Rental Quantity Planner
A complete rental order from five inputs. Guest count, service style, table choice, and bar program become category-by-category quantities: tables and seating, linens with sizes, china by course, glassware matched to the bar, and flatware. Every line shows the working count and the count to actually order, with the industry-standard overage pad already applied, so the sheet is ready to hand to the rental company or check against their quote.
Event details
- Order to the padded count, not the working count. A 10% cushion on china and glassware is standard practice. Rental companies expect it, and returning clean unused pieces is cheaper than a mid-reception shortage.
- Confirm what "returned dirty" means in your rental contract. Most companies want china scraped and racked, glassware upside down in the crates, not washed. Washing rented china can actually void the agreement.
- Count your rental delivery against the order sheet before the truck leaves. Shortages found at 4 PM are solvable; shortages found during plating are not.
Rental Order Sheet
100 guests · plated dinner
Tables & seating
| Item | Count | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Guest tables (60" round, seats 8)100 guests ÷ 8 per table. | 13 | 13 |
| ChairsOne per guest, plus 5% for the wobbler you find at setup. | 100 | 105 |
Service tables
| Item | Count | Order |
|---|---|---|
| 8' banquet tables (bar)One bar per 75 guests keeps the line moving. | 2 | 2 |
| Specialty tables (cake, gifts, DJ…) | 2 | 2 |
Linens
| Item | Count | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Guest table linens (120" round linen)Two spares. One arrives creased, one meets a glass of red. | 13 | 15 |
| Service table linens (90"×156")Floor-length on anything guests see. One spare. | 4 | 5 |
| Dinner napkinsOne per guest plus 10% for resets and drops. | 100 | 110 |
China
| Item | Count | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner plates | 100 | 110 |
| Salad / appetizer plates | 100 | 110 |
| Dessert plates | 100 | 110 |
| Bread & butter plates | 100 | 110 |
| Coffee cups & saucersAbout 75% of an evening room takes coffee. | 75 | 83 |
Glassware
| Item | Count | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Water goblets | 100 | 110 |
| Wine glassesCovers the table pour and the bar over the evening. | 150 | 165 |
| Bar glasses (rocks / highball)Fresh glass per drink; guests abandon them everywhere. | 200 | 220 |
Flatware
| Item | Count | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner forks | 100 | 110 |
| Dinner knives | 100 | 110 |
| Salad forks | 100 | 110 |
| Dessert forks | 100 | 110 |
| Teaspoons | 100 | 110 |
“Order” counts include a built-in overage pad, 10% on china, glassware, flatware, and napkins, 5% on chairs, plus spare linens. Breakage, drops, and resets are part of every real event; ordering to the working count is how shortages happen mid-reception.
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