Guides / Buying
Three Quotes That Are Not Quoting the Same Part
September 21, 2026 by The Alu CNC Parts editorial desk / how this is checked
You send one drawing to three shops and get back three prices that are 40% apart. Before assuming someone is overcharging, check that all three quoted the same part. Most of the time they did not.
Normalise these seven lines first
Stock size. Ask what block each shop is starting from. One assuming 80 mm plate against another assuming 60 mm explains a large gap on its own, and the answer tells you whether your thickness callout was forcing an expensive start.
Tolerance interpretation. If the drawing carries a general tolerance note, confirm each shop read it the same way. One applying ±0.05 mm to every dimension is pricing a different job from one applying ISO 2768-m and tightening only the called out features.
Inspection. Is a dimensional report included? A first article inspection? Is every part measured or one in ten? This is the most common quiet difference between a cheap quote and an expensive one.
Finish. Is the anodize included or excluded? Which type, which class, what thickness, and is masking priced? A quote with the coating left out always wins on price and always loses on delivery.
Material certification. Mill certs and traceability cost the shop real admin time. If you need them, everyone has to price them.
Lead time. A four week quote and a ten week quote are not the same offer even at the same price. Ask whether the lead time includes coating, because outside processing is where schedules usually slip.
Terms. Incoterms, deposit, and who arranges freight. On heavy parts shipped internationally these can move the landed cost more than the unit price gap you started with.
A comparison worth building
| Shop A | Shop B | Shop C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit price at qty | |||
| Stock size assumed | |||
| General tolerance applied | |||
| Finish included | |||
| Masking included | |||
| Inspection level | |||
| Certs included | |||
| Lead time, incl. coating | |||
| Terms and freight | |||
| Landed cost per part |
Filling this in takes fifteen minutes and it regularly changes which quote is actually cheapest.
Then look at how they answered
The most useful signal is rarely the number. It is whether the shop asked anything.
A quote that comes back with a question about a fit, a coating callout or an unclear radius usually came from someone who read the drawing. A quote that arrives in ten minutes with no questions on a complex part often came from someone who did not, and the questions will arrive later as change requests.
Other things worth noticing:
- Did they flag a feature that would be cheaper drawn differently? That shop is thinking about your part.
- Did they tell you a tolerance was unnecessary? Rare and valuable.
- Did they propose an alternative stock form or alloy? That means they checked what they had rather than just pricing what you wrote.
What to do with the outlier
If one quote is far below the others, ask what it excludes before assuming you found a bargain. The usual answers are coating, inspection, certs or a looser reading of the tolerances.
If one is far above, ask what drove it. Sometimes the answer is that they spotted something real that the others missed, such as a wall that will need special fixturing or a flatness requirement that needs a second operation after stress relief.
Either way you learn something about your own drawing, which is worth more than the price difference on a single order.
Sources
Figures in this guide are checked against the following. Published values are typical ranges for test material, not a guarantee for your part.
Frequently asked questions
Should I always take the lowest quote?
Only after you have checked that all three shops quoted the same part. The cheapest number often comes with a looser tolerance interpretation, no inspection report, the coating left out or a lead time that will not hold. Normalise the assumptions first, then compare.
What is a reasonable spread between quotes?
Once the assumptions are normalised, 20 to 30 percent between capable shops is ordinary and reflects their machines, their queue and how much they want the work. A spread of two or three times usually means somebody read the drawing differently, and it is worth finding out who.
Is it rude to tell a shop it lost on price?
No, and it is useful to both sides. A shop that knows it was 30 percent high may come back explaining that it priced a tighter tolerance than you needed, which sometimes uncovers a genuine ambiguity in your drawing.
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