rate that applies depends on the nature of the contract, the parties and the items supplied, and furniture bought separately may be taxed differently from installed work. Rather than relying on a figure in this article, ask each bidder to state the rate they have applied, the basis for it, and whether their price is inclusive or exclusive of tax. Then confirm the position with your own accountant, particularly if you intend to claim input tax credit.
Preliminaries and site overheads
Preliminaries cover the cost of running the site: supervision, temporary power and lighting, protection of lifts and common areas, safety measures, cleaning, insurance and the contractor's management time. They are sometimes shown as a single line and sometimes spread across other rates.
In a compact Mumbai floor plate, where storage space is scarce and deliveries must be staged in small batches, these costs are real. Ask how the bidder plans to manage material storage, waste removal and protection of shared areas. A credible answer is worth more than a low preliminaries line.
Comparing like with like
Once each quotation has been read, bring them onto one sheet. Use your own list of sections, not any single bidder's format, and map each line into it. Mark where scope is missing, where a provisional sum has replaced a firm price and where an assumption differs from your building's rules. Then ask each bidder the same set of questions in writing and give them the same deadline to answer.
The result is a comparison of scope, risk and clarity, with price as one column among several. Preparing a common format for bids takes time and attention, but no special expertise. The aim is simple: when you sign, you should know what each line will deliver on site.