Same granite, one quote is double the other. Why?
Nine times out of ten the gap is not greed — the two suppliers are quoting different products. Break it into block grade, yield, thickness tolerance, processing steps and Incoterms, and the difference explains itself.
First: is the price different, or is the product different?
For the same stone and the same G number, a ten percent spread is normal. A doubling almost always means one line of the specification differs. Do not start negotiating — align every line of the two quotations first. Once aligned, more than half of the gap is usually explained on paper.
How much do block grade and yield move the price?
Blocks from the same pit are graded: even colour with no black spots, veins or cracks costs more; flawed blocks cost less. Cheap blocks produce more waste, so yield drops and the cost per square metre of finished slab may not be lower at all. What really sets material cost is how many square metres of acceptable slab come out of one cubic metre of block, not the block price itself.
How does thickness tolerance turn into money?
Nominal 30mm, actually cut at 28mm versus 32mm, is roughly a fourteen percent difference in material volume. Too thin means weaker slabs and more breakage; too thick means more material and more freight weight. So the quotation must state a tolerance, for example plus or minus 1mm, not just 30mm. A quote that gives thickness without tolerance is leaving that gap for you to discover.
Which processing steps get quietly dropped?
Calibration, polishing passes, edge profile, chamfer, grooves, backing mesh and six-side sealer. Each one is cost and machine time. One polishing pass less is invisible under showroom lighting and looks flat outdoors in sunlight. Skip the backing mesh or sealer and nothing happens at first, then slabs crack and efflorescence appears during transport and installation. If the quotation does not list the steps, the default is the minimum.
Why can Incoterms not be compared directly?
EXW stops at the factory gate, FOB includes everything up to the port of loading, CIF adds ocean freight and insurance. Three suppliers quoting three different terms give you three numbers that cannot be compared. Add whether packing is included, crate or pallet, who pays the loading, and who handles discharge and devanning at destination. Convert everything to one basis and the gap often shrinks sharply.
When a price is suspiciously low, what was removed?
Usually some of these: mixed batches, second-grade slabs slipped in, one polishing pass fewer, thin pallets, containers loaded without void filling, no sealer. That money does not disappear — it comes back after arrival as rework, replacement, claims and lost schedule. An abnormally low quote is not cheap; it is risk transferred to you.
How do you put every supplier on the same line?
Send one specification sheet: stone and G number, thickness plus tolerance, surface finish, edge profile, packing method, Incoterm plus named port, payment terms, delivery date. With all eight answered, whatever gap remains is a real gap. Anyone unwilling to quote against those eight items is already avoiding the comparison.