Overview
Furniture making is sold by the piece, and the design hours are the line that doesn't show in the photos
Furniture making is the trade that produces standalone pieces: a dining table, a sideboard, a bench, a coffee table, a bed frame. The customer often arrives with a Pinterest reference and an idea of the dimensions, and the maker is doing the design work, the timber selection, the joinery, the finishing, and the delivery. The design hours are invisible to the customer (they only see the finished photograph), and a quote that hides the design time in the materials cost looks expensive for what it is. A flat 'oak dining table, $2,400' quote that doesn't separately show the design, the timber selection trip, and the finish lets the customer comparison-shop on raw materials and miss the craft.
QuoteGenio gives furniture makers a quoting shape that values the design. Design consultation and shop drawings as the first line, timber at supplier price with the species, grade, and source noted, joinery labour by piece, finishing (oil, wax, lacquer) by system, delivery and installation if applicable, and a warranty period for the maker's workmanship. Send via WhatsApp or email to the customer with sketches and a timber-sample photo, take a deposit on the timber order, raise a progress invoice once the carcass is built, and the final invoice closes with photos of the finished piece and the care card.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for bespoke furniture businesses of every size, from one-bench workshops to multi-craftsperson studios.
The problem
The quoting headaches every furniture maker knows
Bespoke furniture quotes mix timber, hardware, finish, and delivery. Miss one and the project loses its margin.
Costing bespoke takes hours
Working out timber board feet, hardware, finish, and delivery for each one-off piece eats your evenings every time.
Designer briefs change weekly
Without a clean structured quote, every design tweak becomes a new estimate. Fast becomes painfully slow.
Premium clients buy on PDF
Interior designers and architects pick from polished, comparable quotes. A handwritten estimate goes in the bin every time.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A clean workflow that lets you quote bespoke pieces with timber, hardware, finish, and delivery all visible.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for furniture makers
Line items for timber, hardware, finish, fabric, delivery, and install. Structured the way bespoke furniture actually prices.
Works from the workshop
Quote variations from the bench on your phone during a client visit. No need to wait until you are at the desk tomorrow.
Quote in under 10 minutes
A structured workflow that turns a brief and a sketch into a sent quote before the designer presents to the client.
Track deposits and balance
Issue 50/50 or milestone invoices off one quote. Know which deposits have landed and which finals are due.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how furniture makers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Furniture Makers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Furniture Makers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Furniture Makers job pricing
A rough guide to what bespoke furniture makers charge. Price varies with timber species, finish grade, hardware, and complexity. Solid hardwood, hand-applied finish, and brass fittings all push price up. Use these as a sanity check, not a fixed rate.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Solid oak dining table (per linear metre, 1m wide) | R19,832 - R56,192 |
| Bespoke headboard (per linear metre, upholstered) | R9,586 - R29,749 |
| Custom desk (solid timber, single user) | R23,138 - R79,330 |
| Bookshelf or display unit (per linear metre) | R7,933 - R23,138 |
| Restaurant bench seating (per linear metre) | R11,238 - R36,359 |
| Bespoke bed frame (queen, solid timber) | R29,749 - R90,899 |
| Delivery and install (per visit, local) | R4,628 - R14,048 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A consultation and design call-out covers travel, the client meeting, and the design sketches afterwards. Most furniture makers charge R2,479 to R7,933 for a design consultation, often credited back if the piece is commissioned. List it as a paid line so clients see your design time.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use per piece fixed pricing once the design is signed off. Use hourly (R1,240 to R2,149 per hour) for design revisions, finish samples, and on-site adjustments. State in the quote how many revisions are included and what extras cost.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's a clean, itemised quote for a typical bespoke dining table. Timber, joinery, base, finish, and delivery are all separate lines. Designers and clients accept structured quotes faster because they can see exactly what they are paying for and why.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Solid oak dining table, 2.4m x 1m bespoke
European oak timber (kiln dried, 50mm top)
Joinery and assembly labour (32 hrs)
Steel base (powder-coated, fabricated)
Hand-applied oil and wax finish
Local delivery and install
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| European oak timber (kiln dried, 50mm top) | 1 | R29,749 | R29,749 |
| Joinery and assembly labour (32 hrs) | 32 | R1,405 / hr | R44,953 |
| Steel base (powder-coated, fabricated) | 1 | R11,238 | R11,238 |
| Hand-applied oil and wax finish | 1 | R6,280 | R6,280 |
| Local delivery and install | 1 | R5,289 | R5,289 |
| Subtotal | R97,509 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R9,751 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R107,260 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Timber waste (often 15 to 25 percent on solid hardwood), finish samples, design revisions, packaging and blankets for delivery, hoisting if the piece does not fit through the door, and the snag visit for adjustment after the timber has settled. Add these as standard lines.
Peer snapshot
How Furniture Makers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Furniture Makers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
24
Quotes sent per month
60%
Average quote acceptance
4 min
Median time to send quote
R107,260
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Furniture Maker jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of furniture makers. The same scoping mistakes come up on every commission. Fix these and you will stop bleeding margin to revisions, hand-finishing, and delivery on every piece.
Mistake: Pricing on finished timber size only
Better: Solid hardwood has 15 to 25 percent cutting and dressing waste. Quote on the rough timber you have to buy, not the dimensions of the finished piece, or you eat the offcut every time.
