Trade Guides
Millwork Online: Pricing Mouldings, Mantels and Built-Ins
Millwork ordering software should price mouldings by the linear foot, mantels by size and built-ins by section, with species and finish rules built in.
Millwork ordering software has to handle three very different pricing models in one catalogue: mouldings by the linear foot, mantels and panels by size, and built-ins by section or by quote. A shop that sells all three online needs rules for each, with species and finish options that carry across, so a homeowner or contractor can price a job without waiting days for a callback.
Three pricing models in one shop
Most millwork shops sell a mix of products that price in different ways.
| Product type | How it prices | What the customer provides |
|---|---|---|
| Mouldings (casing, base, crown, chair rail) | Per linear foot, rounded to stock lengths | Profile, species, total linear feet |
| Mantels, wainscot panels, stair parts | Per item, by size range or dimensions | Dimensions, style, species |
| Built-ins (bookcases, window seats, media walls) | Per section, or by quote | Wall width, height, section style |
Trying to force all three into one product-page pattern is where online millwork ordering usually goes wrong. Each needs its own flow, sharing the same species, finish and delivery choices.
Mouldings by the linear foot
Mouldings are the most orderable item online, and the one with the most quiet errors.
- Profile first. Show a cross-section drawing and the dimensions of each profile. Homeowners matching existing trim need to see the shape.
- Species and finish. Paint-grade, stain-grade species, primed or unfinished.
- Linear feet. Ask for the total, then add an allowance for cuts and miters. The allowance changes with the job: a room with many short runs and outside corners wastes more.
- Round to stock lengths. If you ship in set lengths, convert linear feet to pieces and round up.
- Minimums. For custom profiles that need a knife ground, show the setup charge and minimum run clearly before checkout.
A helpful extra is a room-based calculator: enter room dimensions, doors and windows, and the configurator works out casing and baseboard linear feet. Homeowners rarely know their total linear feet off the top of their head.
Mantels, panels and stair parts by size
These are made-to-measure but well defined. Rules include:
- Size ranges per style, with minimum and maximum widths and heights.
- Price bands by size, similar to a width-by-height grid.
- Clearance prompts. Fireplace surrounds and mantels have clearance requirements from the firebox that vary by appliance and by code. A checkout can ask for the firebox opening and the appliance type and show a note to confirm clearances with the appliance manual and local code.
- Matching options. If the customer picks a mantel style, offer matching panel and moulding profiles.
Built-ins by section, with a quote fallback
Built-ins are where many millwork shops stop selling online and say "contact us." There is a middle path. A guided flow can price standard built-ins from sections:
- The customer gives the wall width and ceiling height.
- The configurator divides the wall into your standard section widths, with fillers.
- The customer picks a section type for each bay: open shelves, glass doors, solid doors, drawers, a desk or seat.
- The price builds as they go.
Anything outside the rules, such as curved fronts, unusual angles or integrated lighting beyond your standard options, can route to a quote request with the configuration already filled in. The customer gets a real price for the standard part, and your designer starts from a complete brief. We look at when a guided flow beats a form in guided configurators vs. order forms.
Quotes, holds and contractors
Millwork jobs often sit in a contractor's or designer's hands for weeks. If species prices move, a quote from two months ago might not be your price today. Decide how long a quote holds, and make sure your system records the hold rather than just promising it in an email. Quote expiry and price holds covers the options.
Contractors and designers also want their trade pricing, PO numbers and the ability to reorder a standard profile in one click. Running homeowners and trade buyers from the same catalogue keeps profiles and prices consistent. See one catalogue, two channels.
Setting up millwork ordering software: what to do first
If you are moving millwork ordering online, a sensible order is:
- Start with your best-selling moulding profiles, since they are simple and high volume.
- Add mantels and stair parts with size bands next.
- Add standard built-ins with section pricing and a quote fallback last.
- Keep custom work on a quote path, but capture the configuration on the way in.
How Inlay handles this
- Inlay supports linear-foot pricing with rounding to your stock lengths, size-band pricing for mantels and panels, and section-based pricing for built-ins.
- Species, finish and profile choices carry across product types, with trade rules and code-style prompts catching errors before the order is placed.
- On the Showroom plan, custom code blocks let you add shop-specific rules, and orders can sync to Allmoxy or any system that accepts a webhook, CSV or email.
- Customers get accounts, save for later and a final review step, and contractors can order in a dealer portal with price tiers and PO numbers.
Book a 20-minute demo to see your millwork catalogue running in Inlay.