A request for quote is where most cabinetry projects are either settled properly or quietly go wrong. For high gloss wood effect cabinets, the danger is not that suppliers ignore your enquiry — it is that several suppliers answer a different question than the one you asked, so their numbers cannot be compared. One quotes a foil-wrapped door over particleboard, another quotes a real wood veneer under a high gloss surface, and both look like "wood grain, shiny, same size." This article sets out what to put in your RFQ so that comparable, firm pricing comes back.
Start With the Room, Not the Door Sample
Cabinetry is priced from a layout. Before any finish discussion, send the drawings you actually have: measured existing-site dimensions, or the architectural / joinery drawings if this is a new villa, apartment or hotel kitchen. For each run, state wall lengths, ceiling height and where the floor line sits, plus the position of every fixed constraint:
- Windows, sills and head heights; skirting, cornices and any out-of-plaster or uneven wall you already know about
- Gas cooktop, oven, microwave, dishwasher, fridge and rangehood — with the exact appliance models or at least their cut-out dimensions
- Sink position, tap hole count, waste and water inlet locations
- Sockets, switches, light points, air-conditioning returns and any structural column or beam
- Access route to the room: stair width, lift size, door openings, parking for delivery — this affects packaging and sometimes price
If your kitchen sits inside a wider fit-out, say so. Our custom built-in kitchen cabinets are supplied as interior fixtures for hotel, apartment and residential renovation projects, where the cabinetry has to line up with adjoining wall panelling, flooring and doors rather than stand alone.
Say What "Wood Effect" Means to You
This is the single most common source of a misleading quote. "High gloss wood effect" covers several genuinely different constructions, and SANTERSON supplies them as separate product lines. Be explicit in the RFQ about which one you want, or ask to be quoted for two and compare:
| Construction | What to specify in the RFQ | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| High gloss wood effect cabinets | Gloss level, timber species or grain pattern to match, and whether the grain must run continuously across adjacent doors | Projects that want the look of solid timber with a reflective surface and made-to-measure sizing |
| High gloss wood veneer cabinets | Veneer species, cut (royal slip, book-match, quarter-cut), grain-matching rule, and what protective high gloss surface is applied over the veneer | Higher-end villas and hospitality work where real timber figure and matching to existing joinery matter |
| High gloss acrylic cabinets | Colour or wood-effect board, panel thickness, edge-band material and colour match on all four edges | Crisp, uniform modern kitchens; strong colour consistency across many identical units |
| Handleless high gloss cabinets | Opening method — J-pull, G-pull, recessed channel or push-to-open — and which doors and drawers use it | Minimalist layouts with clean, unbroken fronts; also reduces hardware line items |
| Wood grain melamine cabinets | Board brand or grade, decorative paper pattern reference, and edge-band reference number | Larger unit counts on a tighter budget, where surface consistency and easy cleaning are the priority |
| High gloss PVC cabinets | Film thickness, substrate, and whether moisture-resistant construction is required for wet zones | Laundry, pantry, outdoor-adjacent or high-humidity areas where a moisture-tolerant panel is useful |
Whichever you choose, ask the supplier to name the finish in writing on the quotation. A line item that reads "high gloss wood effect" with no further description is not a specification, and it will not protect you at handover.
Specify the Carcase, Not Just the Fronts
Fronts get the attention; carcases decide how long the kitchen lasts. Include these in the RFQ and require them to appear on the priced schedule:
- Panel material and thickness for carcase, shelves, back panels and toe kicks — and whether moisture-resistant board is used next to the sink and under the wet zone
- Edge treatment on all visible edges, with the edge-band colour reference matched to the door finish
- Shelf load and span, and where adjustable rather than fixed shelves are required
- Finish on unseen faces, especially tall cabinet sides and the outside of return runs that remain visible in an open-plan kitchen
- Assembly method — knocked-down for site assembly, or pre-assembled modules shipped to site. This changes both price and installation time
Our custom minimalist kitchen cabinets for home renovation are made to measure with the layout, finish and dimensions set per project, which is exactly what makes a detailed RFQ worth the effort: there is no standard size to fall back on.
