How to Write a Subcontracting Quote That Stands Out

A good quote starts before the first figure. Proposals that miss their target often have one thing in common: they answer what the workshop thought it understood, not what the client asked for. Take ten minutes to read the request in full, open the drawings and note what matters.

• the part: geometry, dimensions, material, grade or standard, delivery condition;
• the requirements: critical tolerances, surface finishes, treatments, inspections and documents expected (material certificate, dimensional report);
• the quantities and their rhythm: one-off part, batch, repeat order;
• the lead time: desired date, genuine urgency or mere preference;
• the scope: material supplied or not, tooling, packaging, transport, assembly.

Ask the right questions

When information is missing or contradictory, ask for it rather than guessing. On Meaflow, a public question benefits all suppliers and shows you are serious; the messaging system is better for sensitive points. A few useful questions: which dimensions are functional? Is the material mandatory, or is an equivalent acceptable? Is the quantity firm, or can the order be repeated? What inspection do you expect on receipt? One precise question is worth more than ten assumptions hidden in the price.

The client compares several quotes: yours must be readable in a minute and understood without a phone call. A simple structure almost always works.

An itemised price excl. VAT

State your amounts in euros excl. VAT and separate what recurs with each order from what is charged only once:

• non-recurring costs: programming, tooling, fixtures, set-up, first part;
• the unit price, ideally by quantity break (for example 10, 50 and 200 parts), so the client can see the effect of batch size;
• ancillary items: material, surface treatment, inspection, packaging, transport.

An itemised price is no more fragile than a lump sum: it proves you have understood the part and avoids discussions at the end of the project. To see where costs come from, read our guide to the price of CNC machining.

A realistic lead time

State a lead time you can meet and specify its starting point: order date, drawing approval, receipt of material or agreement on the first sample. A slightly longer lead time that you meet is better than an attractive promise followed by a delay.

Assumptions, options and validity

List your assumptions (“price based on 6082 aluminium bar, no heat treatment”), offer options priced separately (finish, enhanced inspection, special packaging) and set a validity period. Finally, specify your payment terms: any deposit on order, payment on an agreed due date.

Between businesses in France, the law does not impose a single quote template for an industrial service: mandatory quotes mainly concern certain sectors and dealings with consumers. A complete quote is nonetheless your best protection, and your client’s, because once accepted it sets the terms of the order. Here is what it contains, the payment details being those the law makes mandatory in France:

• Your identity: company name or your name (with the words “EI” or “entrepreneur individuel”, i.e. sole trader, if you trade in your own name), legal form and share capital for a company, address, SIREN or SIRET number (French company registration numbers), registration with the RCS (trade and companies register) or the répertoire des métiers (craft trades register), intra-Community VAT number.
• The client and the document: the client’s name and address, date of issue, unique quote number.
• A precise description: drawing reference and revision, material, quantities, finishes; unit price excl. VAT, total excl. VAT, VAT rate and amount, total incl. VAT.
• The lead time for completion or delivery, and its starting point.
• The validity period. If none is stated, the offer must remain valid for a reasonable period (article 1116 of the Code civil, the French Civil Code), a vague notion: set it yourself.
• The payment terms: where no period has been agreed, payment is due 30 days after receipt of the goods or performance of the service, and an agreed period may in principle not exceed 60 days from the invoice date. Also mandatory, on your invoices as in your terms of sale, are the rate of late-payment penalties (never less than three times the legal interest rate), the fixed €40 recovery cost allowance and the early-payment discount terms, or the absence of any discount.
• Acceptance: a “Bon pour accord” (approved for agreement) box to be dated and signed, with a reference to your general terms of sale, which you must provide to any professional buyer who asks for them.

If you benefit from the franchise en base de TVA (the French VAT exemption for small businesses), as many micro-entrepreneurs do, do not show any VAT and write “TVA non applicable, article 293 B du CGI” (VAT not applicable, article 293 B of the French General Tax Code). These pointers are general: they replace neither legal advice nor the opinion of your accountant.

On the same request, several workshops may offer a similar price. What tips the decision is often trust and how easy you are to work with.

• Work similar to the part. Cite one or two comparable references (same material, same process, same batch size) and point to your profile, with your photos and your machine park. Never reveal anything that is confidential to other clients.
• Responsiveness. A clear reply within a few days beats a perfect reply after two weeks. If pricing requires a study, acknowledge receipt and say when the client will have your price.
• Design-for-manufacture advice. A tolerance tighter than necessary, an internal corner that requires a small, fragile tool, a cheaper equivalent material, an avoidable operation: point it out and price the variant. Our guide to machining tolerances and the ISO 2768 standard helps you judge what is really useful. This approach shows your expertise and often lowers the total cost.
• Transparency. Say what you subcontract yourself (treatment, inspection) and how you manage it.
• A polished profile. Presentation, machines, certifications, verified SIRET and reviews reassure before the quote is even read. The become a supplier page reminds you of the strengths to highlight.

• Pricing without reading everything. A forgotten drawing note, an unplanned treatment or an overlooked tight tolerance, and the margin disappears.
• A lump-sum price with no breakdown or assumptions. It cannot be compared and is a source of disputes.
• An optimistic lead time. Material out of stock, subcontracted treatment, workshop workload: build them into your schedule.
• Forgetting ancillary costs: certificates, inspection, packaging, transport, possible rework.
• Matching the lowest price without calculating. An order won at a loss builds neither a lasting relationship nor a profitable workshop.
• Promising what you do not master: a certification, tolerance or process you do not have. It is better to decline, or to suggest a trusted partner.
• Sending a copy-and-paste message. Reword the brief in your own words: the client sees immediately that you have read it.
• Forgetting the date and validity: a quote with no expiry commits you for longer than you think.

A quote sent is not a quote won. Many clients wait until they have received all the quotes before deciding, and some forget to reply. A well-judged follow-up is a sign of professionalism, not pushiness.

• Allow a reasonable time: a few working days, taking the request deadline into account, and about a week for a non-urgent need.
• Be brief and useful. Quote the reference of your proposal, offer to answer a question and bring something new: a cheaper variant, machine availability.
• Stay on the platform’s messaging system: the history of exchanges stays in one place.
• Adapt your offer. While your quote is pending, you can edit or withdraw it if the need changes.
• Accept a refusal gracefully. Thank the client and, if the exchange allows, ask what made the difference: price, lead time or another criterion. This information improves your next quotes, and a client you did not serve today may come back.

Ready to reply? Browse the open requests and send your next quote.