How to create a standard quotation and inventory form

A professional quotation and inventory form is your most vital tool for ensuring profitability; it allows you to calculate the exact volume of a move, identify potential logistical nightmares, and provide a binding price that protects both you and the customer. Without a standardised way to capture data, you risk turning up with a van that is too small or a crew that isn't prepared for five flights of stairs, both of which will eat into your margins and reputation.

1. Capture the Logistics

Before you even look at a stick of furniture, you need to understand the "where" and "when." Your form should lead with the basic contact details but quickly move into the logistical constraints of the move. In the UK, parking and narrow streets are often bigger hurdles than the furniture itself.

• Full Addresses: Including postcodes for both the collection and delivery points.
• Property Types: Is it a terraced house, a high-rise flat, or a basement studio?
• Access Points: Note the distance from where the van can legally park to the front door.
• Internal Obstacles: Are there narrow hallways, spiral staircases, or lifts? If there is a lift, is it a dedicated goods lift or a small passenger lift?

2. The Room-by-Room Inventory

The core of your form should be a checklist divided by room. This ensures the customer doesn't "forget" the contents of the loft or the garden shed. To make your life easier, assign a standard cubic footage (cuft) or cubic metre (cbm) value to common items to help automate your volume calculations.

Room	Common Items to Include
Living Room	3-seater sofa, armchairs, TV stand, bookcases, coffee table, large rugs.
Kitchen/Dining	Dining table and chairs, sideboard, fridge-freezer, washing machine, dishwasher.
Bedrooms	Bed frames (Single/Double/King), wardrobes (number of doors), chests of drawers, bedside tables.
Outside/Misc	Bicycles, lawnmowers, garden furniture, ladders, BBQ, suitcases.

3. Special Requirements and Fragile Items

Add a section for "Special Instructions." This is where you identify items that require specialist handling or additional services. This protects you from arriving on-site and finding a grand piano that wasn't mentioned in the initial enquiry.

• Dismantling/Assembly: Does the customer need you to take down wardrobes or beds?
• High-Value Items: Ask them to list any individual items worth over a certain threshold (e.g., £500) for insurance purposes.
• Packing Services: Do they want a "Self-Pack" or a "Full Packing Service"?

Pro Tip: Always include a section for "Estimated Box Count." Most customers underestimate this by half. Provide a guide, such as "approx. 10-15 boxes per room," to help them give a more realistic figure.

4. Formats and Digital Tools

While a paper clipboard works, using a digital form (via Google Forms, Typeform, or a dedicated removals app) allows customers to fill it out on their phones and upload photos of tricky items or tight doorways. This digital trail is invaluable if a dispute arises later regarding the volume of goods actually moved versus what was quoted.