Line one: cabinets, with a model and a batch policy
Not just 'P2.5 indoor'. The cabinet model, its dimensions, its weight, and whether the panels come from a single production batch. A quote that does not name the cabinet model cannot be compared with another one.
Line two: the control system, itemised
Sending card, receiving cards, processor, and the video cable length. Some suppliers bundle this into 'control system' as a lump sum. Ask for the count: how many receiving cards per cabinet, how many sending cards, what processor model.
Line three: structure and installation
Steel frame, brackets, and whether installation is included. On a 40 square metre wall the structure is often 12 to 18 percent of the total. A quote that omits it is not cheaper, it is incomplete.
Line four: spares
Modules, cards, power supplies, cables, with quantities. If the line does not exist, the price is for a wall with zero spares, which is never what the client intends.
Line five: packing and freight terms
Flight case or carton, sea or air, FOB or CIF or DDP. These three letters change the landed cost by 8 to 20 percent. A quote without an Incoterm is a number without a location.
Line six: what is excluded
Commissioning, training, content creation, lifting equipment, electrical work, and any building modification. The exclusions list is where the arguments start. Read it before comparing totals.
A quick test
Take two quotes and map them line by line. If one has six lines and the other has two, the lower total is usually the one with more missing. The comparison is only valid when both lists cover the same scope.
What we put on ours
Every quote we send has these six sections plus a one-page assumption list: ceiling height, wall material, power available, and access route. If an assumption is wrong, the price changes, and the client knows that before signing.