Hotel FF&E BOQ vs RFQ: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each for China Sourcing

BOQ and RFQ get used interchangeably in hotel procurement, and they are not the same document. A Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is the itemised list of what to buy and how much of it. A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is the commercial request you send suppliers telling them how to quote. For hotel FF&E sourced from China, the BOQ sets the scope and quantities, the RFQ sets the terms — and sending one without the other is one of the most common reasons quotations from different factories cannot be compared.

Key Takeaways

A BOQ defines the scope and quantities. An RFQ defines the commercial conditions for the quotation. The BOQ says what items, how many, which room type. The RFQ says the scope of supply, Incoterm, currency, payment terms, packing, lead time, exclusions and response format.
For a fixed package, prepare the BOQ first. Then issue it with the RFQ as one controlled package to every shortlisted factory, on the same date. In practice some projects enter earlier — at budgetary stage, or via an RFI — but the two documents still travel together once the scope is fixed.
They sit inside a four-document system. RFI asks questions, BOQ sets scope, RFQ asks for prices, RFP asks for a proposed solution. Hotel FF&E usually enters at the RFQ stage.
Use both documents even with a single factory. A BOQ alone produces assumption-driven quotes. An RFQ alone produces suppliers guessing your quantities.
State the Incoterm and named place once. Apply the same one to every quote you receive. Many buyers compare on an FOB basis for exactly this reason.
Do not forget the fields buyers leave out: MOQ per line, attic stock quantity, fire certification standard, payment terms, agreed inspection standard, and quotation validity.
A practical hotel FF&E BOQ may require around 15 useful fields per line, depending on the project. Miss one and the factory has to assume.
Quotes are not the finish line. After comparison come approved samples, the mock-up room, the purchase order, in-production QC, pre-shipment inspection and container consolidation.

Based in Foshan, Guangdong, and working with hotel developers, contractors and hospitality groups across the Middle East, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Skyline Trading Co., LTD runs this BOQ + RFQ sequence on the projects it quotes. The framework below is the one we issue.

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1. Who This Guide Is For
2. Definitions: What Is a BOQ and What Is an RFQ
3. BOQ vs RFQ vs RFP vs RFI: The Full Document Family
4. BOQ vs RFQ: Key Differences Side by Side
5. How BOQ and RFQ Work Together
6. When to Use BOQ vs RFQ
7. What to Include in a Hotel FF&E BOQ
8. Furniture BOQ Template: The Core Fields
9. What to Include in a Hotel FF&E RFQ
10. Required RFQ Response Format
11. Certifications and Compliance to Name in the RFQ
12. Common Mistakes When Using BOQ and RFQ
13. Worked Example: 80-Key Guestroom BOQ
14. What Happens After the Quotes Return
15. How to Keep China Supplier Quotes Comparable
16. How Skyline Trading Uses BOQ + RFQ
17. Final Checklist: BOQ vs RFQ Readiness
18. FAQ

1. Who This Guide Is For

Hotel owners, developers and procurement teams
Architects, interior designers and technical teams
Quantity surveyors preparing FF&E packages for China sourcing
Project coordinators comparing quotations from multiple factories
Main contractors and fit-out specialists pricing hospitality packages
Buyers preparing hotel fit-out packages for export from Guangdong

2. Definitions: What Is a BOQ and What Is an RFQ

What is a Bill of Quantities (BOQ)?

In one sentence: A BOQ is a structured list of FF&E items with codes, descriptions, quantities and units, prepared so that every supplier prices the same specification in the same quantity.

Also written BQ, or BOQ. It normally carries item codes, descriptions, room references, dimensions, finish notes, quantities per room, total quantities and units of measure. It may be exported from quantity surveying software such as CostX, Buildsoft or Cubit, or built from scratch in Excel.

For China supplier comparison, we recommend keeping the BOQ as the controlled scope and quantity schedule, with supplier pricing returned against the same line structure. Your team authors it and the factory completes it. Many QS packages already include rate and amount columns, so the format is not fixed — what matters is that every supplier returns prices against identical line numbers.

What is a Request for Quotation (RFQ)?

In one sentence: An RFQ is the formal commercial request sent to suppliers that sets out the project, scope, specifications, commercial terms, Incoterm, currency, packing, lead time, exclusions and the format you need the response returned in.

