Compare PCB quotations by scope, assumptions and evidence. A useful worksheet explains why two totals differ before choosing a supplier or changing the design.
Freeze the comparison package
Use the same revision, quantity and acceptance requirements for every request. Record the date the package was sent and any supplier questions that changed an assumption. If one quotation uses a newer BOM or a different finish, the totals are not yet comparable.
Separate the immediate order from forecast demand. Ask for any quantity break to be labeled clearly, including whether it requires buying the entire quantity at once. A price based on a larger commitment should not be entered as the unit price for a smaller prototype order.
Break the total into understandable parts
| Cost item | Assumption to record |
|---|---|
| Bare boards | Construction, quantity, finish and board-level tests. |
| Components | Approved BOM, sourcing arrangement and excess material treatment. |
| Assembly | Fitted variant, sides, special processes and secondary operations. |
| Setup or tooling | Ownership, reuse and whether repeat orders incur the charge. |
| Test and programming | Coverage, supplied fixtures and required records. |
| Delivery | Packing, dispatch assumptions and the transport scope included. |
List deviations beside the price
Give every proposed departure its own row. Examples include a substitute material, a different inspection scope or a component alternate awaiting approval. Identify the engineering owner and keep the status visible. An unresolved exception should not disappear simply because the total is attractive.
For example, one supplier might quote assembly only while another includes functional test development. Put both scopes in the worksheet before concluding that the second assembly operation is more expensive.
Compare the schedule assumptions
Ask what starts the lead-time clock: payment, engineering approval, receipt of supplied parts or availability of all components. Record engineering response time separately from manufacturing time. State whether the quoted date is dispatch or expected arrival.
Where the project has a critical date, identify the unresolved items that could move it. A useful schedule discussion names the missing decision and its owner; “urgent” does not explain how that decision will be closed.
Record the selection rationale
Keep the final decision with the worksheet. Explain the accepted scope, confirmed deviations and remaining actions. This gives repeat-order teams a better starting point than an isolated unit price copied from an old email.
Prepare the technical package with the fabrication requirements and turnkey assembly guide. Pricing and delivery still require a current proposal for the actual release; this worksheet contains no assumed market rates.
Move from reading to a build-ready project
Use the fabrication and assembly checklists to prepare drawings, production files and test requirements.
Open the DFM checklist