What Should Be Included in a Unitized Curtain Wall Quotation?

What Should a Unitized Curtain Wall Quotation Disclose?

Before interpreting the total, check whether the quotation addresses the following sections:

Supply-only, delivered-to-site, technical-support, design-assist, delegated-design, and installed quotations can have very different boundaries, so read every line against the quotation type.

Quotation Identity and Commercial Basis

Project and Package Reference

The quotation should identify the issuing entity, project name, package or elevation reference, RFQ number, quotation number, revision, issue date, and clarification contact. It should be clear which legal or trading entity is making the offer. Do not assume that the issuing entity, manufacturer, factory, carrier, and installer are the same party.

Revision, Validity, and Document Basis

Ask which drawings, specifications, schedules, addenda, clarification responses, and quantities were used. The quotation should state its validity period and the conditions that could change the offer after that period. A quotation based on an earlier revision may not cover the same scope as one based on a later revision.

Quantity, Delivery, and Commercial Basis

Check whether the offer is based on a lump sum, unit rates, stated quantities, provisional items, or another basis. Review the currency, tax and duty treatment, delivery point, quotation type, payment assumptions, escalation, and validity provisions. Your procurement documents and contract review govern how these terms apply.

System, Aluminum, Glass, Infill, Finishes, and Hardware Scope

Base System and Aluminum Components

The supplier should identify the quoted system family or configuration, glazing method, glass plane, system depth or other relevant product parameters, and the documents supporting the description. The quotation should separately identify, as applicable:

• Aluminum profiles and reinforcement
• Thermal breaks, isolators, gaskets, and sealants
• Anchors, brackets, fasteners, flashings, pressure plates, cover caps, and hardware
• Drainage, closure, interface, and accessory items
• Finishes, colors, gloss, texture, samples, and batch requirements
• Work by others or components outside the quoted package

The screening fields on our Unitized Curtain Wall Systems page (glazing method, glass plane, infill, system depth, and performance categories) are a practical checklist for confirming the basis of any quotation.

Glass and Infill

The quotation should state the proposed glass and infill basis rather than relying on a product name or a broad phrase such as "double glazing." Check for:

• Glass make-up, nominal thickness, coatings, interlayers, spacers, and gas assumptions where relevant
• Insulated, laminated, monolithic, spandrel, metal-panel, opaque, stone, or other infill
• Openings, vents, doors, fins, shading, corners, transitions, and non-unitized areas
• Visual criteria, color, frit, reflectance, ceramic coating, samples, and mockup status
• Approved alternatives, substitutions, and differences from the specified basis

The quotation should state whether glass procurement, factory glazing, storage, breakage allowance, spare units, replacement, and site protection are included. If the glass basis is incomplete, mark it Subject to Confirmation or Open Question rather than treating it as included.

Finishes, Accessories, and Alternatives

The supplier should identify the finish system and material assumptions. Proposed alternatives should be listed separately from the base offer, with product data, sample status, technical differences, responsibility, and any effect on the rest of the quotation.

Engineering, Drawings, BIM, Submittals, and Revisions

Technical scope should be itemized rather than hidden under "technical support." Ask whether the quotation includes or excludes:

• Design-assist or delegated design
• Calculations and project analyses
• System and interface details
• Shop and fabrication drawings
• Material schedules and bills of materials
• BIM model authoring, coordination, file exchange, and revisions
• Samples and submittal registers
• Responses to review comments and revision limits
• Installation instructions or method information
• Maintenance and handover documentation

The quotation should name the responsible party for each deliverable and state the assumed number or boundary of revisions. A general statement that engineering or BIM is "available" does not explain whether the service is included, separately priced, optional, or subject to confirmation.

Our Curtain Wall Design & Budget Planning service covers engineering, shop drawings, calculations, BIM, material schedules, installation planning, manufacturing, and logistics coordination. Whichever supplier you use, ask for each of these to be listed as its own line with a status.

Testing, Mockups, QA/QC, Traceability, and Handover Documents

Samples, Mockups, and Tests

The quotation should state the scope and status of samples, mockups, laboratory or field tests, witnessing, reports, retesting, corrective work, and final submissions. Ask the supplier to identify the method, specimen or configuration, test agency, report format, acceptance criteria, and responsible party.

ASTM E2099-23 covers pre-construction laboratory mockups for exterior wall systems, and ASTM E331-00(2023) covers water-penetration testing of curtain walls under a uniform static air-pressure difference. A cited standard describes a test method; it does not by itself mean the test is included in the quotation or that the project will pass.

QA/QC and Traceability

Check whether the quotation includes factory inspection points, release criteria, material and batch traceability, finish and color checks, dimensional inspections, nonconformance records, rework, replacement, packaging inspection, and site acceptance records.

