Reading a Blinds Quote: What's Inside the Price and How to Compare Fairly
A blinds quote looks simple: a price per piece, a minimum order quantity, a lead time. What sits behind those numbers decides whether your margin survives. In simple terms, three costs dominate - fabric, hardware and size - and every supplier statement on MOQ, payment and packing should be read against them. This guide breaks down what drives the unit price, what a quote includes and excludes, and how to compare two suppliers fairly.
1. What drives the unit price
Fabric, hardware and size decide the piece price. Three cost groups carry that logic: fabric, hardware and size. Fabric follows weight, yarn quality and treatments such as blackout coating or fire retardancy; a heavier weave or a coated fabric costs more than a plain sunscreen. Hardware follows the rail profile, tube diameter and material, and aluminium costs more than steel. Size matters because the factory spreads setup cost over a batch; consistent standard sizes get a better price than a long list of one-off sizes. For example, two quotes for the same zebra blind differ mainly in fabric weight and rail material, not in the sales margin. In practice, the price sheet shows the fabric weight in grams per square metre and the rail profile, so the buyer can verify all three groups before negotiating. Price per piece moves with these three groups before any quantity discount is applied, and standard sizes in stock carry no setup penalty.
2. Why MOQ exists, and what it means for your order
Minimum order quantities are set by fabric rolls, rail profiles and packaging, not by guesswork. MOQ is per fabric pattern and per profile, not per total order, so a mixed carton of many sizes can still sit inside one MOQ if the fabric is the same. Ask which sizes and colors sit inside the standard MOQ and which push it up. When a supplier keeps high-volume fabrics and standard sizes in stock, the effective MOQ gets surprisingly low; custom sizes and special colors raise it because materials are then committed to your order alone. For example, a stock fabric in a standard 60x180 cm drop usually quotes at the base MOQ, while a special color of the same fabric may double it. MOQ applies per fabric pattern.
3. What's inside the price, what's not
The FOB price covers the goods ready for loading at the port. Confirm what the unit price covers before comparing. Cartons, labels and packing are normally inside the FOB price; sea freight, customs and import duties are not. Check how carton marks work: many suppliers use adhesive marks so you can adjust per destination and batch without reprinting. Neutral wash-care labels are standard in wholesale, so the same stock can be rebranded per market. In practice, the packing list and carton dimensions decide how many pieces fit a container, and that number belongs in the comparison. For example, a quote that includes printed cartons and one that assumes plain cartons are not the same price even when the unit numbers match. The FOB Shanghai quote includes cartons and labels, while sea freight, customs and import duties stay outside, which is why two quotes for the same container can differ on packing alone.
4. Compare like for like
Compare the same fabric weight, the same hardware and the same packing when two quotes sit side by side. A lower number on thinner fabric, steel rails instead of aluminium, or a shorter drop is not a better price; it is a different product. The same blind in the same size can differ by several dollars per piece across fabric weight and rail profiles, which is why the comparison must fix those variables first. For example, an aluminium-rail quote and a steel-rail quote for the same roller differ in hardware alone. Lock the specification, then compare the number.
5. Questions to ask before you sign
Before accepting a quote, confirm six points in writing: the MOQ for your specific sizes and colors, the lead time in calendar days, what the price includes and excludes, how carton marks and labels are handled, how size changes affect price, and the payment schedule. The standard schedule is a 30% deposit by T/T after order confirmation with the 70% balance due within 15 days after the bill of lading copy, and high-risk destinations may carry a higher deposit. Written answers to these six points prevent most surprises later. MOQ and lead time work differently on real orders; theMOQ, lead time and customization guide explains the terms, and theBulk order guide covers the full sequence from quote to shipping documents.
