How to read an RFQ – checklist & quote brief (2026)

What is an RFQ (request for quotation)?

An RFQ is the package a buyer sends a shop to get a part priced — a drawing plus the material, quantity, tolerances, finish and delivery.

In machining and fabrication, a request for quotation (RFQ) is how a buyer asks a shop to price making a part. At minimum it's a 2D drawing and a note about how many are needed; a good one also states the material, tolerances, finish, delivery and any quality requirements. The shop reads the package, works out the process and cost, and sends back a quote.

The quality of the RFQ decides the speed and accuracy of the quote. Manufacturing sources note that a complete RFQ can be quoted within 24–48 hours by a responsive shop, while an incomplete one has to go back for questions first — often adding several business days before any price is returned.

What should a complete RFQ include?

Drawing + revision, part number, quantity/EAU, material grade & temper, tolerances, GD&T, finish, certifications, delivery and packaging.

A complete RFQ carries everything the shop needs to price the part without guessing. That means the 2D dimensioned drawing (with revision), the part and drawing numbers, the quantity and estimated annual usage, the exact material grade and temper, a general tolerance with any tight features called out, GD&T where it applies, surface finish and coating, threads, and delivery date and location.

For regulated or supply-chain work, it also states the quality requirements: PPAP level, ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 or AS9100, first-article inspection, material (mill) certificates and lot/heat traceability. Automotive buyers commonly ask for PPAP Level 3 on new tooling; aerospace buyers verify heat-lot traceability and chain of custody. Where a dimension owns a fit — a bore that seals, locates or rotates — say so, because it tells the shop which tolerance is load-bearing.

What's missing in most RFQs?

Usually the material grade, the drawing revision, the tolerance block or a real delivery date — the four gaps that trigger clarifying questions.

The gaps are predictable. "Aluminum" with no grade or temper forces the shop to guess or ask, adding one to three days. A missing or outdated revision risks quoting — or making — the wrong version; sending stale product data is one of the most common and costly RFQ mistakes. No tolerance block means the shop can't tell a standard part from a precision one, and "ASAP" gives it nothing to schedule against.

Coatings and secondary operations are often only implied. A note that hints at anodizing, plating, heat-treat or passivation without a type or class leaves the price incomplete. The fix is the same in every case: catch the gap up front and ask for it in one clean round, rather than discovering it after a quote has gone out and having to re-price.

How to turn an RFQ into a quote brief

Pull the package together, pin the part and revision, read the commercials, extract the cost drivers, capture quality reqs, then list what's missing.

1. 1

   Pull the package together

   Collect the email, the 2D print, any 3D model and referenced specs in one place. Confirm the drawing revision matches what the email refers to.

2. 2

   Identify the part and revision

   Record the part number, drawing number and revision. If the revision is missing or ambiguous, flag it now — it's the cheapest question to ask up front.

3. 3

   Read the commercial basics

   Capture quantity / EAU, required delivery date and ship-to location. Note whether it's a prototype or a production run, since that changes the whole quote.

4. 4

   Extract the cost drivers from the print

   Read material grade and temper, the tightest tolerance, GD&T, surface finish and any coating or heat-treat. These, not the shape, decide the price.

5. 5

   Capture quality and certification requirements

   List any PPAP level, ISO/IATF, first-article inspection, material certs or traceability. Missing these leads to a quote that's wrong once they surface.

6. 6

   List what's missing and draft the clarification

   Write down every gap that would delay pricing, then draft one short email asking only for those items. One clean round beats three days of back-and-forth.

What fields should a quote brief capture?

Part & revision, quantity, material, tolerances, GD&T, finish/coating, certifications, delivery and packaging — each with why it matters.

A quote brief is a one-page distillation of the RFQ. These are the fields it should capture, why each one matters to the price, and an example of a good, specific value.

RFQ checklist / template

Copy this list into your RFQ or brief. If every line is filled, a responsive shop can usually quote within a day or two.

A copyable checklist for a complete RFQ. Fill each line before sending, or use it to spot the gaps in an RFQ you've received. It doubles as the skeleton of a quote brief.

Worked example

A short RFQ and the same information reorganised as a quote brief — the same facts, in the order an estimator prices from.

The same RFQ as a quote brief

Common mistakes that delay quotes

Vague material, a missing revision, an absent tolerance block, over-tight tolerances, implied coatings, and "ASAP" instead of a date.