An RFQ is a cover document plus attachments. The attachments normally include the BOQ, technical specifications, dimensioned drawings, the room matrix and the finish schedule. The cover document carries what the BOQ cannot: terms, deadlines, exclusions and submission instructions.

The response to an RFQ is not a free-form email. It is a priced schedule returned on your format, with a validity period, so offers can be compared line by line.

3. BOQ vs RFQ vs RFP vs RFI: The Full Document Family

BOQ and RFQ are two of four documents in a procurement workflow. The distinction that matters is how much of the scope is still open.

Aspect	BOQ	RFQ	RFP	RFI
Full name	Bill of Quantities	Request for Quotation	Request for Proposal	Request for Information
Core question	What must be bought, and how much?	What does this defined scope cost?	How would you deliver this, and at what price?	What exists, and are you capable?
Status of scope	Quantities fixed	Fully defined	Problem defined, solution open	Undefined or exploratory
Who writes it	Your QS, designer or procurement team	Your procurement team	Your procurement team	Your procurement team
What comes back	Nothing. It is your document	Priced line-item schedule with validity	Approach, programme, team, credentials, price	Information, options, capability statements
Binding?	Not contractual	Usually not until a PO is issued	Usually not	Never
Typical turnaround	1–3 weeks to prepare	1–3 weeks to return	3–8 weeks	1–3 weeks
Used in hotel FF&E for	Every priced package	Comparing 3–5 factories	Design-build or bespoke development packages	New technology, factory vetting, market scanning

Where hotel FF&E sits. A standard hotel furniture package usually enters at the RFQ stage, because the interior designer has already fixed the specification, the room count and the quantities before procurement opens. An RFP fits when you want factories to propose how to achieve a specification, such as a design-build joinery package where the manufacturing method is part of what you are buying. An RFI fits when you do not yet know whether a product can be made in China at all, or whether a factory holds the certification you need.

Full definitions of these and 120+ other procurement terms are in our China sourcing glossary.

4. BOQ vs RFQ: Key Differences Side by Side

Aspect	BOQ (Bill of Quantities)	RFQ (Request for Quotation)
Purpose	Define what to buy and how many	Request prices under defined scope, terms and conditions
Focus	Item codes, descriptions, quantities, room references, dimensions, finishes	Scope of supply, specifications, Incoterm, currency, payment, packing, lead time, exclusions
Format	Itemised table, usually Excel or exported from QS software	Cover document plus attachments (BOQ, specs, drawings, room matrix)
Who authors it	Your QS, designer or project team	Your procurement team
When used	After the item list and quantities are finalised	At the moment you invite shortlisted factories to quote
Audience	Internal first, then shared with suppliers	Sent directly to shortlisted China suppliers
Carries quantity?	Yes — it is the quantity document	Only by reference to the attached BOQ
Carries price?	Often blank rate columns for the factory to complete — some QS formats already carry rates	No — it requests the price
Carries MOQ?	Optional column, better included	Must be requested explicitly per line
Outcome	A fixed, auditable list to price against	Comparable quotations on one format, with a validity period
Reused later as	Can become the basis for the PO, invoice, packing list and inspection baseline	Supplier comparison record

5. How BOQ and RFQ Work Together

For a fixed hotel FF&E package, the sequence is to finalise the BOQ, write the RFQ cover document around it, attach the BOQ, specifications and drawings, then issue the package to all shortlisted factories on the same date.

The BOQ gives comparability of items, quantities and the specification references attached to them. Every factory prices the same room types, the same items and the same quantities, including attic stock, against the same drawings, finish schedule and specification documents you attach.
The RFQ gives comparability of terms. Every factory quotes under the same Incoterm, currency, payment terms, packing requirement, inspection standard, lead time and exclusions.
Together they remove the ambiguity behind non-comparable quotes from different Chinese factories pricing different assumptions.
The BOQ then outlives the RFQ. Keep the line numbering intact so the same document can serve as the basis for the purchase order, the packing list and the inspection baseline.

FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) and OS&E (operating supplies and equipment) are often quoted together but carry different lead times and replacement cycles — see our guide to Hotel FF&E vs OS&E procurement.

