Key takeaways
Copy this RFQ cover message
Start with the message below and replace the bracketed fields. Keep technical details in the item schedule and named attachments rather than scattering them through an email chain. We use the buyer’s item references when preparing the quotation so you can match each offered item to your list.
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| Message field | Text to complete |
|---|---|
| Subject | Steel pipe RFQ — [RFQ reference] — [revision] |
| Quotation request | Please quote the attached pipe-item schedule, revision [revision], dated [date]. |
| Return date | Please return your itemized quotation by [quotation due date and time zone]. |
| Shipment and arrival | Required shipment date: [date]. Required arrival date or delivery window: [date/window]. |
| Destination and price | Destination: [port or delivery address]. Quote currency: [currency]. Requested trade term, named location and version: [term/location/year]. |
| Attachments | Item schedule: [filename/revision]. Specification and drawing register: [filename/revision]. Other order requirements: [filename/revision]. |
| Reply format | Use our item IDs. Identify included preparation, quantity and price units, production schedule, and any deviations or separately priced alternatives. |
| Contact | Send the quotation and questions to [buyer name/company/email]. |
The quotation due date is your requested reply deadline. The shipment date and arrival date describe different points in the supply schedule; keep all three labels in the message.
Build the item schedule one row at a time
Use one row for each combination of material, dimensions, length, ends and finish. A different prepared end or drawing revision needs its own identifiable item. Separate fittings and other accessories from the pipe quantity so a piece count does not combine unlike products.
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| Field | What to enter | Keep this distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer item ID | Your stable line number or item code. | Keep this reference in the supplier’s reply. |
| Product standard | The selected product specification. | A dimensional standard alone does not specify the material. |
| Required standard edition | The edition required by the project. | Carry the specified edition, rather than replacing it with “latest”. |
| Grade | The selected grade or complete material designation. | A shared grade name does not make different specifications interchangeable. |
| Manufacturing type | The specified route or type, such as ERW or seamless. | Preserve the approved manufacturing requirement. |
| Nominal size (NPS or DN) | The NPS or DN designation, where used. | This is separate from measured outside diameter. |
| Outside diameter | The prescribed OD value. | Retain the original specification value and unit system. |
| Diameter unit | The unit used for the OD, such as in. or mm. | A bare number is an incomplete dimension. |
| Wall thickness or full schedule | Wall thickness with its unit, or the full schedule designation. | Retain any suffix, and reconcile it with the selected dimensional series. |
| Dimensional standard or drawing | The required dimensional series or drawing. | Keep it separate from the product specification. |
| Length per piece or accepted range | The specified finished length, or a defined random-length range. | State the permitted range and length tolerance in the item requirements. |
| Length unit | The length unit, such as ft or m. | Do not round a cut length by changing its unit. |
| Quantity | The requested number in the chosen order unit. | State any permitted over- or under-supply separately. |
| Order unit | Pieces, linear feet, metres or the explicitly named mass unit. | Do not leave “tons” or “bundles” undefined. |
| End A preparation | The required preparation at the first end. | Include a connection or drawing reference where it controls preparation. |
| End B preparation | The required preparation at the second end. | Write it separately even when both ends are the same. |
| Internal and external finish | The required external/internal finish and specification reference. | Identify coating coverage and termination through the relevant drawing or requirement. |
| Drawing reference and revision | The controlling drawing number and revision. | Use the same revision in the attachment register. |
| Item-specific requirements | Item-specific tolerances, documents, inspection or preparation notes. | Reference a numbered attachment for details that will not fit clearly in a cell. |
Use thestandards and grades guideto resolve a designation question before filling the material fields. For an end or coating description, use theconnection and finish guiderather than reducing the requirement to “standard ends”.
Check length and quantity together
For equal-length pieces, total linear quantity is the piece count multiplied by the specified length of each piece. Keep those three values consistent. For random lengths, provide the accepted length range and state whether the order is controlled by total footage, mass or piece count; a range cannot be multiplied as though every piece has the same length.
A 20 ft length is exactly 6.096 m, not 6 m. The difference accumulates across the order. The table uses the exact international-foot conversion to show the effect of rounding two length descriptions.
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| Foot length | Exact metric length | Compared metric length | Difference per piece | Difference per 100 lengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | 6.096 m | 6 m | 96 mm | 9.6 m |
| 40 ft | 12.192 m | 12 m | 192 mm | 19.2 m |
These differences are arithmetic, not permitted cut-length tolerances. Keep the original ordered length in the schedule. A conversion used to reconcile quantity does not replace the selected product standard’s own SI or inch-pound dimensions.
When a quote uses a mass unit, ask it to identify both that unit and whether the priced quantity is theoretical or weighed net pipe mass. Keep packing mass separate. For nominal size, OD and wall checks, refer to thepipe size guide.
