---
title: "How to Compare Window & Door Quotations"
description: "Compare window and door quotations by configuration, dimensions, glazing, hardware, documents, packing and delivery scope—not just the total."
slug: "resources/compare-window-door-quotes"
noindex: false
---

How to Compare Window & Door Quotations

Two quotations can describe the same opening and still include different products or services. Compare the configuration and scope line by line before comparing the final totals.

Custom aluminum windows and doors for trade and project procurement. We also accept personal custom aluminum window orders.

For importers, distributors, contractors, project buyers and homeowners planning custom aluminum windows.

## 1. Match the Opening Schedule

Check quantities, dimensions, units, opening types and drawing revisions. A price based on a different panel arrangement is not a direct comparison.

## 2. Compare the Product Configuration

| Check | Questions to ask |
| --- | --- |
| Frame | Which series and frame construction are included? |
| Glazing | What glass build-up, treatment and cavity specification are quoted? |
| Operation | Which panels move and which mechanism is included? |
| Hardware | Which handles, locks and operating components are specified? |
| Finish | What finish and color are included? |
| Screens | Are screens included, optional or excluded? |
| Documents | Which reports or records relate to the proposed configuration? |

## 3. Check the Commercial Scope

Review packing, freight, delivery terms, installation responsibilities and any stated exclusions. Ask for unclear items to be identified rather than assuming they are included.

Also record the quotation currency, validity period, payment terms, timing assumptions and any stated warranty or spare-parts scope. These are items to compare, not standard terms being offered by this guide.

## 4. Separate a Requirement from a Proven Rating

A requested performance target is not the same as a supplied product rating. Ask which document supports the proposed configuration and check the dimensions and glazing associated with that record.

## 5. Keep the Agreed Version

Record changes to glass, hardware, sizes or delivery scope against the updated quotation and drawing revision. This makes the final comparison easier to follow.

## Use a Side-by-Side Comparison Sheet

| Item | Your required basis | Quote A | Quote B | Difference to clarify |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Opening schedule and revision | Your reference | Record quoted reference | Record quoted reference | Are sizes and quantities the same? |
| Frame and operation | Required configuration | Record details | Record details | Are mechanisms equivalent? |
| Glass and hardware | Required specification | Record details | Record details | What differs or is unspecified? |
| Product documents | Required evidence | Record reference and scope | Record reference and scope | Do records match proposed products? |
| Packing and delivery | Required destination and scope | Included / Excluded / Unspecified | Included / Excluded / Unspecified | Which costs remain outside the quote? |
| Currency, validity and payment | Your comparison basis | Record terms | Record terms | Is the comparison made on the same basis? |
| Timing and after-sales terms | Your requirement | Record stated terms | Record stated terms | Which assumptions or exclusions apply? |

This is a worksheet structure, not a comparison of actual suppliers. Treat “unspecified” as an open question, not as “included.”

## Example: Same Opening, Different Scope

Imagine two proposals for the same door opening. One identifies the glass build-up and includes timber packing; the other only says “double glazed door” and does not identify packing. Even if both show a total, the scope is not yet clear enough for a direct comparison. Ask for the missing configuration and packing details first.

This example is illustrative and uses no actual supplier prices.

[Prepare a Consistent RFQ](/resources/window-door-rfq-checklist/)

[Review Document Types](/technical-documents/)

## Ask for a Clearly Defined Proposal

Send ENGGIA your opening schedule and identify the configuration details you want included in the quotation.

[Request a Project Quote](/request-a-quote/#quote-form)

## Compare the evidence and delivery scope

Use the exact document reference, named system and proposed configuration when comparing technical evidence. For logistics, compare packing, package identification, freight, unloading and replacement responsibilities as separate items.

[Read the test report checklist](/resources/how-to-read-window-door-test-reports/)

[Review the packing and delivery checklist](/resources/window-door-export-packing-delivery-checklist/)

## Can I compare prices per square meter?

A unit-area figure may be useful only when its calculation basis and included configuration are clear. Different quantities, opening mechanisms, glass and hardware can make two such figures misleading. Also compare the total for the same opening schedule and delivery scope.

## Is a thicker profile automatically a better product?

Profile wall thickness is one specification, not a complete measure of system performance. The frame design, dimensions, glazing, hardware and relevant evidence need to be considered together. Compare the configuration required by your project instead of ranking systems by one number.

## Can I compare two different glass build-ups as equivalent?

Not solely because both are described as double glazing. Check the glass thicknesses, treatments, coatings, cavity and other specified details. If the project requires a particular performance value, compare the supporting information for the complete proposed configuration.

## Why can a lower product total lead to a higher final cost?

The quoted scope may differ. Packing, freight, import responsibilities, installation or other items may be excluded from one proposal and included in another. List these differences before treating the totals as directly comparable.

## Are all quoted U-values directly comparable?

First check whether the value describes glass or the complete window or door, the units used, and the method and configuration behind it. Values with different bases should not be ranked as if they describe the same product.

## What if a supplier states “certified” without a document reference?

Ask which certification or report is being cited and which product configuration it covers. Keep the reference with the proposal so the claimed evidence can be compared with the actual opening type, glass and dimensions.

## How should I compare a revised quotation?

Identify the revision and list what changed in the configuration or scope. Compare the revised line items against the latest schedule, rather than carrying forward assumptions from a previous quote. Confirm unresolved differences before selecting a proposal.