• Writing "aluminum" or "steel" with no grade or temper — the shop has to guess or ask.
• Omitting the drawing revision, or sending an outdated one, risking a quote for the wrong part.
• Leaving out the tolerance block, so a standard part can't be told from a precision one.
• Calling out tight tolerances on features that don't need them, inflating cost with no benefit.
• Implying a coating or secondary op (anodize, plating, heat-treat) without a type or class.
• Writing "ASAP" instead of a required-by date the shop can actually schedule against.
• Omitting quality requirements (PPAP, ISO, FAI, mill certs) that only surface after the quote.

What the Tedrix quote brief looks like

Tedrix reads the RFQ email and drawing and returns a structured brief: part, spec fields, a green/yellow/red triage, missing-info flags and a draft clarification email.

Here is a brief after Tedrix read a real-style RFQ — the email above plus its drawing. It pulls out the part and spec, flags the fields that need a human check, gives a GREEN/YELLOW/RED triage on whether it's worth quoting, and drafts the exact email to send back. It never invents a dimension: an unreadable or absent field is flagged, not guessed.

Hi,

Thanks for the RFQ on the 44821 manifold. To price it accurately I need a few details:
- Material grade and temper (is it 6061-T6?)
- The current drawing revision
- Anodize type/class, if required
- A firm required-by date

Send those over and I'll turn a quote around quickly.

Thanks

How Tedrix automates this

Paste the RFQ email and drop the drawing — Tedrix reads them, builds the brief, flags what's missing and drafts the clarification. You keep the pricing.

If RFQs land in your inbox faster than you can read them, Tedrix does the reading. You paste the email and drop the 2D print (even a phone photo of it); the tool extracts the part, material, tolerances, GD&T, finish and delivery, computes nothing it can't read, flags every gap and pre-drafts the clarification email. Reading a dense print and writing up a brief by hand can take 15–30 minutes; with the brief pre-read it's a quick review. You keep the pricing judgment and the final say.

Frequently asked questions

What is an RFQ in manufacturing?

An RFQ (request for quotation) is the package a buyer sends to a machine shop or subcontractor to get a price for making a part. It typically includes a 2D drawing, sometimes a 3D model, the material, quantity, tolerances, finish, delivery date and any quality requirements. A complete RFQ lets a responsive shop return a quote within a day or two.

What should a complete RFQ include?

A complete RFQ includes the 2D drawing with revision, part and drawing numbers, quantity/EAU, exact material grade and temper, a general tolerance plus any tight tolerances, GD&T, surface finish and coating, threads, certifications (PPAP, ISO/IATF, FAI, mill certs), a real delivery date and ship-to location, and packaging or terms. Missing any of these usually triggers clarifying questions before a price can be given.

What's the most common reason a quote takes too long?

Missing or vague information. Saying "aluminum" instead of "6061-T6", omitting the revision, leaving out the tolerance block, or writing "ASAP" instead of a date all force the shop to ask questions first. Industry write-ups put the resulting delay at roughly one to five business days of back-and-forth before a price is returned.

Why do tolerances matter so much in an RFQ?

Tolerances are the single biggest cost driver. A shop might quote a part on standard tolerances, then re-price it when a ±0.0002" band buried in a note surfaces. Specifying tight tolerances on features that don't need them can raise machining cost substantially with no functional benefit, so it's worth calling out only the tolerances that matter.

Do I need to specify certifications like PPAP or ISO in an RFQ?

If they apply, yes. PPAP level, ISO 9001 / IATF 16949, AS9100 for aerospace, first-article inspection, material (mill) certificates and lot/heat traceability all change the process, documentation and price. Automotive buyers commonly ask for PPAP Level 3 on new tooling. State the requirement in the RFQ rather than raising it after the quote.

What is a quote brief?

A quote brief is a one-page summary of an RFQ that an estimator can price from at a glance: the part and revision, material, quantity, tolerances, finish, certifications, delivery, and a clear list of anything missing or unclear. It turns a scattered email plus a drawing into a structured sheet, so the person quoting spends their time on pricing, not on reading.

Should I include a 3D model or just a 2D drawing?

Include the 2D drawing — it carries the tolerances, GD&T, finish and revision a shop can't get from a model alone. A 3D model (STEP or IGES) helps with programming and speeds things up, but roughly 40% of RFQs arrive without one, and that's normal. The 2D print with a proper title block is what makes a part quotable.

How can I get quotes back faster?

Send a complete package the first time: dimensioned 2D drawing with the current revision, exact material grade and temper, a general tolerance with tight features called out, finish and coating, quantity, a real delivery date, and any certifications. A brief that pre-lists what's missing lets the shop ask one clean round of questions instead of several.