What should a frame shop owner prepare about custom-order pricing sheets for a buyer?

Most framing quotes are built from several parts: moulding by the foot, mats, glazing, mounting and labour. Show how each part is priced and where your supplier costs feed in. If the sheets are a spreadsheet in your head or a handwritten page by the counter, put them on paper before a buyer asks. Note who updates them and when.

A buyer will also want to see how the sheets behave in practice. Pull a handful of recent custom orders and set the quote beside the invoice and the supplier bill. Explain any discounts for designers, repeat customers or commercial accounts, and say whether those arrangements are written down or only understood.

Be ready to explain special cases: oversized work, conservation glass, shadow boxes and rush orders. These are where a quoted price and the real cost can drift apart. Your accountant can help you present margins in a way that matches the financial statements a buyer will review. Keep a copy of the supplier price lists that sit behind the sheets, since a buyer will check that your numbers trace back to something real. A buyer may also ask how often prices were revised and whether customers ever pushed back, so keep notes on the last few changes.

Key takeaways

• Put every price sheet and markup rule in writing, current and dated.
• Match sample quotes to invoices and supplier bills.
• List trade discounts and who holds them, written or not.
• Prepare explanations for oversized, rush and conservation work.