What to include in a PCB RFQ: fabrication and assembly checklist

PCBVerified Editorial · Updated 2026-10-24

A PCB request for quotation works when the supplier can price the same board you intend to buy. Most slow or unusable replies trace back to one of three gaps: the request does not say whether it covers bare boards, assembled boards or both; a critical requirement sits only inside a CAD file; or quantities and delivery terms differ between suppliers. Settle those three before sending anything.

Start with the scope line

Open the request with one sentence that a sales engineer can route without opening attachments, for example: “Quote 4-layer FR-4 bare boards, 1.6 mm, ENIG, 50 prototypes and 2,000 production, drawing rev C.” For assembled boards, add whether the supplier fabricates the board, buys the components, or both.

The scope line also decides which capability column applies. PCBWay, for example, publishes “Standard PCB” and “Advanced PCB” capability sections separately. A reply quoting standard pricing for a feature that sits in the advanced range is not comparable with a reply that has priced the advanced route.

What to send for bare-board fabrication

• Gerber files in RS-274X or X2 format, or an ODB++ or IPC-2581 package if the supplier accepts it, with the drill and route data.
• A fabrication drawing carrying the revision letter, finished thickness and tolerance, laminate grade, copper weights, surface finish, solder mask and legend colours.
• A stack-up showing the layer order and dielectric thicknesses, with impedance targets and their reference layers where they apply.
• An IPC-356 netlist if you want the electrical test compared against your design data rather than only against the supplier’s own extraction.
• Panel or array requirements, acceptance class and any marking you need on the board.

Requirements written only inside a CAD file are easy to miss. Put the controlled ones on the drawing and list them again in the request text.

What to add for PCB assembly

• A bill of materials with reference designators, quantities, descriptions and packages. If the supplier is buying parts, add manufacturer names and manufacturer part numbers; PCBWay’s assembly file requirements, for example, ask for those extra columns on turnkey and partial turnkey orders.
• Centroid data, also called pick-and-place or XY data: reference designator, X and Y position, rotation and board side for each surface-mount part.
• An assembly drawing showing polarity, orientation of connectors, do-not-fit positions and any parts fitted by hand.
• The sourcing model for each line: supplier-sourced, customer-consigned, or approved alternates allowed.
• The test you expect, such as visual inspection, X-ray on BGA parts, in-circuit test or a functional test using your fixture, and any conformal coating or potting.

Quantities, dates and destination

Give each quantity you want priced, the date the boards must arrive, the delivery address and the shipping terms you expect. A prototype quantity and a production quantity often follow different routes in the same factory; asking for both in one request shows whether the supplier would change process, site or subcontractor between them.

Ask for a reply you can compare

Ask each supplier to return the same items: the production site, the stack-up they will build, any exceptions to your drawing, which steps are subcontracted, the test included, and the lead time from file approval rather than from order date. Compare those lines first and price last. An unanswered technical question stays open until it is answered in writing, even after a price has arrived.

Using an RFQ on PCBVerified

Shortlist capability profiles from the manufacturer directory or a technology page such as PCB assembly, then write one brief on the RFQ page. Each selected factory receives its own private conversation, and only approved factory accounts can reply. The request is written text; there is no file upload, so agree confidentiality terms with a supplier before sending production data. Where a supplier quotes a UL file number, check it against UL’s database as described in our UL file number guide.

When the design changes

Keep the accepted drawing revision, the supplier’s written exceptions and the quotation together. A change to stack-up, copper, finish or BOM should go back to the supplier as a new revision, because the earlier price and lead time were given for the earlier data.