6. When to Use BOQ vs RFQ

Situation	Use	Reason
Early budgeting, design still moving	RFQ outline only	Quantities will change. Mark provisional lines rather than fixing them.
Design frozen, prices still open	BOQ + RFQ	Quantities are fixed and you need firm, comparable, negotiable prices.
Comparing multiple Chinese factories	BOQ + RFQ	The most reliable basis for a like-for-like comparison.
Sending to one trusted factory	BOQ + RFQ	Prevents scope gaps, silent exclusions and price changes at PO stage.
Splitting a package by category	One BOQ, several RFQs	One master BOQ keeps line numbering consistent across all factory quotes.
Factory capability unknown	RFI first	Ask whether they can make it and whether they hold the certification, before asking for a price.
You want them to propose the method	RFP, not RFQ	When approach and capability are part of what you are buying, such as design-build joinery.
Phased opening	BOQ + RFQ with phasing stated	Quantities per room and the release schedule must both appear, or the factory cannot plan capacity.

Decision rule: if you know what you want and how much of it, issue an RFQ. If you do not yet know whether the market can deliver it, issue an RFI. If you want the supplier to explain how they would do it, issue an RFP. Once you have a fixed item list, the BOQ becomes the basis of the comparison.

7. What to Include in a Hotel FF&E BOQ

Project name and reference number
Item code — unique, structured, and including room type. Use a prefix like GR-BED-001, not a plain sequential number, so the code survives into the packing list.
Item description — matching the specification, not the mood board
Room type or zone — guest room, villa, lobby, restaurant, spa, back of house
Dimensions in millimetres — applied consistently across every row
Material and finish — board grade, veneer species, fabric grade, metal finish, stone type. “Solid oak”, not “wood”.
Reference drawing or image — one per custom item
Colour reference — RAL or Pantone code, or a physical swatch for exact-match finishing
Quantity per room
Number of rooms — so per-room quantities convert to totals
Total quantity — the number actually being priced
Attic stock quantity — the spare allowance the hotel holds for future repair and replacement. Order it with the main run, because matching a finish or a fabric dye lot later is slow and unreliable from any factory.
Unit of measure — pcs, set, m², linear metre
Fire certification required — see section 11. It affects factory selection, cost and lead time.
Packaging and labelling instruction — export packing, carton marking, room-by-room labelling, floor sequencing for installation
Remarks and query column — a column the factory can write into, so it flags issues instead of guessing

Do not send photos alone. A photo communicates style; it cannot be priced. If you send reference imagery, send dimensions with it.

8. Furniture BOQ Template: The Core Fields

Format is not important. Excel is standard, Google Sheets works, and a clean PDF table is acceptable. What matters is that every row carries these fields. Below is the structure we build for hotel FF&E packages, with the failure mode each field prevents.

#	Field	Why it matters	Common failure
1	Item code	Anchors the quote, PO, packing list and inspection report to one line	Plain sequential numbers with no room-type prefix
2	Description	Prevents substitution of a cheaper equivalent	“Deluxe chair” with no spec reference
3	Room type / zone	Ties the item to the room count and install sequence	Missing on public-area items
4	Dimensions (mm)	The factory prices from this, not from a photo	Some rows in cm, some in inches
5	Material and finish	Largest single driver of price variance	“Quality fabric”, “solid wood”, “marble look”
6	Reference image or drawing number	Visual confirmation against the same file	Images sent with no dimensions
7	Colour reference (RAL / Pantone / swatch)	Prevents “off-white” being interpreted five ways	Descriptive colour names only
8	Quantity per room	Enables factory phasing and phased delivery	Omitted, so phasing is impossible to plan
9	Number of rooms	Converts per-room quantity to a total	Blank, with only a project total given
10	Total quantity	The number being priced	Maths errors between the two
11	Attic stock quantity	Spares ordered with the main run, finish-matched	Left out, then impossible to match later
12	Unit of measure	Pricing basis for that line	“Unit” used for pcs, sets and m² alike
13	Fire certification required	Determines whether the factory is eligible at all	Discovered after production has started
14	Packaging instruction	Export protection and room-by-room marking	Factory default assumed, damage in transit
15	Remarks / factory query column	Gives the factory a place to raise problems	No column to write in, so it guesses silently

A practical hotel FF&E BOQ may need around 15 useful fields per line, depending on the project and specification. Where room counts are settled, keep the extra items as their own lines rather than inside existing rows: sample cost, mock-up room cost, and tooling or mould setup. Separate lines stay visible and negotiable.

