Systems Furniture Buyer's Guide
Office furniture system pricing
Table of Contents
The sticker price for a quality office furniture system can be surprisingly high, at first. It's important to remember that it will last for decades, and that your employees will be using it all day, every day. Saving a hundred dollars per cube will have minimal impact on your business in the long run - but getting quality equipment that will keep your employees happy and efficient will make a big difference. See what other BuyerZone users paid for Systems Furniture.
So, how much?
For a small order (fewer than 10 cubes) of average sized cubicles, you can expect to pay around $1,000-$2,000 per cube. Prices for new systems start at $2,500 and can range up to $5,000 or more, and some dealers will have as-is cubes for as little as $700.
You may be able to find cubes for $300 in classified ads, but keep in mind that you'll have to pick them up and install them yourself. You'll have no guarantees whatsoever and you won't be able to integrate them with cubes you add later. For a long-lasting solution, it's worth spending a little extra to purchase from a reputable dealer.
There are significant economies of scale involved: as soon as you put two cubes back-to-back, you've already saved one wall, and every additional cube means extra cost savings. Also, whether you're ordering new or remanufactured cubicles, the factory saves money producing multiple identical components. Buying ten cubes will provide some discount, while buying over 100 or so can reduce your cost by 20% or more.
Bear in mind that these prices are just rough guidelines. In most cases, you won't be quoted a price per cube. Instead you can expect to get a quote for your entire setup. The more specific the breakdown, the better: because an office furniture system is so modular, you should be able to add and subtract line items as you negotiate the pricing.
Delivery and installation can add significantly to the total costs, so have your vendor include those costs along with the systems themselves. Be sure you know the delivery rules in your building: union buildings will require you to use union members for unloading and delivery; other buildings may have strict rules about when you can unload. Both of these situations can dramatically increase delivery costs: have your vendor account for them if applicable.
Warranties
New and remanufactured cubicles should be durable and reliable - and warranties should back that up. Look for a minimum warranty of three years on parts, but expect longer. Lifetime warranties are fairly common in the industry, simply because they provide customers with a sense of security and don't cost dealers much: problems are rare and repair costs minimal.
If the dealer does your installation, they may provide a one-year warranty covering labor, as well; if you hire your own contractors, you probably won't get warranty coverage on the construction.
Buy vs. lease
Due to the expense of buying an office furniture system, you may want to consider leasing instead of buying. Most dealers will offer you lease information up front - if you don't have the available capital, it can be a good idea. You may also be able to take advantage of the fact that lease payments are business expenses, taken from pre-tax income instead of after-tax profits.
However most businesses still treat cubes as a capital expense. The financial advantage is that you'll own the cubes - when you're done with them, you can usually sell them back to the same company that you bought them from and recoup at least part of your costs.
