How to Write a Lumber RFQ That Gets an Accurate Quote
The fastest way to an accurate price is a complete request. When a quote request is missing a grade, a tolerance or a needed-by date, the first reply is a list of questions instead of a number. Here's the checklist our sales team works from.
Start with the basics
Every request, for any product, should say:
- What it's for. Packaging, cabinetry, shutters, resale: the use tells us which options make sense.
- Quantity and cadence. Board footage, piece count or sheet count, and whether it's a one-time order or a recurring program.
- Needed-by date. And whether you'll pick up or need delivery.
Solid lumber
- Species and grade
- Nominal thickness (for hardwood, 4/4 to 16/4) and target surfaced thickness if it's being milled
- Widths (random or specified) and lengths
- Any remanufacturing, molding, lamination or priming
Plywood and panels
- Face species and grade: paint grade or stain grade, raw or prefinished
- Core type
- Thickness and sheet size (4x8, 4x10 or other)
- Back
- Cut to size or lamination needed
For laminated panels, our HPL order form lays out quantity, thickness, size, core, face and back for up to 10 lines.
Remanufacturing
- Starting species, thickness and grade
- Finished dimensions and the tolerances that actually matter for your assembly
- Surfacing (S2S or S4S), straight-line rip, resaw thickness, notches, grooves or sanding
- Drawings or samples for anything non-standard
Packaging components
- Finished thickness, width and length for each part
- Processing: resaw, rip, groove, cut to length, surface
- Release schedule, so pricing and timing can be set around it
- Any documentation your customer requires
Send it once
Attach your cut list, drawing or panel schedule to one quote request and put everything on it, and our sales team will follow up with pricing and availability.
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