The oven, fridge and dishwasher are all on the quotation. The delivery truck is booked. But who gets the dishwasher through the side entrance, who connects the fridge, and who is responsible when the electrician arrives before the equipment?
A multi-equipment quotation is a list of machines plus a chain of responsibilities. Compare both. This guide follows three fictional kitchen packages from headline price to aligned project scope, showing where to count shared work once, how to handle a substitution and what to leave unresolved.
Give each appliance—and each shared job—its own identity
Start with a numbered equipment schedule. In our example, E01 is a commercial oven, E02 an upright refrigerator and E03 a pass-through dishwasher with the agreed accessories. Record exact model, version, quantity and options against each ID. A package discount must not erase the contents of the package.
Give shared work separate IDs: S01 for unloading and positioning, S02 for electrical works, S03 for plumbing, and so on. Otherwise one supplier’s “delivery included” can be mistaken for another’s complete placement service, or the same electrical allowance can be counted beneath all three appliances.
The site brief should include the delivery route, door restrictions, access times, final positions and services information. Ask the relevant qualified contractors to verify service suitability against each selected model. A shared project scope does not make the oven’s and dishwasher’s installation requirements interchangeable.
Use four inclusion states: included, additional, excluded or unresolved. “Excluded” tells you where to obtain a price. “Unresolved” tells you there is not yet a dependable comparison. Neither state means zero cost.
Three headline totals become two equal options
Fictional procurement example. All line amounts are AUD excluding GST. Assume the three packages cover the same requested oven, fridge and dishwasher schedule, except for the proposed oven substitution in C discussed below. The figures are arithmetic examples, not real supplier prices or estimates for your kitchen.
| Required scope | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment package headline | $40,000 | $44,500 | $42,300 |
| S01 Unload and position | Add $1,800 | Included | Add $1,800 |
| S02 Agreed electrical works | Add $2,500 | Add $2,500 | Included |
| S03 Agreed plumbing works | Add $1,400 | Included | Add $1,400 |
| S04 Commissioning and handover | Add $900 | Included | Add $900 |
| S05 Old-equipment removal | Add $600 | Included | Add $600 |
| Confirmed additions | $7,200 | $2,500 | $4,700 |
| Aligned package subtotal | $47,200 | $47,000 | $47,000 |
| S06 Shared extraction work, separately quoted | Add $3,000 | Add $3,000 | Add $3,000 |
| Aligned project total, ex GST | $50,200 | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Illustrative GST at 10% | $5,020 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Aligned project total, including GST | $55,220 | $55,000 | $55,000 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
A’s additions are $1,800 + $2,500 + $1,400 + $900 + $600 = $7,200. C’s are $1,800 + $1,400 + $900 + $600 = $4,700. Adding those to their headlines produces $47,200 and $47,000. B is $44,500 + $2,500 = $47,000.
The same separate $3,000 extraction scope is then counted once per proposed project, not once per appliance. A’s apparent $4,500 advantage over B becomes a $200 premium ex GST. B and C finish level on the stated scope.
These totals assume the listed work scopes have been confirmed for the example site. Structural changes, additional service upgrades and other discoveries are not priced here. Keep them in an unresolved section until investigated; do not call this illustration a turnkey price or use a generic allowance to conceal an unassessed job.
A substitution is a separate decision, not a footnote
C has proposed a different oven. The equipment line says “equivalent”, but the proposal does not document whether the operator’s required loaded-tray arrangement works. That means C’s $50,000 comparison remains conditional. Matching a category name or nominal tray count is insufficient.
Create a substitution row that links the original equipment ID, proposed model, reason for the change and evidence against the original requirements. Include the consequences for accessories, services, physical layout, training and price. A less expensive machine can introduce additional work elsewhere in the project.
| Option | Price position | Decision at this stage |
|---|---|---|
| A | $200 above B ex GST | Retain only if a documented benefit justifies the premium |
| B | $50,000 ex GST on agreed example scope | Provisional preferred package, subject to remaining project checks |
| C | Same aligned price as B | Conditional: oven substitution needs workload and downstream-scope confirmation |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
If C proves the substitution suitable without changing the project total, compare its actual benefits with B. If it fails an essential requirement, revise or remove it. Do not give an unsuitable substitute enough price points to win a weighted score.
For the detailed oven-only task, use the separate combi oven quotation worksheet. This register remains focused on the interfaces between the entire equipment schedule and the site.
Close the gaps between the trades
A column marked “installer” is not a responsibility assignment. Name a company or accountable role, what it delivers and what must be ready before it starts. Then ask that party to confirm the scope in writing.
| Work package | Evidence needed before proceeding | Who coordinates the handoff? |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery to final positions | Agreed access route, unloading method and site-ready confirmation | Venue project lead and delivery provider |
| Electrical and plumbing works | Selected-model documents, defined contractor scope and agreed sequence | Venue project lead and qualified contractors |
| Commissioning | Required preceding works complete; provider confirms its prerequisites | Commissioning provider and project lead |
| Operational handover | Equipment identities, applicable records, instructions, training and outstanding-items list | Supplier/provider and kitchen manager |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Ask what happens if a predecessor is not ready: who rebooks, what costs may apply, and where the change is recorded. This is often more useful than asking each supplier separately whether they can “do installation”.
Check that shared scope is not excluded by both parties. It can also be included twice. In the example, electrical works are additional in B but inside C’s headline; the register accounts for each once without assuming the equipment supplier personally performs every trade.
Prepare the package scope register
For your own supplier brief, record equipment IDs, shared-work responsibilities, substitutions, included prices and unresolved scope. Replace the fictional inputs with actual evidence and leave unresolved decisions visible.
- Attach one equipment and site brief to every request.
- Map each inclusion to an equipment or shared-work ID.
- Record the accountable provider, evidence reference and open question.
- Add confirmed costs on one GST basis; list unknowns separately.
- Request a consolidated revised quotation showing agreed scope and substitutions before making the purchase decision.
Record quote version, expiry, payment milestones and delivery assumptions alongside the comparison. Written changes should point to the version they replace. Do not build the final scope out of a remembered phone call and several contradictory emails.
Begin the equipment shortlist with Atlantic Equipment’s commercial ovens, commercial dishwashers and the relevant refrigeration proposal. The register’s job is to join those purchases into a coherent project, not to replace model-specific selection.
Source and example boundaries
The Australian Government’s Prepare quotes guidance, checked 18 October 2026, recommends clear descriptions, itemised totals, applicable GST, revisions, payment terms, dates and expiry. We use those document fields as a practical comparison basis. This article does not interpret contractual rights or prescribe payment terms.
All package figures, companies A/B/C, inclusions, work packages and decisions are fictional. The 10% GST line illustrates the arithmetic; confirm actual GST treatment and the exact site scope on real quotations. No supplier price, stock, delivery promise, warranty or completed installation is represented.
About this guide
Prepared by Atlantic Equipment. This guide helps buyers compare a multi-equipment kitchen project without losing the work between appliances. Its fictional package register counts shared costs once, exposes responsibility gaps and keeps substitutions conditional until they meet the brief. It is a procurement aid; current model documentation, site assessment and written supplier/contractor scopes remain necessary.
