Why do custom curtain quotes vary so much?
Updated
Custom curtain quotes vary because the quotes are rarely for the same curtain. Heading, fullness, fabric, lining, track, hems, joins and what the quote includes can all differ. A lower quote can mean a different specification, so line up the details before you compare the totals.
When you ask several curtain retailers to quote the same window, the quotes can come back far apart. The reason is usually that each quote describes a different curtain. A made to measure curtain is built from many choices, and each choice changes the amount of fabric, the work in the workroom or the hardware on the wall.
What can differ between two quotes
| Choice | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Heading | Wave Fold, pinch pleat and eyelet each use a different amount of fabric and work. |
| Fullness | More fullness means more metres of fabric and a bigger curtain. |
| Fabric | Fabrics differ in width, pattern repeat, weight and what they cost. |
| Lining | Lined, self lined and unlined curtains are made differently. |
| Track | A hand drawn, cord drawn or motorised track, and the brackets, all differ. |
| Hems and joins | Hem depth changes the cut length. Joins and pattern repeat change how much fabric is used. |
| Measure and fitting | Some quotes include the final measure and installation. Some do not. |
Workrooms and retailers differ too
Each retailer chooses its own workroom, its own range of fabrics and its own way of working. A retailer who measures on site, advises on fabric and installs the curtains is quoting for more than the curtain itself. Another may quote only the curtain. Neither is wrong, but the two totals are not the same job.
How to compare quotes fairly
- Ask each retailer to write down the heading, fullness, fabric, lining and track.
- Check whether the quote is based on a final measure or on rough sizes.
- Check whether the track, brackets and installation are included.
- Ask how floor clearance and joins have been allowed for.
- Ask what the estimated time is, and what could move it.
A lower quote can mean a different specification. Use the table above as a checklist when you read quotes side by side, and ask whether anything such as the track, the brackets or the installation has been left out. Asking the same questions of each retailer shows what each quote includes.
Speedy Blinds makes curtains, tracks and roller blinds for retailers. Your retailer is the right person to explain a quote line by line.
Other ways people ask this
Why is one curtain quote cheaper than another?
The curtains are often different: less fullness, a different heading, an unlined fabric or fewer items included.
Is the lowest curtain quote the best?
A lower quote can mean a different specification, so compare the details first and the totals second.
Why do retailers measure again?
The order is made from the retailer's own final measure, so it is checked even when your sizes look right.
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.