Mistake: Forgetting design and revision time
Better: Sketches, drawings, and revisions take real hours. Quote two free revisions, then R1,240 per hour beyond. State this in the quote terms so it is signed up to on acceptance.
Mistake: Hand-finish as a freebie
Better: Hand-applied oil, wax, or French polish takes 4 to 8 hours per piece. Quote it as its own line with the finish named so the client sees the craft, not just the timber.
Mistake: No allowance for delivery
Better: Bespoke pieces are heavy and awkward. Quote local delivery as a fixed line, long-haul as a separate banded rate. Hoisting through windows or up stairs as an extra.
Mistake: Same rate for all timber species
Better: Pine, oak, walnut, and rare hardwoods cost very differently. Have material rates per species or quote timber at supplier cost plus markup. Name the species on the quote line.
Mistake: Verbal quotes for one-offs
Better: Even a simple bench needs a written quote with sketch attached. WhatsApp a QuoteGenio link with the sketch as a photo attached to the quote so there is no scope dispute later.
Mistake: Open-ended quote validity
Better: Hardwood prices move with imports and the rand. Set a 30 day expiry on quotes and reprice if the order is delayed. State the policy on the PDF so it is not a surprise.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote bespoke furniture jobs
Meet the client and sketch the piece before you guess a price. For a dining table, get final length, width, edge detail, leg style, and timber species in writing. For a bed or headboard, confirm mattress size and mounting method. For a custom desk, ask about cable management, integrated power, and whether drawers or shelves are included. Measure the delivery access: will a 2.4m oak table fit through the front door, up a stairwell, or does the piece need to be made in two sections to assemble on site? A consultation sketch signed off by the client is what stops 'I thought the top would be thicker' on delivery day.
Itemise timber, joinery labour, finish, hardware, and delivery on the PDF. Quote timber on rough board feet you buy (solid hardwood carries 15 to 25 percent waste from cutting, dressing, and defect avoidance), not the finished dimensions, and name the species and grade on the line (European oak, American walnut, pine). Split joinery and assembly as an hourly line at $ 85 per hour. Show hand-applied oil, wax, or French polish as its own line with the product named (Osmo, hard wax oil, French polish), these take 4 to 8 hours per piece and deserve visible pricing. Add a steel or metal base separately, local delivery fixed, long-haul banded per kilometre, and hoisting if the piece will not fit through a door.
Set a 30 day quote validity with a reprice clause if the order is delayed. Hardwood prices move with imports and the rand, a walnut price today may not hold in three months. Take a 50 percent deposit on order (covering the timber purchase and workshop commitment) and 50 percent on completion or delivery. State in the terms that two design revisions are included, then $ 75 per hour for further changes, and that finish samples beyond the first set are billed. Note that solid timber moves seasonally and a minor adjustment visit 3 to 6 months after delivery may be required, priced as a small fixed line.
Send the quote with the sketch attached the same day as the consultation. Interior designers and private clients on bespoke furniture buy on presentation as much as price, and a polished PDF with the sketch on the front beats a handwritten estimate every time. Build the quote from the bench on your phone, attach the sketch as a photo to the quote, share the QuoteGenio link via WhatsApp, and email the designer the same link. Follow up after three to five days. When the client requests a leg-style change mid-build, issue a variation through QuoteGenio and get online acceptance before you cut the new timber.
FAQ
Common questions from furniture makers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add each piece as its own line item with a clear description of timber, finish, and dimensions. QuoteGenio shows everything cleanly on the PDF for the client and designer.
Yes. Every quote becomes a branded PDF and a public link. Email the designer, WhatsApp the client, or both. Everyone gets the same clean structured document with no app needed.
Attach sketches as photos to the line item description, or send the design sketch as a separate PDF alongside the quote. Both options keep the design and price visible together.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Designers and clients open it on any device and accept with one tap. You get notified instantly so you can book the workshop slot.
Yes. Duplicate the quote into a deposit invoice (typically 50 percent on order) and a balance invoice (on completion or delivery). All line items carry over so you only adjust the percentages.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Solid hardwood has 15 to 25 percent waste from cutting, dressing, and defect avoidance. Quote on the rough board feet you have to buy at supplier cost, not the dimensions of the finished piece. Note the species and grade on the line so the client sees what is going into the work.
Yes. Hand-applied oil, wax, French polish, or shellac takes 4 to 8 hours per piece and represents real craft. Quote it as its own line with the finish named (Osmo, hard wax oil, French polish). It justifies the price and educates the client on what they are buying.
Include two free revisions in your quote as standard. Charge R1,240 per hour for additional revisions and state this clearly in the quote terms. For complex pieces, charge a separate design fee upfront, sometimes credited back when the piece is commissioned.
If you are VAT registered, yes. Timber, hardware, finish, and labour all attract VAT. Show it as its own line on the quote. If you are under the VAT threshold, state on the quote that prices are VAT exempt so it is clear.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Reviews
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"Security quotes with six or seven cameras and zones used to be a nightmare. The line item structure handles it easily and clients understand exactly what they are getting."
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CCTV Installer · Cork
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Handyman · Port Elizabeth
"Quoting per head with add-ons for staffing and equipment is straightforward. Clients can see exactly what they are paying for and they stop haggling on the total."
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Caterer · Dubai
Guides
Guides for Furniture Makers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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