How to Read an Event Hire Quote

Last reviewed: August 8, 2026

A hire quote is a short document that decides quite a lot: what arrives, when it arrives, what happens if something breaks and what you get back at the end. It is worth ten minutes of proper reading. Here is what each part is doing and what to check.

The item list

Every item should be listed separately with a quantity, not bundled into a phrase like “seating and tables”. Read it against your own list and check the quantities line by line, especially:

• Chairs against your headcount, plus the extras you agreed
• Chair covers and sashes against the chair count, since they are ordered separately
• Linen against the table count, and whether overlays or runners are included or extra
• Crockery, cutlery and glassware against place settings and courses
• Serving equipment against the number of hot dishes, not the number of guests

Delivery, setup and collection

These are three different things and they should be clear on the quote. Check whether the price includes delivery only, or delivery and setup; whether setup means putting up the tent and laying the tables, or dropping the crates; and what the agreed collection window is. Delivery is normally quoted per suburb because distance and access affect it, so make sure the address on the quote is the venue address and not your home address.

The deposit and what confirms a booking

Most hire businesses hold stock only once a booking is confirmed, and confirmation usually means the quote is accepted and an agreed deposit is paid. Until then the date is not reserved, no matter how much has been discussed. If your date is in a busy period, this is the single most important line on the page. Check what the deposit is for — whether it forms part of the hire fee or is a separate refundable amount held against damage — and when the balance is due.

The count sheet

A count sheet is the list of exactly what left the yard and exactly what came back. Ask to see it at delivery and again at collection, and have someone from your side present for both. This is not about mistrust; it is about having one agreed set of numbers so that nobody is reconstructing the evening from memory a week later.

1. At delivery, check the count and note anything already damaged or missing before you sign.
2. During the function, keep hired items together and do not let guests take glasses home.
3. Before collection, gather everything into one place and do a rough count yourself.
4. At collection, be present when it is counted. Sign what you agree with.

Breakages and missing items

Breakages happen at every event and any honest hire business expects them. What matters is that the basis for charging is written down before the function, not decided afterwards. Charges are normally at replacement value — what it costs to put that item back into stock — and they should be supported by the count sheet. Ask what happens with items that are dirty rather than damaged, and whether there is a cleaning charge for linen that has been badly stained.

Cancellations and changes

• Ask what happens if your guest count drops, and by when a reduction can be made.
• Ask what happens if the date moves, which is not the same as cancelling.
• Ask what happens if the venue changes after the quote, since delivery is priced to a location.
• Get every change in writing, even a small one. A change agreed over the phone and not recorded is the most common source of an argument on the day.

Two things worth confirming out loud

First, who is the one person on your side who will meet the delivery, sign the count sheet and be reachable on the day. Second, what time the venue actually allows access, since a setup time on a quote is useless if the hall only opens later. Both take a minute to establish and both prevent the most common problems.

If anything on your quote is unclear, ask before you accept it. A quote you fully understand is worth more than a cheaper one you do not.