Published 21 August 2026 · Updated 9 October 2026 · JIYU SDN BHD
IN SHORT
Read a full-home customization quotation line by line and check that each room names its board, hardware, edge banding, pricing unit and exclusions, because a blank line only tells you the item is not stated. To compare two quotations, put both on one sheet, convert them to the same unit and the same specification, and only then look at the totals.
Once you hold two or three quotations, the hard part is that they are written differently. One lists every drawer, another gives a single line per room, and a third leaves out the work around the cabinets. This guide covers how to read each part of a quotation, which items can go missing and how to put two quotes on equal terms. When each payment falls due is a separate question, covered in our guide to payment schedules.
A usable quotation is organised by room or unit, such as the kitchen, the master wardrobe, the other bedrooms, the vanity and the TV or shoe cabinets, and every item points back to a drawing. Each line should state the item, its dimensions as drawn, the carcass board, the door finish and the hardware. A single line reading “kitchen cabinets, one lot” is only a total: you cannot check what is inside it, and nobody can settle a disagreement against it later. Look for two more things at the top or bottom of the page: the drawing version the prices are based on, and the pricing unit. Price follows the drawing, so if you add a tall unit or extend a run of wardrobes after the 3D stage, the quotation should be reissued rather than adjusted by a verbal “plus a little”. If the drawing was made before you held the keys, ask when the site measurement will be taken and whether the quotation is reissued if the measurements differ from the drawing.
Four lines decide whether two quotations describe the same cabinet. First, the board. A quotation that says only “eco board” or “E-grade board” tells you nothing, so ask for the board type, the thickness and the emission grade. Under GB/T 39600-2021, E1 means formaldehyde emission of no more than 0.124 mg/m³, E0 means no more than 0.050 and ENF means no more than 0.025. A sample of JIYU’s ENF-grade plywood submitted for third-party testing measured 0.022 mg/m³ (report JC26-WT0087), and that report covers the sample only. Backs and drawer bases can use a different board from the carcass, so name those too: JIYU supplies 18mm board for carcass panels and 6mm for backs and drawer bases. Second, the hardware: hinges, runners and lift-ups are the parts you touch every day, so the quotation should name a brand and model, because “imported hardware” tells you nothing. Third, the edge banding: material, thickness and whether every exposed edge is sealed, since an unsealed cut edge is a way for moisture to get in, which matters around kitchens and wet areas. Fourth, the door finish. If any of the four is blank, you do not know which option the price assumes.
Check these places for gaps. Back panels and drawer boxes may be priced separately or not mentioned. Interior fittings, such as hanging rails, dividers, pull-out baskets and internal lighting, may be listed as options or left out. Skirting, kick boards and filler panels matter more than they sound, because walls and floors in a new unit may not be perfectly square, and cabinets need scribing or fillers to sit neatly against them. Look also for cut-outs for the sink, hob, hood and sockets, handles, the countertop and the fitting of appliances. Then come the practical items: delivery, lift booking, a management deposit if your condominium requires one, floor protection, debris removal after installation and a final clean. The test is simple. Every item should be priced, included inside another named line, or marked excluded. If it is none of these, ask the company to say which, and ask for the answer in writing.
Start by giving both companies the same drawing or the same written brief, plus the same list of appliances and finishes, and ask each company to state any change it makes. If each designed its own layout, the totals describe two different jobs and cannot be set against each other. Then build one sheet: list the items down the side, put each company in a column, and fill each cell from what the quotation actually states. Where a quotation is silent, write “not stated”. Convert the pricing unit next. Quotations can price by running foot or by projected area, and the same kitchen priced both ways will not produce the same figure, so ask for a re-quote in one unit before you compare. Align the specification after that: if one quote names a branded runner and the other says “imported”, note the difference or ask the second company to price the same hardware. Compare the scope lines for demolition, wiring, ceilings and installation. Only when these rows match should you read the totals, and whatever gap remains is a question for each company: what explains it?
Settle this before you compare totals, because these items sit outside the cabinets. For a renovation, ask who removes the old cabinets and who hauls away the debris. Ask whether sockets or water points need to move and who pays for that, who owns the ceiling and cornice work, and who touches up the paint after installation. Check whether you are holding a cabinet quotation or a whole-house renovation quotation, because the scope differs. At JIYU, the cabinetry is installed by our own installation team; water and electrical work and ceilings are subcontracted trades, and JIYU is not a general renovation contractor. Whichever company you choose, a quotation that appears to include everything should say what that means trade by trade.
Beyond the specification and scope lines above, bring a short list. Which drawing version does this quotation match? Can I see the test report behind the board grade? Which trades do you do yourselves, and which are subcontracted? From which day does the handover window count? At JIYU the handover window is three months, counted from the day you hold the keys and management approves works. Public holidays, weekends and the time you spend changing the drawing are not counted, and the counting rules are written into the contract before signing. What happens if I change a dimension after production starts? Then check any warranty you are offered, because “10-year warranty” on its own says little. Ask which faults it covers and for how long. JIYU’s 10-year one-to-one limited board warranty covers manufacturing defects only: glue failure (delamination), cracking not caused by external force, and moisture blistering caused by a manufacturing defect.
One quote is much cheaper than the other. Is something wrong with it?
Not necessarily. A quotation that names less can look cheaper simply because it prices less. Put both on one sheet as described above, align the specification and the scope, and then see what gap is left. If a large gap remains, ask each company which line explains it.
Is “E0 board” specific enough on a quotation?
Not on its own. E0 describes formaldehyde emission only, no more than 0.050 mg/m³ under GB/T 39600-2021, and says nothing about what the board is made of. The quotation should also say whether it is plywood, MDF or particleboard and give the thickness. If you want a lower emission limit, ask whether the board can be upgraded to ENF (no more than 0.025 mg/m³) and what the change would add.
Running foot or projected area: which is better value?
Neither is inherently better value. Running foot prices a run of cabinets by its length, and projected area prices it by the width and height of its front as drawn, so the same kitchen gives a different figure under each. Compare two quotes only after both use the same method.
Do I need to pay before I receive a detailed quotation?
Ask each company before you start, and if a fee applies, ask for it in writing together with what you will receive for it. At JIYU the sequence is this: you share your needs (floor plan, number of rooms, when you want to move in and a rough budget), we measure the site at no charge, we prepare a 3D design that is also free for homeowners who are seriously considering us, and then we give you an itemised quotation that you confirm before signing. Payment terms for the project itself are a separate matter, and our payment schedule guide explains what each instalment should be tied to.
JIYU SDN BHD is a Selangor-based supplier of ENF-grade soybean-glue plywood that also offers full-home customization for Malaysian homeowners — kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and built-in carpentry, installed by its own installation team.
Planning full-home customization? WhatsApp JIYU SDN BHD your unit type, layout and any drawings, and we will quote from your specification. The cabinets are made with JIYU’s ENF-grade board (0.025 mg/m³ or less) and installed by our own installation team.
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