A meaningful terracotta facade-panel price is a dated quotation for a defined scope—not a universal online unit rate. Product family, module, surface, quantities, accessories, engineering, testing, packing, delivery terms, destination charges and installation responsibility can change what is included and how the total should be compared.
This page deliberately publishes no price band or “lowest price.” Earlier figures in the 2020 article are historical, lack a complete commercial basis and must not be used for budgeting today. Use the following request-for-quotation checklist to obtain comparable, project-specific offers.
1. Define which price you are requesting
Panel supply only
State whether the request covers standard panels only, including the exact product, finish, module, thickness/profile, edge and processing requirements. Identify every item that must be priced separately.
Panel and fixing package
List clips, rails, brackets, fasteners, gaskets or other accessories expected from the supplier. Confirm material grade, coating, quantities and whether project-specific engineering is included.
Delivered material
Define packing, loading, freight, insurance, named destination, delivery term and unloading boundary. Separate duties, taxes, customs/brokerage, port or terminal charges and inland transport.
Installed facade scope
Only compare an installed price after defining substrate, anchors, secondary steel, access, lifting, storage, installation, interfaces, testing, temporary works, protection, cleaning and acceptance responsibility.
2. Freeze the product, surface and processing brief
Identify the product family and proposed facade system first. For every panel type, issue a schedule showing reference code, nominal and required finished dimensions, orientation, profile or ribs, surface and colour, edge conditions, corner/return pieces, cut-outs, holes, slots, grooves and any factory or site processing. Mark which dimensions are fixed and where alternatives may be quoted.
Colour names and screen images are not production standards. Request current physical samples, then approve a representative colour/texture range or project mock-up. Record the accepted sample, finish route and any visual variation criteria. If a special mould, surface development, prototype or trial firing is proposed, ask for its one-time charge, ownership, storage/reuse terms, approval cycle and effect on programme as separate lines.
Module and profile affect more than panel manufacture. Ask the facade designer to coordinate rail and clip spacing, joints, corners, openings, movement, replacement access and the cutting schedule before tender comparison. A nominal “square-metre” rate can be misleading if one offer assumes uncut production area while another includes finished pieces and special units.
3. Reconcile net facade area, ordered quantity and spare stock
Issue a panel-by-panel or type-by-type take-off rather than one gross elevation area. Distinguish net visible facade area, gross panel production area, special pieces, cuts, openings, rejected design zones, approved construction allowance and separately identified replacement stock. State whether the supplier is pricing the buyer’s schedule, checking it, or preparing its own take-off from drawings.
There is no universal waste percentage. Module, bond, corner design, openings, cutting route, breakage risk, packing, inspection criteria and the ability to reuse offcuts determine the ordered quantity. Ask each bidder to state its basis and assumptions. Spare panels should be identified by type, size, finish/batch and packing plan; do not hide them in an unexplained allowance.
4. Price system components, engineering and evidence separately
| Cost group | Define in the RFQ | Require in the offer |
|---|---|---|
| Panels and special pieces | Type schedule, dimensions, profile, finish, processing, approved samples and ordered quantity. | Line-item unit and total, unit basis, development/mould charges, assumptions, exclusions and current feasibility. |
| Fixing and support items | Clips, rails, brackets, fasteners, gaskets, isolation pieces and their material/coating requirements. | Included quantities, technical scope, supplier, substitutions, packing and items by others. |
| Design and documentation | Shop drawings, calculations, schedules, BIM/CAD data, method information, submittals and as-builts. | Author, review cycles, language/format, professional responsibility, deliverables, programme and fees. |
| Samples, mock-ups and tests | Selection samples, control samples, visual mock-up, performance mock-up and product/system tests required by the project. | Specimens, standards, laboratory/site, witness, report, repeat/failure responsibility, lead time and cost. |
| Quality and inspection | Inspection/test plan, acceptance criteria, factory review, batch traceability, packing inspection and nonconformance process. | Included inspections, third-party charges, hold points, records and disposition responsibility. |
| Packing and logistics | Crates/pallets, protection, labels, loading plan, route, destination, delivery term, unloading and storage constraints. | Weights/volumes, shipment plan, freight/insurance boundary, named place, taxes/duties excluded or included and quote validity. |
| Site and installation | Survey, anchors/supports, access, lifting, labour, temporary works, interfaces, protection, cleaning, testing and handover. | Explicit included work, exclusions, programme, site assumptions, variation route, warranty and responsible parties. |
Technical documents and certificates must match the exact product, factory, intended use, date and jurisdiction. Ask whether the offer includes existing reports only or new project testing. A panel document does not automatically cover anchors, rails, cavity barriers, insulation, membranes, complete-system fire/water/wind performance or installation.
5. Make packing, transport and border costs visible
Provide the delivery address or named port, site access and requested delivery sequence. Ask for the number and type of packages, gross/net weight and volume, protection method, labelling, container or vehicle plan, loading responsibility and maximum storage period/conditions. Confirm who pays for inspection, export documents, freight, insurance, customs clearance, duty, tax, brokerage, terminal handling, demurrage, inland delivery, unloading and disposal of packing.
Every quotation should name the currency, issue date, validity period, delivery term and named place, payment milestones, production basis, estimated programme and what can trigger a revision. Exchange-rate movement, freight availability, fuel or port surcharges and local taxes should not be silently blended into a product comparison. Treat lead time as conditional until drawings, samples, deposits, test requirements, quantities and manufacturing slot are accepted in writing.
6. Issue one comparison sheet and close the exclusions
- the same drawings, schedules, revisions, quantities and approved samples were priced;
- all bidders used the same currency, unit basis, delivery boundary and tax/duty treatment;
- panel-only, accessory, engineering, testing, packing, freight and site-work totals are separated;
- allowances, options, one-time development costs, minimum-order implications and exclusions are explicit;
- replacement stock, packaging, delivery sequence, storage and site handling are included where required;
- submittal, sample, mock-up, test, approval, manufacture and shipment milestones fit the programme;
- design, take-off, interface, inspection, installation, variation and warranty responsibilities are named; and
- the final commercial and technical clarifications are incorporated into the order/contract documents.
For current product context, review Terracotta Rainscreen and the dated files in Catalogues & Downloads. Catalogue images and dimensions still require current project confirmation and do not constitute a quotation.
Request a project-specific quotation
Send the project location, elevation drawings, panel schedule, target product/profile/finish, net and ordered quantities, special pieces, fixing scope, required documents/tests, destination, delivery term and programme. LOPO can respond to the defined supply enquiry; the formal quotation and contract determine current price, inclusions, responsibilities and validity.