List Hardware by Function, Then Let the Supplier Price It
Hardware is where "the quote went up later" usually comes from. Rather than naming brands you have not costed, list what each zone must do and ask for the hardware to be itemised separately:
- Doors: hinge type and opening angle, soft-close or standard, and whether any door is heavier than standard because of a high gloss panel
- Drawers: runner type, full extension or partial, load rating, and soft close — plus the tall bank of drawers versus shallow cutlery trays
- Corner and blind-corner access: lazy Susan, pull-out carousel or magic corner, stated per unit
- Tall cabinets: integrated appliance housings, pantry pull-outs, and whether an oven, microwave or wine fridge is built in
- Internal fittings: cutlery inserts, bottle racks, bin frames, shelf liners, toe-kick drawers
- Integrated lighting: under-cabinet strips, glass display cabinet lighting, transformer and switch location, and who supplies the electrical connection on site
Cabinet hinges, drawer slide rails, support legs and connecting brackets are supplied as matching hardware with our cabinetry, so itemising them keeps the base price and the hardware allowance visible instead of buried in a lump sum.
Set Out the Commercial Terms You Need Priced
A cabinetry quote for an overseas-supplied project is not just a manufacturing price. Ask each supplier to break out, as separate line items:
| Item | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Pricing basis | Currency, unit of measure (per linear metre, per cabinet box or per project), and the Incoterms applied — EXW, FOB, CIF or delivered-to-site |
| Quantity and phasing | Total unit count, number of identical kitchen sets for apartment or hotel work, and whether production is split into releases |
| Packaging | Export-grade crating, per-package dimensions and weight, carton marks matched to room and elevation numbers |
| Freight and customs | Sea, air or rail option; customs documentation such as commercial invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin; who handles clearance at destination |
| Validity and revision control | How long the quote stands, and how a drawing revision after pricing is handled and charged |
| Payment and production schedule | Milestone stages, what each releases, and the date each set of approved drawings must be returned to hold the slot |
| Site support | Whether installation, snag inspection and after-sales support are included or quoted separately, and who performs them at your location. If the supplier offers on-site installation and snag inspection, ask who carries it out locally and what is covered, since this varies by destination |
SANTERSON works from consultation through design and planning, production, logistics, installation and after-sales, with freight forwarding by sea, air and rail and door-to-door delivery. State your destination port or site address in the RFQ so the delivered option can be costed rather than assumed.
Ask for the Same Deliverables Back From Every Supplier
Comparability comes from requiring an identical response format. Ask each bidder to return:
- A priced schedule itemised by room and elevation, not one project total
- A written finish specification naming the panel material, surface system and colour or grain reference for every door type
- A hardware schedule listing each fitting, its function and its brand or grade
- Shop drawings or a layout mark-up showing dimensions, clearances and appliance cut-outs as priced
- A production and delivery timeline stated in working days from drawing approval, not from order date
- What is explicitly excluded — on-site electrical, plumbing, templating, wall packing, making good
Two suppliers quoting the same drawing with the same exclusions listed are comparable. Two suppliers quoting different assumptions are not, no matter how close their totals look.
A Short Example of the Finish Line Item That Works
Instead of "kitchen doors, high gloss wood effect, as per sample," write the line item the way you would want it on a purchase order:
- Base and wall cabinets: carcase in moisture-resistant board to the wet zone, standard board elsewhere; all visible edges banded to door colour reference
- Doors: high gloss wood effect, grain direction marked on each elevation drawing, grain-matched across adjacent doors in the run
- Hardware: soft-close hinges throughout; full-extension soft-close runners on drawer banks; specified corner system at the two blind corners
- Tall bank: integrated oven and microwave housings, pantry pull-out, matching finish to adjoining wall panelling
- Delivered to site under stated Incoterms, crated and labelled by room and elevation
Write the RFQ that precisely, and the quotes you receive will describe the same kitchen. That is when price comparison becomes meaningful — and when a high gloss wood effect scheme stops being a gamble on what arrives.