Handover Records

If handover documents are required, the quotation should identify format, responsible party, and delivery status for items such as:

• Approved product data and final schedules
• As-built drawings and models
• Installation and maintenance manuals
• Test and inspection reports
• Material certificates and traceability records
• Sample and finish records
• Nonconformance and corrective-action records
• Spare or replacement-unit records
• Training or handover sign-off documents

Factory Assembly, Factory Glazing, and Release Scope

The phrase "factory assembled" can cover different activities. The quotation should mark the status of:

• Assembly and pre-assembly
• Factory glazing and sealing
• Inspection and release
• Labeling and panel identification
• Storage before dispatch
• Rework, repair, and replacement units
• Packaging inspection
• Batch traceability
• Allowable site adjustments
• The boundary between factory QA/QC and site acceptance

FOWALL's unitized panels are factory-glazed, so the release point between factory and site is a natural line to confirm in writing. Whichever supplier you use, mark a factory activity Included only when the project-specific quotation expressly covers it.

Packaging, Shipping, Customs, Delivery, and Site Handling

A quotation should make the logistics boundary visible across the supplier, carrier, buyer, and site team. Check whether it states:

• Packaging type and protection for glass, corners, fins, and custom units
• Loading and containerization
• Shipping, insurance, and loss/damage responsibility
• Customs, duties, and taxes
• Delivery point, port, and inland route
• Unloading and site storage
• Weather protection and damage inspection
• Lifting equipment, hoist/crane interface, and floor access
• Site handling and staging
• Replacement, re-delivery, and claims procedures

The delivery point should show exactly where supplier responsibility ends and buyer, carrier, or site responsibility begins. An Incoterm should be read together with the actual quotation scope and contract; it does not answer every site-handling question on its own.

Installation, Supervision, Technical Support, and Handover

Supply-only, delivered-to-site, technical-support, and installed quotations are not the same scope. The supplier should state whether the offer includes:

• Installation labor
• Site supervision
• Training or installation guidance
• Lifting and access coordination
• Site adjustments
• Replacement units and re-delivery
• Protection and cleaning
• Testing support
• As-built documents and maintenance manuals
• Handover assistance
• Work by others or excluded adjacent packages

If installation is not included, the quotation should still state whether technical support, instructions, supervision, training, site visits, or installation-interface coordination are available and on what basis.

Alternatives, Allowances, Assumptions, Qualifications, and Exclusions

A transparent quotation separates its base offer from everything that is not part of the confirmed base scope.

Base Offer and Alternatives

The base offer should identify the system and material basis used for the quoted scope. Proposed or approved alternatives should be listed separately, including the affected line item, product data, technical difference, status, and any responsibility or programme implication. An unmarked substitution should not silently replace the specified basis.

Allowances and Provisional Items

An allowance should state what it covers, the quantity or basis assumed, who controls the final selection, and what remains variable. If unit rates or provisional items are provided, identify their limits and the conditions under which they apply.

Assumptions and Qualifications

Ask the supplier to list assumptions about drawings, dimensions, quantities, interfaces, design responsibility, testing, delivery, installation, access, storage, taxes, duties, programme, and information still required. Qualifications should identify any deviation from the RFQ or referenced documents.

Exclusions and Work by Others

Each exclusion should identify the affected scope and, where known, the responsible party or required follow-up. An exclusion is a boundary to clarify or assign, not evidence that the supplier cannot perform the work.

Scope-of-Supply Disclosure Template

Use this template to request a structured response from each supplier.

Status legend:

• Included: expressly covered by the quotation
• Optional: available only if separately selected or priced
• Excluded: expressly outside the quoted scope
• Subject to Confirmation: mentioned or expected but not confirmed in writing
• Open Question: requires clarification before the scope is understood

What Are the Warning Signs of an Incomplete Quotation?

Treat these as prompts for clarification rather than judgments about the supplier:

• A lump-sum total with no project, quotation number, revision, or validity
• No document list or unclear drawing/specification basis
• A product name without a configuration, glass/infill, or material schedule
• No distinction between Included, Optional, Excluded, Subject to Confirmation, and Open Question
• Engineering or testing described only as "support" with no deliverables
• No statement of factory glazing, sealing, inspection, or release scope
• Delivery described only as "shipped" with no delivery point, unloading, or customs boundary
• Installation described only as "available" or "supported" with no labor or supervision boundary
• Alternatives or allowances embedded without separate identification
• No assumptions, qualifications, exclusions, or open-question register
• Warranty, lead-time, certification, or performance wording without project-specific documents and written terms

For each gap, ask the supplier to state the status, responsible party, document basis, and commercial or programme effect.