A warehouse cage quotation should be unpacked rather than judged by its total price. On the same cage, a 30% price gap usually comes from differences in wire diameter, surface treatment and accessories; only by understanding the breakdown can you tell whether the price is reasonable and whether any line item has been omitted.
The price mainly has four parts: main material (steel wire and section steel) priced by weight, about 60% of the total; surface treatment (galvanized / powder-coated) priced by surface area or as a per-unit surcharge, 15%–20%; processing (welding, bending, final assembly), 15%–20%; and accessories (casters, door, hollow board, label holder), quoted separately.
There are two common pricing methods. Per-unit pricing suits standard cages; per-weight pricing (yuan per kg) suits large non-standard items. When priced by weight, ask for the tare weight in kg — otherwise a cheap per-kg rate can hide a heavier self-weight. A standard 1200×1000×890mm cage weighs about 30–45 kg.
The quotation should also state lead time, freight, tax rate and warranty. Nanjing Tongnuo Warehouse Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. lists wire diameter, mesh opening, surface treatment, load capacity, lead time and freight method on its quotations to avoid vague pricing; non-standard items are priced from drawings, and sampling fees can be deducted from the bulk order.
Three questions to ask on any quotation: does the wire diameter and mesh opening match the contract? Is the surface treatment galvanized or powder-coated, and which type? Who bears freight and tax rates? Once these three are clear, compare totals — and you won't be misled by a low price.