How to Set, and Follow, a Fume Hood Laboratory Budget

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Design a fume hood laboratory that meets your needs and your budget. A few weeks ago, we posted an article about planning and designing your fume hood laboratory.

Determining a fume hood laboratory budget is just as important as designing the space. Here are five steps for designing fume hood laboratories that meet your needs and your budget.

Step #1: Establish your fume hood laboratory budget with three areas in mind:

  • Personnel. Determine how many people you will have to pay to run and maintain your lab, and what that will cost.

  • Major equipment. Compile a list of major equipment needed, and prioritize the list by necessity. Be sure to take the cost of service contracts into consideration when planning your budget.

  • Supplies. These are consumable and non-consumable goods that are needed on a day-to-day basis, such as tubes, glassware, chemicals, etc.

Step #2: Get written quotes for major equipment. Be sure to ask several companies for estimates, so you can compare prices. Ask vendors if they offer lab start-up programs that give equipment discounts to new labs.

Step #3: Compare your estimates to your budget. Are you in the ballpark? If not, take a look at your list and decide where you can compromise, and where you can’t. You won’t be able to do without your essential equipment, but may have to put your “nice to have” items on a list for future purchases.

Step #4: Get help. Develop a good relationship with your vendors and sales reps, and ask them to suggest alternatives that will help you get what you need while also staying within budget. These professionals work with many different laboratories, and will be able to share ways of cutting costs. Staying within budget could be as simple as changing the materials of your casework, for example.

Step #5: Get creative. Ask colleagues and other labs if they would be willing to donate used or old equipment in good working condition to your laboratory. This is a great way to get everything you need, while staying within budget.

Contact Labscape today to speak with our experts to assist you in all your laboratory needs.