A complete centrifuge repair quote should include a documented inspection report, a defined scope of work, an itemised parts list, annotated photographs of the findings, line-item pricing, and an estimated delivery time. Sentrimax builds every quotation package this way after a 75-point inspection, so approval is based on documented findings rather than a verbal estimate.
Why the contents of a quote matter more than the number at the bottom
A price with nothing behind it is just a number. A price backed by an inspection report, a defined scope of work and photographs is something you can actually evaluate — you can see what’s being fixed, why, and what it’s based on. This page sets out what Sentrimax includes in every quotation package, written so it works as a checklist against any vendor’s quote, including one from Sentrimax itself.
Most disputes between a plant and a repair shop trace back to a quote that promised less detail than it should have. A one-line price with no supporting documentation leaves both sides guessing later about what was actually agreed to. An itemised quote, by contrast, is something both sides can point back to if a question comes up mid-repair or after delivery.
The six things a proper quote should contain
- A full inspection report
- A defined scope of work
- An itemised list of required parts
- Annotated photographs of the findings
- Pricing
- An estimated delivery time
What each item should actually show
| Quote component | What it should show | Red flag if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection report | Documented findings from a full teardown, including precision fit measurements against specification | A summary opinion with no measurements behind it |
| Scope of work | Exactly which repairs, welds, machining and rebuilds are being proposed, and why | A single lump-sum line with no description of the work |
| Parts list | Every part being replaced or rebuilt, and the standard it’s built to | Parts bundled into “materials” with no breakdown |
| Photographs | Annotated images of the actual condition found, tied to the report | No visual evidence of the damage being quoted |
| Pricing | Tied directly to the scope of work and parts list above it | A price that doesn’t map to any specific line item |
| Estimated delivery time | A timeline specific to this job’s scope, stated after inspection | A generic promise made before the machine was ever opened up |
The invoice should match the quote
Sentrimax’s process carries this same documentation through to delivery: the final invoice includes a detailed report of all parts, labor and completed analyses, alongside shipping confirmation and tracking. A quote that can’t be traced through to an equally detailed invoice is a weaker quote.
Reading the inspection report behind the quote
The inspection report is the most important document in the package, because everything else — scope, parts, pricing, timeline — is derived from it. A useful report documents precision fit measurements against specification, not just a pass/fail note. It should reference the third-party oil analysis results, describe the condition of the bowl, scroll, bearings and gearbox specifically, and connect each finding to the repair item it justifies in the scope of work. If the report reads like a general condition summary rather than a measured record, ask what the underlying inspection actually checked.
Reading the scope of work
The scope of work translates inspection findings into a repair plan: which parts are being replaced, which are being repaired in place, what welding or machining is involved, and what the rebuilt assembly will be balanced to. A scope of work worth approving describes the work in enough detail that a plant’s own maintenance team could review it against the inspection report and understand the logic connecting the two documents, rather than having to trust that the connection exists.
Why the quote comes after disassembly, not before
Because Sentrimax’s quote is written after full disassembly and a 75-point inspection, the scope it documents reflects what was actually found rather than a preliminary guess. That’s also why what drives decanter centrifuge repair cost and what determines a centrifuge repair timeline are both answered from the same inspection findings that produce this quote, not estimated separately from a model number.
What a quote does not need to promise
Be cautious of a quote that leans on things a documented process doesn’t need to promise: a guaranteed turnaround stated in hours or days before any teardown has happened, or a warranty period presented as a guarantee of outcome. A quote built on documented findings doesn’t need to oversell itself with promises the inspection hasn’t earned yet.
This is worth watching for specifically because it’s an easy way for a thin quote to look more confident than it should. A vendor that can’t yet know what your machine actually needs has no legitimate basis for promising a specific delivery date or a blanket guarantee before teardown. If a quote makes that kind of promise before any inspection has happened, ask what it’s actually based on.
Photographs and why they matter more than they seem to
It’s tempting to treat photographs as a nice-to-have rather than a core part of the package, but they serve a specific function: they let you verify that the described damage matches what’s actually in the machine, without requiring you to be present for the teardown yourself. A bearing seat photographed against a measurement tool, a scroll flight showing visible erosion, or a gearbox with visible metal contamination in the oil are all things a written description alone can leave ambiguous. Photographs close that gap.