One Filled Pipe Item, With Pending Fields Identified
A Completed Example Line
Hypothetical item P-01: 80 pieces; ASTM A53/A53M-24 Type E Grade B; NPS 2; 2.375 in. OD; Schedule 40, nominal 0.154 in. wall; 20 ft each; plain at both ends; uncoated. Drawing/list reference: RFQ-EX Rev A.
Requested records: a material test report and heat-linked packing list. Pending: confirmation of the project’s product and dimensional-standard editions, the remaining inspection scope and any outstanding service/design requirements.
What the Supplier Can Quote Now
Request a provisional itemized quotation against that stated basis. Resolve the pending requirements before purchase release; the example is an enquiry line, not an approved project specification.
Attach the requirements that apply across the RFQ
Give each attachment a filename, revision and purpose. Put project-wide requirements in this register, then reference the relevant drawing or note from each affected item row. This lets a buyer update one controlled document without copying conflicting instructions into several cells.
- Material specification or approved piping class, including the selected editions and supplementary requirements.
- Drawings and preparation details, with end connections, coating coverage and finished-length requirements identified by revision.
- Required material/test documents, inspection scope and any buyer hold or witness points.
- Approved-manufacturer or country-of-origin requirements supplied by the buyer.
- Packing, labeling and item-code requirements, including how prepared pieces or separate accessories should be identified.
- Destination, requested dates and commercial requirements that apply to the complete inquiry.
When using an Incoterms rule, give the chosen rule, its version and the named port, place or point together. Keep the quote currency and requested payment basis in separate fields; the trade term does not define the pipe specification or payment method.
A required inspection record is an input to the quotation. For the later checks of material records, test scope and shipment acceptance, use thebuying and inspection guide.
Ask for a quotation that follows your item IDs
Request a response against each buyer item ID, including any line the supplier cannot offer. A total price without a matching item schedule makes omissions hard to find. We list pipe preparation and separately ordered accessories against the corresponding quotation items.
- Offered specification, grade, manufacturing type and dimensions against the requested item.
- Offered finished length, quantity, order unit and any quantity allowance.
- Unit price, its exact price basis, currency and line total.
- Included end processing, finish, accessories, packing and requested document scope.
- Production and shipment schedule, quote validity and the named commercial basis.
- Explicit exclusions, deviations and separately priced alternatives, with their affected item IDs.
Keep the base requirement and an offered alternative in separate lines or columns. A proposal to change a grade, manufacturing route, cut length or finish needs a visible difference; it should not replace the original description inside the quote.
Review the file before sending it
Read the schedule once as the person pricing it: can each row be identified, measured, counted and matched to its preparation requirements? Then open the attachments and check that their references agree with the cover message.
- Every item ID is unique, and materially different prepared items have separate rows.
- Length and quantity have explicit units; fixed-length totals agree with the piece count.
- The selected material, type and dimensions remain intact; unresolved selections are identified for clarification.
- End A, end B and the finish describe the actual purchased scope.
- The attachment register points to the files and revisions being sent.
- The reply deadline, shipment date and arrival requirement are labeled separately.
If the project has not yet selected the pipe family or material, start with thepipe selection guide. The RFQ worksheet records that decision; it does not make it for the project.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send an existing BOM instead of retyping the workbook?
Yes. Send the BOM with its existing line references and units. Add a short note for missing purchasing fields, and identify the specification or drawing that controls any abbreviated description. The workbook is a way to organize an inquiry; it is not a required file format.
How should I send a revision after quotation has started?
Send a new dated revision and identify the changed, added or removed item IDs. State which earlier file it replaces. Ask for the revised quote to retain those IDs so changed quantities or preparation can be checked without renumbering the whole inquiry.
Can I request a budget quote while some details are pending?
Yes. Identify the pending fields and ask the supplier to state the assumptions used for the preliminary price. Keep that basis with the budget quote. Finalizing a specification, quantity or delivery requirement calls for an updated offer before placing the order.
How should I identify the delivery location in the RFQ?
Name the actual port, place or point with the requested delivery rule and version. Separate the requested quotation deadline, dispatch date and arrival date so the supplier can price and schedule the same delivery requirement.
Should accessories share the straight-pipe quantity?
List fittings, couplings and other accessories as their own items with sizes and piece counts. The straight-pipe length or weight does not establish how many separate connection components are included.
How should an offered material alternative appear in the quotation?
Keep the requested specification visible and identify the alternative separately, with the changed grade, route, dimensions or finish. That comparison allows the buyer to approve a proposal without silently replacing the original item.
Technical Basis and Source Scope
The item-record example is fictional. ASTM A53/A53M-24 identifies the stated product quote basis; ASME B36.10 is named separately for dimensions. Required project editions and inspection scope remain Pending until supplied.
