Sheet Metal RFQ Checklist: What to Send and How to Read the Quote You Get Back

Most quotation delays are not supplier problems. They are missing information - an unstated material, an undefined finish, an unclear quantity, a drawing that does not say whether it is the flat or the formed part. This is the checklist that gets an accurate price back the first time, and how to read what comes back.

Why Vague RFQs Cost You Money

A supplier facing an incomplete enquiry has three choices: ask questions (slower), make assumptions (risky), or price the worst case (more expensive). All three cost you. An RFQ that answers the questions before they are asked typically returns a price in a fraction of the time, and the price is comparable between suppliers because everyone is quoting the same thing.

What the Drawing Must Say

Two additions that save time on every order: a 3D model (STEP or IGES) alongside the 2D drawing, and a quantity per variant clearly separated.

The Commercial Questions You Should Answer Up Front

Quantity structure

Give the quantity you need now and the quantity you expect annually. Suppliers price differently for a one-off and for a repeating order, and an annual figure makes the tooling and material story clearer.

Delivery point and Incoterms

Ex-works, FOB, CIF or DDP. This changes price materially for bulky parts. For an enclosure that ships in a crate, freight can be a significant share of the landed cost, so state the destination port or address.

Packaging

Do you need individual packing, foam protection, palletisation, or a custom crate? Unpacked parts stacked on a pallet cost almost nothing extra; a printed, foam-lined carton per unit does not.

Quality documentation

Do you need a material certificate, an inspection report, a first-article report or a full dimensional report? State it up front. Adding it after the order is placed costs more than including it in the RFQ.

Payment terms

Stating your expected terms early avoids a second round of discussion.

What a Realistic Quotation Timeline Looks Like

If a supplier quotes in an hour for a complex new part, either they have seen it before or they have priced a guess. Ask which.

How to Read the Quotation You Get Back

A good sheet metal quotation is itemised enough that you can see where the money is. Look for these lines:

The exclusions line is the most under-read part of any quotation. "Excludes crating", "excludes inspection report", "excludes on-site touch-up paint" are all real costs that will appear later.

Seven Questions Worth Asking About Any Sheet Metal Quote

• Which revision of the drawing did you price?
• Is the material price firm for 30 days, or subject to a surcharge? (Critical for stainless.)
• Does the price include deburring and edge treatment, or is that a separate line?
• Is the finish quoted to a colour standard or just a name?
• Is the first article included, or is it charged separately?
• What is the assumed packing, and what would upgrade it cost?
• Which tolerance did you assume for the untoleranced dimensions?

A supplier who answers all seven without hesitation is a supplier who has actually engineered your part rather than estimated it.

Warning Signs in a Quotation

• No tolerance discussion and no DFM comments on a complex part. It suggests the quote was templated rather than engineered.
• One unit price with no quantity bands, when you asked for several volumes.
• A material price with no validity period on stainless.
• No setup or tooling line on a new part with special features - it has probably been absorbed into an inflated unit price.
• Suspiciously uniform pricing across quite different parts, which usually means everyone got the average.
• Finish described only by colour name with no standard, which is how you get two batches that do not match.

A Minimal RFQ Template

• Part name and number, revision.
• Files: STEP model, PDF drawing, and your own flat pattern if you have one.
• Quantity: this order, and annual estimate.
• Material, grade, thickness in mm.
• Finish and colour standard (for example powder coat RAL 7035, textured).
• Hardware to be fitted, by part number or clear description.
• Tolerances: general block plus any critical dimensions.
• Documentation required: material certificate, first article report, inspection report.
• Packing requirement.
• Delivery point and Incoterms.
• Required date.
• Payment terms.
• Application and environment in one sentence - indoor, outdoor, coastal, washdown, temperature range.

That last line is the one most often left out and the one that most changes the answer. Telling a supplier the part goes outdoors near the coast produces a different material recommendation, a different finish and a different gasket than a dry indoor application - and saves a redesign later.

Our RFQ Response

• DFM review included with every quotation at no charge, with the features that drive cost identified.
• Price bands across the quantities you ask for, with tooling and setup shown separately where applicable.
• Stainless and aluminium pricing with a stated validity, because surcharges move.
• Engineering feedback within 24 working hours on drawings we can read, and a clarification request within the same window if something is missing.
• Honest exclusions: we list what is not included rather than letting it surface after the order.

Frequently Asked Questions