Office Workstations and Height-Adjustable Desks for Commercial Projects: What to Fix in the Specification

Office workstations and height-adjustable desks are bought as layouts, not as single desks. A bench of workstations, a cluster of four, a run of individual desks and a set of height-adjustable units all depend on how the units connect, where the cables run and which parts the same factory supplies. Quotations that look alike can leave out screens, cable trays or lift mechanisms, so the specification has to name every part.

FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers. Send the office plan, workstation drawings, quantities and the project location, so we can compare the same specification line by line.

Product scope

• Bench and cluster workstations for open-plan offices, with or without screens
• Individual desks, returns and pedestals for private offices and shared rooms
• Height-adjustable desks, single or dual motor, and sit-stand frames with tops supplied separately
• Desk accessories that are part of the workstation, such as screens, cable trays, grommets and modesty panels

Chairs, storage, meeting tables and reception counters come from different production lines. See our pages on task and meeting chairs, office storage cabinets, filing and lockers and office furniture.

What to specify before requesting quotes

Schedule field	What to record
Item code and quantity	One code per workstation type or desk type, with the quantity per floor, area or phase.
Layout and dimensions	The plan of each workstation type with the drawing number, overall dimensions and the dimensions that must be held against the room and the columns.
Worksurface	Core material, surface, edge treatment and thickness, written for the model quoted, with the finish code and approved sample.
Frame and legs	Frame material, leg type, joint and levelling method, and how units connect to each other.
Lift mechanism	For height-adjustable desks: the number of motors, the control type, the range of travel and who makes the mechanism and the controller.
Screens and storage	Screen material and height, how screens attach, and any pedestal, shelf or storage that fixes to the desk.
Cable management	Grommets, trays, spines or channels, where power and data enter, and who supplies the power parts.
Fixing and connection	Free-standing or fixed, connection between units, and any fixing to the floor or the wall.
Finish	The finish code for top, frame and edge, with an approved sample for each.
Evidence required	The test report or declaration the project specification asks for, with its edition, for the model offered and the destination named.
Packing	How each unit is protected and marked by floor, area and item code, and which parts ship separately.

The table is a checklist. Add a line for anything your project needs that is not listed, such as monitor arms or desk-mounted power units.

Open-plan workstations are a system, not a desk

A workstation run is built from desks, legs, screens, cable routes and end panels that must fit together. Ask each factory to draw the system on your plan, showing how units meet at corners and ends and where each cable route leaves the unit. Compare the drawings before the prices, because a quotation that leaves out end panels or screens will look cheaper and will have to be corrected on site.

Height-adjustable desks: frame, mechanism, controller and top

A height-adjustable desk is four separate parts. Ask the factory to list the frame, the lift mechanism, the controller and the top, and to name who makes the mechanism and the controller. Ask what the control does when the desk is used by several people, and what evidence the factory can provide for the electrical parts of the exact assembly for the destination. Approve a working sample before production, and keep it as the reference for bulk orders.

Worksurface, edges and cable management

The top is the part the user touches all day, so the surface, the edge and the cable openings matter as much as the frame. Give the finish code and ask for a sample showing the surface and the edge. Mark each cable opening on the drawing, and say who supplies grommets, trays and power parts, so that the cable route is a purchased part and not an afterthought.

Panels, storage and the parts that attach to the desk

Screens, pedestals, shelves and storage that fix to the workstation are quoted either with the desk or by another maker. If they come from another maker, give both makers the same drawing and ask for a connection detail. If one factory supplies all of them, ask for one drawing that shows the whole workstation and one packing list by item code.

Name the rules in the specification

The rules that apply to office furniture depend on the destination, the building and the materials. Name the requirement in the specification and ask each factory what evidence it can provide for the exact model offered, including any wood-based panels and any electrical parts. Our United States, Canada and Australia and New Zealand compliance pages explain how we approach the main rules. Your specifier or certifier decides what applies to your project.

What to request from the factory

• Shop drawings for each item code, with the dimensions and connections confirmed against your plan.
• A description of the worksurface, the frame and, for height-adjustable desks, the lift mechanism and the controller.
• A finished sample of each top, edge and frame finish.
• Evidence the specification asks for, issued for the model offered and the destination named.
• A cable management drawing, a packing and marking description by floor and item code, and a statement of any proposed substitution for approval before production.

Send the plans, drawings and quantities together. For the wider range, see our office furniture page and our case studies, including office furniture procurement for a US office project.

FBM Furniture is the furniture-focused team of FBM Sourcing, which manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. FBM Sourcing’s guide to office workstation manufacturers covers the supply side, and its guide to height-adjustable desk manufacturers covers the lift-desk range.

Frequently asked questions

What should an office workstation specification include?

Give the floor plan with item codes and quantities, the layout of each workstation type with its dimensions, the worksurface material and edge, the frame and leg construction, the screens and storage that attach to it, the cable management route, the finish with an approved sample, and how the units are fixed or connected. Add the evidence the project requires, with its edition, for the model offered and the destination named.

Are height-adjustable desks quoted differently from fixed desks?

Yes. A height-adjustable desk is a frame, a lift mechanism, a controller and a top, and each can come from a different maker. Ask the factory to list each part in the quotation, name the maker of the lift mechanism and the controller, and state which electrical evidence it can provide for the exact assembly.

Who decides the layout of open-plan workstations?

The designer or the workplace planner does. Give each factory the same plan, the workstation types and the dimensions that must be held, and ask it to confirm on a shop drawing that the units connect as drawn, including the corner and end conditions.

Can desks, screens and storage come from different factories?

They can, but the interfaces then become your responsibility. Where screens, storage or cable trays attach to the desk, give the same drawing to every maker involved and ask for a connection detail, or ask one factory to quote the whole workstation.

How does FBM Furniture charge for office workstations?

For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.