Guide · Quoting

How to Quote a Cutting Job Fast

Slow quotes lose jobs. The fastest, most accurate way to quote an MDF, plywood or board cutting job is to optimise the cutting list first, then price the boards it actually needs from your own stock and rates. Here is the method, and how to make the whole quotation instant.

1. Why quoting by hand loses you jobs

The old way is to sit at a desk, work out roughly how many boards a job needs, and pad the price "just in case". It can take half a day, and by the time you reply the customer has often gone elsewhere. Guess too low and you eat the cost of the extra board; guess too high and you lose the job. Speed and accuracy both matter.

2. Optimise the cutting list first, then price

You cannot price a cutting job accurately until you know how many boards it really needs. Nest the parts onto whole boards first; the moment the layout is set, the exact board count is known and there is nothing left to guess. Pricing then becomes simple arithmetic on top of a known board count.

3. Price from your own board stock and rates

A quote is only useful if it reflects what you actually pay. Price each job against your own board stock, materials and labour rates so the cost quotation is real, not a rough estimate. When your prices change, the next quote updates automatically.

4. Include cuts, edging, labour and offcuts

A complete cutting job quotation covers the boards by material and thickness, the cutting and edging, labour, any hardware, and tax. It should also note the reusable off-cuts the job leaves behind, so you are not charging the customer for board you keep and reuse on the next job.

5. Send it while they are still interested

A quote that arrives in seconds beats one that arrives tomorrow. Send the costed quotation by email, WhatsApp or SMS while the customer is still deciding, and convert the accepted quote straight into an invoice instead of retyping everything.

Do it automatically

Quote in seconds with automatic nesting

SmartCutPro is an automatic nesting program with built-in auto-quotation. It optimises the cutting list, prices the job instantly against your own board stock and rates, and gives you an immediate quote you can send by email, WhatsApp or SMS, then convert to an invoice in one click. See also our guide on reducing MDF and board waste.

See how SmartCutPro works View pricing

FAQ

Quoting cutting jobs, answered

How do I quote a cutting job quickly?

Optimise the cutting list first, then price the job from the boards it actually needs. Once parts are nested onto whole boards you know the exact board count, so you add your cutting, edging and labour rates and send the quote. With an automatic nesting program the whole quotation is instant instead of half a day at a desk.

What should a cutting job quotation include?

The boards required by material and thickness (MDF, plywood, chipboard, melamine), cutting and edging, labour, any hardware, and tax. A good quote also notes the reusable off-cuts the job leaves so you are not charging for board you keep.

Can I price a quote from my own board stock and rates?

Yes. SmartCutPro prices each optimised job against your own board stock, materials and rates, so the cost quotation reflects what you actually pay. You get an immediate quote you can send by email, WhatsApp or SMS and convert to an invoice in one click.

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See it quote a job in seconds

Book a demo and we will run one of your own cutting lists through SmartCutPro so you can watch the optimised layout and the quote appear live.

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