An opening width and height are enough to start a conversation, but they do not define a custom multi-panel sliding system. The quotation may also depend on the number of panels, their movement, the selected glass, the threshold, the surrounding construction and the delivery conditions.
A useful quote request identifies the project and opening, shows how the panels should move, includes the current drawings and records the glass, finish, hardware and performance requirements already established. Details that remain open can be marked as preliminary or TBD instead of being filled with assumptions.
Providing this information gives the manufacturer a consistent basis for reviewing the proposed configuration and identifying the decisions that must be resolved later.
Identify the Project, Opening and Available Documents
Begin with enough context to distinguish the opening from the rest of the project:
- Project name and location.
- Building type and use.
- New construction or existing building.
- Interior or exterior application.
- Current design or construction stage.
- Opening mark, room, level or elevation.
- Quantity of matching openings.
- Primary project contact.
Assign a unique reference to each opening. The same mark can appear on the drawings, door schedule, quotation and later revisions. Two openings should not be grouped only because their dimensions match; their glass, finish, panel arrangement or exposure may be different.
State What the Dimensions Represent
Label each width and height rather than submitting unidentified measurements. Depending on the project stage, they may describe:
- A rough or framed opening.
- A finished opening.
- A proposed outside frame size.
- A required clear passage.
- The space available for stacking or a wall pocket.
Include the finished floor elevation and state whether the dimensions are preliminary or field verified.
Rough opening, frame size, panel size and usable passage are related, but they are not the same measurement. These differences are shown alongside typical terminology in sliding aluminum glass door sizing.
Preliminary measurements may be sufficient for initial pricing and configuration review. They should not be treated as verified manufacturing dimensions. Final frame size and installation allowances depend on the selected system and the actual conditions around the opening.
Attach the Current Project Documents
Send the latest documents that help explain the opening:
- Architectural plans.
- Interior or exterior elevations.
- Window and door schedules.
- Wall, head or sill sections.
- Floor-transition details.
- Marked-up sketches.
- Photographs of existing conditions.
- Reference images with the relevant feature identified.
Include the drawing date or revision where possible. Otherwise, the supplier and project team may unknowingly work from different versions of the opening.
Completed shop drawings are not normally required to begin a preliminary quote. Plans, elevations and sketches can communicate the initial design intent, while formal submittals follow the process established for the project. The Whole Building Design Guide’s unified submittal descriptions classify shop drawings separately from product data, samples, design data, test reports and other submittal categories. A drawing used to explain an opening during pricing should not automatically be treated as a fabrication document.
Show the Proposed Panel Movement
The opening dimensions do not show which panels move or where they remain when the door is open. Include:
- Total panel count.
- Fixed and operable panels.
- Direction of travel.
- Side or sides where the panels collect.
- Desired clear passage.
- Available stacking or pocket space.
- Viewpoint used to describe left and right.
- Pocket, multi-track, bypass or corner intent.
A simple elevation with arrows is often clearer than a written description. If codes such as OX or OXXO are used, identify the viewing direction so the panel sequence can be interpreted correctly.
Projects still defining panel movement can compare pocket, multi-track, bypass and 90-degree layouts before marking the preferred arrangement. For the quotation, identify the selected layout or label the decision as TBD.
Provide the Glass Makeup or Performance Requirements
If the glass has already been specified, include its complete makeup:
- Thickness of each glass lite.
- Heat-treated glass requirements.
- Laminated plies and interlayer.
- Insulating cavity and overall IGU construction.
- Low-E coating, tint or other treatment.
- Relevant glass specification or schedule.
Descriptions such as “laminated glass” or “one-inch glass” leave important information undefined. A one-inch insulating unit, for example, contains individual glass lites separated by a sealed cavity; it is not one solid inch of glass.
If the makeup has not been selected, record the performance requirements established for the project:
- Thermal performance.
- Solar control.
- Acoustic performance.
- Safety glazing.
- Privacy.
- Impact resistance.
- Other project-specific criteria.
Performance criteria do not approve a particular glass construction. The project’s responsible professionals establish the requirements, and the proposed makeup must then be reviewed against those requirements and the selected door assembly.
Glass information also supports the mechanical review because glass makeup affects finished panel weight and hardware capacity. A later change from monolithic glass to a laminated or insulating unit may increase the load even when the panel dimensions stay the same.
Describe the Threshold, Hardware, Finish and Exposure
The quote request should show how the system meets the floor and adjacent construction. Record:
- Finished floor elevation.
- Desired floor transition.
- Sill or threshold intent.
- Interior and exterior floor materials.
- Available drainage or waterproofing details.
- Conditions below a bottom-rolling track.
- Space allocated for a floor guide.
A request for a low or visually flush transition communicates an architectural preference. It does not confirm that drainage, accessibility, water management or installation requirements have been resolved.
Identify the hardware and access requirements already known:
- Locking intent.
- Pull-handle preference.
- Access control, if required.
- Screen requirements.
- Other selected operating hardware.
If the hardware remains open, describe how the door will be used and note any access or security requirements that have already been established.