Pricing that’s traceable to the scope, not just a total
A price is easiest to evaluate when you can trace each dollar back to a specific line in the scope of work and parts list. That doesn’t necessarily mean every part needs its own individual price — a bundled price for a defined package of work is reasonable — but the bundle itself should map clearly to what the inspection report and scope of work describe. A price that can’t be connected to any specific finding is the clearest sign of a quote assembled from a category rather than from your machine.
Use this checklist on the quote you already have
If you’re holding a quote right now — from Sentrimax or anyone else — check it against the six items above. If any of the report, scope, parts list, photographs, pricing or timeline is missing, ask for it before you approve the job. It also matters when weighing whether to repair or replace a decanter centrifuge, since a thin quote makes that comparison harder to make honestly. This page sits under the main decanter centrifuge repair services hub.
Questions worth asking before you approve a quote
- What specific findings from the inspection justify each item in the scope of work?
- What standard are the replacement parts built to, and is that stated in writing?
- Does the estimated delivery time reflect the actual scope, or is it a generic figure?
- Will I receive a test run and performance report before the unit ships?
- Will the final invoice itemise parts, labor and completed analyses the same way the quote does?
A vendor confident in its own process will answer these without hesitation, because the answers are simply a restatement of documentation it should already be producing as a matter of course.
What happens after you approve the quote
Approval starts the repair stage: parts assembly to a package that meets or exceeds OEM specification, welding and machining to OEM tolerances, balancing to ISO G 0.5, reassembly, and a post-repair quality control inspection. Delivery follows with a full test run and performance report, then shipping through a dedicated broker network. The final invoice carries the same level of detail as the quote itself — a report of all parts, labor and completed analyses, alongside shipping confirmation and tracking — so the documentation you approved at the start is the same documentation you receive at the end.
Why this matters most on the first job with a new vendor
The gap between a thin quote and a complete one matters most the first time you work with a given provider, before you have a track record to fall back on. Once you’ve been through a full job with documented inspection, scope, parts, photographs, pricing, delivery estimate and a matching final invoice, you have a benchmark for what that provider’s process actually looks like end to end. Before that first job, this checklist is the only evidence you have to go on.
Request a quote package, not just a price
Send Sentrimax your centrifuge’s details and you’ll get back a documented quotation package built from an actual inspection, not a number pulled from a model name. Hold it up against the checklist above before you approve anything, and ask for whatever piece of documentation seems to be missing rather than assuming it will show up later in the process on its own, once the machine is already fully disassembled and much harder to walk away from at that point.
Frequently asked questions
Should a quote list parts and labor separately or combined?
Either can work as long as the parts list and scope of work are documented in enough detail to trace the price back to specific repairs. What matters is that the pricing maps to a defined scope, not whether it's split into separate lines.
What if my quote doesn't include photographs of the damage?
Ask for them. Annotated photographs tied to the inspection report are part of a complete quotation package and let you see the condition being quoted rather than relying on a written description alone.
Is an estimated delivery time the same as a guaranteed date?
No. An estimated delivery time reflects the scope found during inspection and can shift if unexpected complications arise during repair. Treat it as a planning figure built from documented findings, not a fixed contractual date.
Does the quote change once repair work has already started?
Because the quote is written after full disassembly and a 75-point inspection, the scope it documents reflects what was actually found, not a preliminary estimate made before teardown. That's why the quote follows inspection rather than preceding it.
Can I request the inspection report on its own before approving a repair?
The inspection report is the basis for the quotation package itself. Contact Sentrimax to discuss what documentation is provided at the inspection and quote stage for your specific machine.
Does the final invoice match what was in the original quote?
It should reflect the approved scope of work. Sentrimax's invoice includes a detailed report of all parts, labor and completed analyses, alongside shipping confirmation and tracking, so it can be checked directly against the quotation package you approved.
Talk to a centrifuge specialist
Send us the machine details and we will come back with an inspection scope and a quote.