9. What to Include in a Hotel FF&E RFQ

Cover sheet — project information, RFQ reference number, named contact with direct email, issue date, response deadline
Objective — a request for firm, itemised quotation, not an indicative budget
Scope of supply — a clear statement of exactly what the factory is being asked to manufacture and deliver
Exclusions list — what must not be included. This is the single most valuable section you can write.
Attachments register — BOQ, technical specifications, dimensioned drawings, room matrix, finish schedule, fire certification schedule, reference imagery. List them by name and revision date so you know what each factory received.
Incoterm and named place — state it once and apply it to every supplier. For Guangdong this is often FOB Nansha Port or FOB Yantian Port, China.
Currency — usually USD. Fix it rather than accepting a mix.
Payment terms — state the requested structure clearly in the RFQ, and require suppliers to confirm any deviation from it in writing. For example, a project may request 30% deposit with the order and 70% before shipment, subject to the agreed contract terms. Fix whatever you agree in the contract, not only in the RFQ.
Quotation validity period — 30 days is common. Ask for it in writing, because a quote without validity cannot be held.
Packing requirements — export packing standard, crating for fragile items, moisture protection, corner protection, room-by-room carton labelling
Lead time and delivery window — split into sample, mock-up room, bulk production and the required on-site date
Sample and mock-up requirements — which items need a pre-production sample, and whether a mock-up room must be approved before bulk production is released
QA and inspection — whether pre-shipment inspection is required, the agreed inspection standard and AQL level if an AQL-based inspection is used, and explicit confirmation that third-party inspectors are welcome on site before loading
Certification requirements — see section 11
MOQ per line item — requested, not assumed
Response format — see section 10
Submission details — email address, named recipient, deadline with time zone

10. Required RFQ Response Format

This is where most RFQs fail. Without a specified return format, you receive free-form emails in several different shapes and spend a week rebuilding them into a spreadsheet. Specify the columns you want back.

Price returned against the same BOQ line number, not a new numbering
Unit price and total price per line, in the stated currency
MOQ per line, rather than a single project-level MOQ
Lead time per line, because upholstery and casegoods do not move at the same speed
Export packing shown separately or explicitly included — do not accept an unspecified packing allowance
Deviations or substitutions flagged per line, with the proposed alternative priced
Queries against your specification, so you can answer them once for all factories rather than repeatedly
Charges quoted as separate lines — sample, mock-up room, tooling, third-party inspection, packaging upgrade
Quotation validity date, stated explicitly
Company identification — business licence name, factory address, and whether the supplier is quoting as the factory or a trading company
Certificates held, with certificate numbers, for verification rather than assertion

Asking each supplier to state whether it is the manufacturer or a trading company changes your risk profile and your recourse if something fails.

11. Certifications and Compliance to Name in the RFQ

For some hotel FF&E categories and destination markets, the product specification alone is not enough; applicable fire, conformity and documentation requirements must also be identified before production. Name them in the RFQ, so a factory that cannot meet them tells you at quotation stage.

Destination or use	Requirement / system to verify	Applies to
United States	California TB 117-2013 and applicable U.S. upholstered-furniture requirements	Upholstered furniture and mattresses in occupancies where it is adopted
United Kingdom	Applicable BS 7176 and BS 5852 requirements	Depends on furniture type and fire-risk category
European Union	Applicable EN 1021-1 and EN 1021-2 requirements	Upholstered seating and loose-filled cushions
Saudi Arabia	Applicable SASO technical regulation and SABER conformity requirements	SABER is the registration and conformity platform — product certificates and shipment certificates per applicable regulation
UAE and GCC	Applicable UAE or GSO technical regulations and conformity requirements	Market-specific conformity, handled under the applicable UAE authority or GSO
Australia / New Zealand	Applicable AS/NZS 1530 requirements and the relevant building code	Interior fit-out fire safety

Request the certificate number, not the assurance. A factory claiming it “meets BS 7176” without a certificate number and test report has told you nothing verifiable. Where a system rather than a single standard applies — SABER being one example — ask which certificate, issued under which regulation, the factory is supplying.

For pre-shipment inspection, if an AQL-based inspection is required, state the agreed AQL level and sampling standard in the RFQ. A project may specify, for example, AQL 2.5 under ISO 2859-1 — but the appropriate level depends on the contract, the inspection plan, the product category and what the client requires, so agree it rather than assume it.