For the aluminum framing, specify the preferred finish and color. State whether the project calls for anodized, powder-coated or custom-painted aluminum and whether the interior and exterior faces require different colors.
For an exterior opening, describe its exposure. Include coastal conditions and known wind, rain, thermal or impact requirements supplied by the design team. These details help define what must be reviewed; they do not confirm that a particular configuration meets the project criteria.
Include the Relevant Support Conditions
The manufacturer needs to know whether the panels will be supported from the sill or suspended from a head track. That decision determines where the primary panel load reaches the building.
Relevant information may include:
- Header or overhead support details.
- Floor or sill support conditions.
- Wall construction around a proposed pocket.
- Corner conditions for a 90-degree opening.
- Architectural or structural sections.
- Existing-condition photographs.
- Structural criteria already established for the opening.
A completed structural analysis is not required simply to begin a quote request. The proposed operating system and surrounding conditions provide the context the manufacturer needs to identify applicable loads, attachment conditions and movement requirements.
For suspended panels, header strength and allowable deflection require separate verification. The manufacturer supplies the relevant system information, while the professional responsible for the building’s structural design verifies the header, connections and supporting construction.
In an existing building, finishes may conceal the header, sill or surrounding supports. Conditions that cannot be confirmed from drawings or photographs should be marked for field verification.
Confirm the Quote Scope, Delivery Conditions and Schedule
State what the quotation is expected to cover. The request may involve the door assembly, glass, screens, selected hardware, freight or other listed items.
Installation, unloading, opening preparation, waterproofing and movement of materials through the building should not be assumed to be included. If the project expects information or pricing for any of these activities, mention them so the proposal can show what is included, excluded or pending.
For delivery coordination, provide:
- Delivery address.
- Building level.
- Road, gate, elevator or loading-area restrictions.
- Route from the unloading point to the installation area.
- Staging or storage limitations.
- Target delivery period.
- Construction milestone associated with the door.
Ask which event starts the quoted lead time. Production timing may be tied to approved drawings, verified dimensions, final selections, payment or another defined authorization. Knowing the starting point makes the proposed delivery period easier to interpret.
Custom Multi-Panel Sliding System Quote Checklist
Use this table to organize the request:
Information category | What to include | Status |
Project | Name, location, building use and opening reference | Confirmed / Preliminary |
Dimensions | Width, height, dimension type and floor elevation | Confirmed / Preliminary |
Documents | Plans, elevations, schedules, sections and photographs | Attached / Pending |
Configuration | Panel count, fixed and moving panels, travel and stacking | Confirmed / TBD |
Glass | Complete makeup or performance requirements | Confirmed / TBD |
Threshold | Floor transition, sill intent and adjacent materials | Confirmed / TBD |
Hardware | Locks, pulls, access control and screens | Confirmed / TBD |
Finish | Aluminum finish and color | Confirmed / TBD |
Support | Header, floor, pocket or corner information | Attached / Pending |
Scope | Requested products, freight and related services | Confirmed / TBD |
Logistics | Delivery access and target schedule | Confirmed / TBD |
If a detail is unknown, mark it as preliminary, pending or TBD. This allows the proposal to identify its assumptions and show which decisions may affect the scope or price.
What an Initial Quote Does—and Does Not—Confirm
An initial quotation describes a proposed scope and pricing basis using the information supplied at that stage. It does not automatically approve the opening for fabrication.
As the project advances, the team may still need to coordinate:
- Final panel arrangement.
- Verified opening and frame dimensions.
- Glass makeup and finished panel weights.
- Hardware and finish selections.
- Threshold and adjacent construction.
- Structural support.
- Approved drawings and revisions.
Shop drawings or other supplier documents may enter the process after a configuration has been proposed. Their content, review path and approval status depend on the project documents and contractual responsibilities.
Any later change to the opening dimensions, panel count, glass makeup or support conditions should be communicated. A revision may affect the proposed system even when the general appearance remains unchanged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a quote be requested with preliminary dimensions?
Yes. Clearly labeled preliminary dimensions can support initial pricing and configuration discussion. The project must still establish who will verify the opening and approve the dimensions used for fabrication.
Are shop drawings required before requesting a quote?
Not necessarily. Current architectural plans, elevations, schedules, sketches and photographs can be used to begin the review. Shop drawings and final production information belong to a later stage defined by the project process.
What if the glass makeup has not been selected?
Submit the thermal, acoustic, safety, privacy, impact or other performance criteria established for the project. The glass makeup can remain TBD until it is selected and reviewed.
Does a quote mean the system is ready for fabrication?
No. A quote identifies the proposed scope and its pricing basis. The final configuration, dimensions, glass, hardware, support conditions and required documents must still be coordinated and approved before production.
Prepare the Information for Your Max Slider Project
A quote-ready request explains where the system will be installed, how the panels are intended to move and which project conditions have already been confirmed. Preliminary information and unresolved decisions can be identified for follow-up rather than delaying the initial conversation.
Visit the Max Slider aluminum sliding door system page to review the available configurations and begin an information request. PRL can then follow up regarding the drawings and additional project details needed for the proposed system.
