The core line item covers the ceramic steel panel, its dimensions and whichever finish has been specified, whether that is a standard white surface, a matte finish, or a coloured frame. This is usually the easiest part of a quote to compare directly between suppliers, since it is the most standardised line item.

What varies more between suppliers is everything else on this list, which is where quotes genuinely start to diverge in total cost.

Even within this line item, it is worth confirming whether the quoted size is the visible writing area or the overall panel dimension including any frame, since suppliers are not always consistent about which figure they quote.

Installation, including the fixings and the labour to mount the board flush and level, should appear as its own line rather than being folded into the board price, since it varies depending on wall type and site access. A quote that bundles this in without detail makes it hard to know what happens if the wall turns out to need extra preparation.

Asking for this as a separate line also makes it easier to compare like for like against a second quote.

On a straightforward masonry wall, installation cost is fairly predictable. On a stud, partition or glass wall, it can vary considerably, which is exactly why this should never be folded silently into a single headline figure.

Any custom colour, waterjet-cut branding, or non-standard frame finish typically carries an additional cost beyond the standard product, and this should be itemised rather than absorbed into a vague ‘bespoke’ total. Architects working to a defined interior palette need this broken out clearly, since it is often the first thing trimmed if a budget needs adjusting.

Printed branding in particular can add lead time as well as cost, since it typically requires a separate production step before the board reaches final assembly.

It is also worth asking whether a sample or proof is provided before full production, since colour can shift noticeably between a digital swatch and the finished physical surface, particularly with printed branding.

A proper quote should include, or at minimum flag, whether a site survey is needed before manufacture, and what any necessary wall preparation, such as reinforcement or levelling, would cost if the survey reveals an issue. Leaving this out entirely is one of the more common reasons a project’s final cost exceeds the original quote.

A supplier who raises this proactively, rather than waiting to be asked, is generally the more reliable one to work with.

Even a brief phone conversation about the intended wall, rather than a full site visit, is often enough for an experienced supplier to flag likely issues before the board is manufactured, reducing the risk of a costly surprise later.

Most quotes exclude any structural work to the wall itself beyond standard reinforcement, decorating or patching around the installed board, and ongoing maintenance supplies. Knowing what is excluded matters just as much as knowing what is included, since it determines what else needs budgeting for elsewhere in the project.

Asking a supplier to state exclusions explicitly, rather than assuming they match a previous project, is a simple way to avoid an unpleasant surprise on the final invoice.

Checking a quote against this list before approving it is what surfaces mounting, survey or finish costs that would otherwise appear later as extras, so the number that gets approved is closer to the number that gets invoiced.

See how design whiteboard come with a clear, itemised quote covering the board, mounting and any custom finish.