12. Common Mistakes When Using BOQ and RFQ

Sending the BOQ alone. No scope boundary, no terms, no exclusions. The factory fills the gaps with its own assumptions and you get a number that is not a quotation.
Sending the RFQ without the BOQ. Suppliers guess quantities and assumptions. Quotes arrive for 200 units when you need 560 and cannot be compared.
Mixing draft and final versions. Issue one final version, to all factories, on the same day. Two revisions in circulation quietly produces two price sets.
Vague item descriptions. “Quality fabric” and “nice wood” are not specifications. Every factory resolves them differently, and every difference shows up as a price gap.
Inconsistent units. Millimetres on some rows, inches on others, and “unit” for both sofas and square metres.
Unclear or absent Incoterms. Different Incoterms can make otherwise similar quotations difficult to compare, because they include different logistics and export-side costs. State the Incoterm and named place in the RFQ.
Ignoring exclusions. If you do not write them, factories will include or exclude installation, freight, duties, assembly and site delivery at their own discretion, and often without saying so.
Leaving quantity as “TBC”. Nothing can be quoted against a blank. Flag the line as provisional and state the pricing assumption instead.
Forgetting attic stock. Then discovering two years later that a replacement chair cannot be matched to the original fabric dye lot.
Not asking for MOQ per line. A factory with a high MOQ on a low-volume item may not be able to serve your project, and you find out after choosing them.
No required response format. Four factories, four formats, and a week of manual data entry before any comparison can start.
Treating the quotation as the finish line. The quote is the start of the commercial relationship, not the end of the procurement process.

13. Worked Example: 80-Key Guestroom BOQ

Standard guestroom, 80 keys, 560 pieces of loose furniture in the guestroom package alone. This is the shape of the BOQ the factory receives, priced against the RFQ that follows it.

Item code	Description	Qty/room	Rooms	Total	UoM
GR-BED-001	King bed 2000×2000mm, upholstered headboard, contract foam	1	80	80	pcs
GR-NS-001	Nightstand, 450×400×550mm, two drawers	2	80	160	pcs
GR-DSK-001	Desk with drawer, 1400×500×750mm	1	80	80	pcs
GR-CHR-001	Desk chair, contract-grade, CAL 117 upholstery	1	80	80	pcs
GR-WAR-001	Wardrobe 1200×600×2000mm, hinged, safe deposit	1	80	80	pcs
GR-BEN-001	Luggage bench, upholstered, fold-down	1	80	80	pcs
Guestroom loose furniture subtotal				560	pcs
GR-ATT-001	Attic stock — illustrative 5% allowance, ordered separately from the 560-piece base quantity	—	—	28	pcs

Each row in that table would also carry, on the same line: dimensions in mm, material and finish, colour reference, fire certification required, export packing instruction, MOQ and per-line lead time. That is the difference between a list and a BOQ.

The RFQ attached to it then fixes the commercial frame:

Incoterm: FOB Nansha Port, China — the same for all suppliers
Currency: USD
Payment: requested structure stated in the RFQ, repeated in the contract — for example 30% deposit with the order and 70% before shipment, subject to agreed contract terms. Suppliers to confirm any deviation in writing.
Quotation validity: 30 days
Lead time: samples 3–5 weeks, mock-up room 4–6 weeks, bulk production 10–14 weeks from approved sample and deposit
Inspection: if an AQL-based pre-shipment inspection is required, state the agreed AQL level and sampling standard — for example AQL 2.5 under ISO 2859-1. Third-party inspectors welcome before loading.
Packing: export packing stated per line, room-by-room carton labelling, floor sequencing for installation
Exclusions: site installation, on-site assembly, MEP works, ocean freight beyond the named port, import duties and taxes, local delivery, third-party inspection fee
Response: priced against our BOQ line numbers, MOQ and lead time per line, deviations flagged, valid 30 days
Deadline: stated date and time, the same for every factory

Because both documents are identical for every recipient, the responses that come back can be compared directly. That is the point of the exercise.

14. What Happens After the Quotes Return

The RFQ is not the end of the process. For a typical custom hotel FF&E package, the full cycle from first issue to site can run roughly five to seven months, depending on scope, approvals, production and shipping. Skipping a step in this table is how budgets and opening dates get lost.

