Furniture and Fixtures

Furniture Purchase/Assembly - Guidelines and Restrictions

Prior approval must be obtained from Procurement and Contracts when purchasing any Furniture and Fixtures. Failure to obtain prior approval may result in audit criticism.

The Procurement Furniture and Fixtures Request is available in Jira through MyUWF. Please submit your request for review and approval at Procurement Furniture and Fixtures Request.

The following information is important for UWF departments to read before purchasing (by requisition, PCard, Direct Pay Request, or using a personal credit card and then requesting reimbursement) ANY furniture or fixture items.

Furniture Contracts

Most furniture must be purchased utilizing the State of Florida or Cooperative Contracts. State of Florida Contracts offers a wide variety of manufacturers at substantial discounts. If non-contract (State of Florida or Cooperative) furniture is purchased it must be justified as to why a contract was not used. Furniture that is less than what is available in the State of Florida or Cooperative contracts must be shown to be of equal quality, durability, warranty, etc. Before an order can be placed for it. See also UWF Procurement Card (PCard) Reference Guide in reference to purchasing furniture with a PCard.

Furniture Quote

Furniture quote must include:

List Price (MSRP) - Price before the discount provided to UWF.
UWF Discounted Price - Price after the discount to UWF and percentage of discount.
Price listing source for vendor used; (i.e. HON, National, etc.) as a web link or in .pdf format.
- Page number from the contract used on the quote for each separate item quoted.
Name of Contract, (if applicable) - Competitively bid State of Florida or Cooperative contract Name or Number. The contract number and the end date (maturity date) must be on the quote/proposal/order provided to Procurement & Contracts for review.
Cost of shipping/delivery/installation/freight, if applicable.
- If installation is included, then the installing vendor (i.e. Alabama Contract Sales, Business Interiors, Emerald Coast Office Products-ECOP, Innerspaice, etc.) must provide a current Certificate of Insurance (COI).
Measurement (Layout) of office or space and the dimensions of the furniture within the designated office or space.
If the vendor fulfilling the furniture request needs a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing, then select that box, CAD, within the Procurement Furniture and Fixture Request.

Furniture Delivery

Since contract furniture is made at the factory when the order is received, delivery time can be anywhere from 4-6 weeks. Some lines may be available on a "quick-ship" program. The local contractor/provider can provide that information. Many "quick-ship" programs ship in 10 days. Always verify with the local contractor/provider what the delivery time is for the manufacturer you are ordering.

Furniture Installation/Assembly

Facilities Management no longer accepts work orders for installation/assembly of new furniture; tear-downs and reinstallation of office furniture as a result of department/office relocations; or, tear-downs and reinstallation of office furniture as a result of office redesigns.

When Procurement has given prior approval to a department to order non-contract furniture, the department will either:

obtain a quote from the contractor for the installation/assembly of the furniture; or
install/assemble the furniture themselves.

Important Note: When furniture, fixture, carpet, or flooring, installation/assembly requires remodeling or physically altering the space beyond the original condition, departments must submit a "Facilities Project Request Form" or a "Space Request Form" to Facilities Management, Building 90 Contact: Robin Anderson at 850.474.3427.

Cancellation of Furniture Orders

Contract furniture is ordered directly from the factory thru a local contractor (see list of local certified furniture contractors). The furniture is made at the factory when the order is received; therefore, if you have to cancel an order after production has begun, you may have to pay a restocking fee. The amount of restocking fee ranges from approximately 10% to 25% of the total order amount depending on the manufacturer.

ADA and Fire Code Compliance

Furniture that is not easily moved by two or more people is defined as "immovable" or "fixed" furniture (i.e., L-shaped or U-shaped workstations) and the placement of such furniture in a room must be reviewed to comply with ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) and Fire Codes BEFORE it is ordered.

The Office of Procurement and Contracts, 850.474.2628, will coordinate all required reviews and approvals for furniture requests; complete a "Procurement Furniture and Fixture Request". Contact Procurement, 850.474.2628, or complete a "Procurement Furniture & Fixture Request" before meeting with local furniture contractors or contacting mail order catalogs and placing any furniture orders.

Furniture purchases (price limits) per Comptroller's Memo No. 12 (1994-95)/Florida Dept of Financial Services Reference Guide for State Expenditures (Page 48):

While UWF may purchase office and public area furniture by the State of Florida term contract in effect at the time of purchase, price limits have been established for purchasing the following furniture (see page 48 of Florida's Reference Guide for State Expenditures:

Chairs (Ergonomic) - $750
Sofas (3-seat) - $1,500
Love Seats (2-seat) - $1,200
Wing Back (or similar chair) - $875
End Tables - $450
Coffee or 48" Conference Tables - $675
Task Lighting - $175 (each)

Note: Items 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 listed above may only be purchased for reception or other public areas.

Expenditure of State funds per Comptroller's Memo No. 21 (1995-96)

". . . State funds cannot be expended to satisfy the personal preference of employees (for example an agency may not purchase more expensive office furniture or equipment than is necessary to perform its official duties because the employee prefers a more expensive item)."