QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
What should an estimator check before sending a quote?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
Check that the quote describes the exact files, quantity, material, manufacturing scope, inspection, delivery and terms the buyer will accept, then reconcile the cost total to the selling price. In this example, a missing $150 finishing minimum and a one-hour $100 second setup omit $250 of cost. At a stated 20% target job margin, that is $312.50 of missing selling price, or $12.50 per part on 25 pieces.
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Work one omission through to the price
Assume an RFQ for 25 aluminum instrument brackets, each requiring two milling setups and an outside finish. The draft has $1,000 material, $200 first setup, $1,000 run time, and $250 deburring and inspection, totaling $2,450. The estimator forgot a second setup taking one hour at an assumed $100 burdened rate, and an assumed $150 minimum from the example finishing purchase. These are fictional quote inputs, not supplier pricing.
At a 20% target margin on the included job costs, price equals cost divided by 0.80. The draft would sell for $3,062.50. Corrected cost is $2,700, requiring $3,375, or $135 per part. If sent unchanged and won, the draft leaves only $362.50 above actual included cost, an 11.84% job margin. A 20% markup would be a different calculation and would not deliver the stated target.
| Line | Draft cost | Reviewed cost |
|---|---|---|
| Material | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| First setup | $200 | $200 |
| Second setup | $0 | $100 |
| Run time | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Deburr and inspect | $250 | $250 |
| Outside finish minimum | $0 | $150 |
| Total included cost | $2,450 | $2,700 |
| Price at 20% margin | $3,062.50 | $3,375.00 |
Read the outgoing scope beside the RFQ
Open the actual PDF or customer-facing quote that will be sent. Compare it with the RFQ, not only with the estimator's working notes. Check part number, drawing revision, model version, units and quantity per line. Confirm whether a quantity is one release, an annual forecast or a total commitment. A correct calculation against the wrong quantity is still the wrong offer.
Read material condition, stock allowance, cert requirements, finish specification and masking together. Trace every tolerance or inspection requirement that changes the route. Confirm whether the quote includes threads, inserts, purchased hardware, assembly, test and packaging. If a supplier minimum applies to a lot, make sure the costing neither omits it nor charges it once per part.
- Document identity: correct customer, part, revision, units and current attachments.
- Production identity: stock, setups, run allowance, deburr, inspection and outside operations.
- Commercial identity: price basis, quantity breaks, tooling charges, freight, payment and expiration.
Check whether the delivery promise is possible
A quoted lead time needs a start condition: order acceptance, approved drawing, material receipt or another explicit event. Check current material availability and finishing capacity before promising a ship date. Distinguish shipping from arrival, and identify any customer approval that must happen before the production batch can continue.
Read exclusions as a buyer would. ‘Standard inspection’ is unclear when the RFQ requests a dimensional report; state the actual deliverable. List unresolved assumptions prominently and require written resolution before release. Do not bury an exception to a mandatory drawing requirement under a general note about pricing being subject to change.
Record the decision and send the checked version
For a repeat part, compare the route and actual cost of the last accepted order at the same revision. For a new or unusually risky quote, have another estimator challenge the expensive assumptions: special tooling, scrap exposure, inspection method and outside-service commitments. The review should target uncertainty rather than mechanically repeat every spreadsheet cell.
Save a review record with quote identifier, reviewed revision, reviewer, date, open assumptions and approval to send. Regenerate the attachment after changes and confirm the email or customer page contains that version. Your next step on the example is to add the second setup and finish minimum, recalculate all affected quantity breaks, and check that the new total appears in the actual buyer document.
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- The bracket costs, rates, finishing minimum and target margin are stated assumptions. Job margin excludes any costs not included in the example and is not company net margin.
Price one of your own parts
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