Stage	Typical duration
RFQ issued, quotes returned and normalised	2–3 weeks
Quotes compared, supplier selected	2–5 days
Pre-production samples approved	3–6 weeks
Mock-up room, where required	4–8 weeks
Purchase order issued and production released	1–2 weeks
Bulk production with in-line QC	10–16 weeks
Pre-shipment inspection	2–5 days
Consolidation, loading and ocean transit	4–8 weeks
Brief to site	Roughly 5–7 months

Two points deserve emphasis. The mock-up room is one of the most effective cost-control steps in the cycle: a change approved there costs days, and the same change after bulk production costs weeks and money. And your schedule runs backwards from the required on-site date, while factories quote lead time from deposit — the BOQ is where those two calendars are made to agree.

15. How to Keep China Supplier Quotes Comparable

Use one BOQ. Identical item codes and quantities for every factory, including attic stock. Do not let a factory adjust your quantities before quoting.
Use one RFQ. Identical scope, terms, Incoterm, currency, packing, inspection standard, lead time and exclusions.
State the commercial terms once. Do not let suppliers choose their own Incoterm. If you need to accept EXW from one factory, convert it to the same basis before you compare.
Request line-by-line pricing. A lump sum cannot be interrogated. Itemised pricing is also where hidden packaging, tooling and freight costs surface.
State packing explicitly and require it shown as a separate line or clearly stated as included.
Ask for MOQ and lead time per line. Not per project.
Log every deviation. When a factory proposes an alternative, record it
against the line. Two quotes that differ widely are often two different
specifications rather than two different factories.
Normalise before deciding. Convert every quote to the same base — same Incoterm, same currency, same packing basis — and only then compare. See our guide to comparing China supplier quotes for the full method.
Price the total, not the unit. Factory price, any sourcing fee, inspection, freight, duty and inland delivery belong in the same column before you choose.
Check completeness as a quality signal. A factory that returns a complete, per-line, MOQ-bearing response quickly is often the most professional in the set.

16. How Skyline Trading Uses BOQ + RFQ

Skyline Trading Co., LTD operates from its Foshan HQ in Guangdong. The company’s China sourcing and manufacturing roots date back to 2012. The BOQ + RFQ sequence is run the same way on every project, for one reason: the quote has to mean the same thing to four factories before it means anything to the client.

The sequence we issue

Specification review. We check the client’s BOQ for completeness before any factory sees it. Missing dimensions, vague material descriptions, absent quantities and unspecified fire certification are flagged in one round of questions rather than becoming assumptions across four quotes.
Drawing-to-BOQ cross-check. Item numbers, quantities and dimensions are reconciled between the BOQ and the furniture drawings before pricing. This is where most scope gaps are caught.
Factory matching by category, not by lowest price. Casegoods, upholstered seating, metalwork, lighting and OS&E are routed to factories whose verified capability matches the specification, including the fire certification your destination market requires.
One controlled RFQ, one fixed BOQ, one issue date. The same package goes to every shortlisted factory. No revised BOQ is issued mid-process.
Line-by-line consolidation against the original BOQ numbering, with deviations, MOQ and lead time recorded per line.
Mock-up room and sample approval before bulk production is released, where the project requires it.
Production QC and pre-shipment inspection against the BOQ, at the agreed inspection level, documented with photographs so the project team can verify goods without travelling.
Consolidation and shipping, with FF&E and building materials from the same project loaded under one documented plan.

The emphasis is specification control, factory verification and quality control rather than price alone — because on hotel FF&E the specification is what the price is actually buying. To see how this compares against buying direct from a factory, our China sourcing agent versus direct factory analysis sets out the real cost difference, including the costs that do not appear on a quotation.

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17. Final Checklist: BOQ vs RFQ Readiness

Do not issue anything until every line below is checked.

[ ] BOQ finalised with structured item codes including room-type prefix
[ ] Every BOQ row carries dimensions in mm, material, finish and colour reference
[ ] Quantity per room, number of rooms and total quantity all present and correct
[ ] Attic stock quantities included in the same production run
[ ] Unit of measure specified per line
[ ] Fire certification standard named per upholstered line
[ ] Reference drawings or images attached and numbered, with dimensions
[ ] MOQ and lead time requested as response columns per line
[ ] A remarks column exists for the factory to query
[ ] RFQ cover sheet complete with reference number, named contact and deadline
[ ] Scope of supply and exclusions both written out
[ ] Attachments register listing every file by name and revision date
[ ] Incoterm and named place fixed and stated once
[ ] Currency and quotation validity stated
[ ] Payment terms stated in the RFQ, with deviations to be confirmed in writing
[ ] Export packing, labelling and floor sequencing specified
[ ] Sample and mock-up room requirements defined
[ ] Inspection requirement and agreed standard stated, with third-party access confirmed
[ ] Required response format specified column by column
[ ] Identical package issued to all shortlisted factories on the same date
[ ] BOQ line numbering preserved for reuse as PO, packing list and inspection baseline

18. FAQ

Is a BOQ the same as an RFQ?

No. A BOQ is the list of items, specifications and quantities to be priced — a scope document you author. An RFQ is the commercial request asking suppliers to quote against those items under defined terms, and it normally has the BOQ attached as one of its annexes. The BOQ answers “what and how much”. The RFQ answers “under what conditions”.

Should I send the BOQ or the RFQ first?

For a fixed hotel FF&E package, prepare the BOQ first, then issue it with the RFQ as one controlled package. Some projects start earlier — at budgetary stage, or with an RFI where capability is still unknown — but once quantities are fixed, issuing the two separately usually means the factory quotes one version while you proceed on another.

Can I use one Excel file for both?

Yes, and many buyers do. Put the RFQ cover sheet as the first tab, then the BOQ tab, then specification and drawing references. The important thing is that scope, terms and exclusions stay visually separated from the pricing table, so nobody confuses a requested term with a priced line.

What happens if I send only one of the two documents?

Send only the BOQ and every factory makes its own assumptions about Incoterm, packing, freight, duties, lead time and validity, so the numbers look comparable but are not. Send only the RFQ and suppliers guess your room count and quantities — some quote a single room, others a typical hotel — so the quotations cover different volumes of goods.

When would I use an RFP instead of an RFQ for hotel furniture?

Use an RFP when you want the factory to propose how to achieve a requirement, not just price a fixed specification. Bespoke architectural joinery, a design-build millwork package, or an item with no proven manufacturing method in China are RFP cases, because the approach and the factory’s capability are part of what you are buying. Expect 3–8 weeks instead of 1–3.

What is attic stock and how much should I order?

Attic stock is the spare furniture a hotel holds for future repair and replacement, over and above the rooms being fitted out. It should be ordered with the main production run, because matching a veneer, a fabric dye lot or a powder-coat colour years later from a different batch is slow and often impossible. Allowances differ by category — typically a low single-digit percentage for casegoods and upholstered seating, and by area for fabrics and wallcoverings — and are agreed at order stage.

What is the standard MOQ for hotel furniture from China?

There is no single useful figure, which is why you ask for MOQ per line rather than per project. A factory may accept 20 pieces of a guestroom chair but require 200 pieces of a customised casegood. Request the MOQ per BOQ line and check it against your quantity before comparing, because a supplier whose MOQ exceeds your requirement on any line cannot serve the project.

Which Incoterm should I use when requesting hotel FF&E quotes from China?

For factory-to-factory comparison, many buyers use FOB with a named port, because it separates the supplier’s export-side price from international freight and destination costs. For Guangdong that means naming the port explicitly — FOB Nansha Port or FOB Yantian Port, China — since “FOB China” is not a trade term. The important point is to use the same Incoterm and named place for every supplier you are comparing.

How long does hotel FF&E production take in China?

For custom hotel furniture, 45–90 days of bulk production from approved samples is a reasonable planning figure for a full package including casegoods and upholstered seating. Longer applies to complex bespoke millwork and to peak production season. Add time for samples and, if required, a mock-up room. For the full cycle from first briefing to goods arriving at destination port, allow roughly five to seven months depending on scope and approvals.

Should I request quotations from trading companies or factories?

Ask each supplier to state which it is. Factories quote their own production capability; trading companies quote across a supplier network, which is useful for multi-category consolidation but changes your recourse if something fails. Ask for the business licence name, and check that the manufacturing scope covers the product. Either model can work — not knowing which one you are dealing with is the risk.

What should a complete China furniture supplier quotation include?

A complete quotation responds against your BOQ line numbers and gives unit price, total price, MOQ and lead time per line; states the Incoterm and named port, currency, payment terms and validity period; itemises export packing; flags any deviation or substitution; prices samples, mock-up rooms and tooling as separate lines; and identifies the company by licence name, address and whether it is the factory or a trading company.

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Written by Angie Sami, Hospitality Furniture Project Specialist at Skyline Trading Co., LTD

Angie leads hospitality procurement projects, hotel furniture, serviced apartments, villas and custom furniture manufacturing programmes from Skyline’s Foshan base.