Most enclosure quotes that turn out wrong were wrong on the day they were written, because the RFQ left something out and the fabricator guessed. Most enclosure deliveries that slip were doomed at the same moment, because the RFQ did not say when or how many. This guide is the RFQ as a build package: the ten things a contract fabricator needs to price a custom enclosure accurately and reserve the capacity to deliver it when you need it. It applies to every enclosure family FabTek builds.
Writing an enclosure RFQ and want it quoted right the first time? Call 601.892.5017 or email collin.t@fabtekindustries.com — send a print and a quantity and we’ll quote it.
- An enclosure RFQ has ten parts; a missing one is a guess in the quote and a change order later.
- The three most often missing: the finish spec, the hardware BOM, and the release cadence.
- Ask for the quote broken out by unit, tooling and reserved capacity so fabricators are comparable.
- Qualification questions — quality system, welding certs, finish data, capacity — belong in the RFQ, not after award.
The ten parts of a complete enclosure RFQ
| 1. Drawings | Fabrication drawings or a 3D model with part-level material, thickness, bends, holes and tolerances; weld callouts; an assembly drawing; revision level |
|---|---|
| 2. Material and gauge | By component — skins, doors, frames, bases — carbon, galvanneal, aluminum or stainless, with cert requirements |
| 3. Type and listing | NEMA 250 / UL 50E type on the drawing; whether a listed construction is required; any OEM type-test constraints |
| 4. Finish | System (powder, galvanize, stainless passivation), pretreatment, color, film thickness, salt-spray requirement, interior coating, masking |
| 5. Hardware BOM | Hinges, latches, gaskets, handles, vents, gland plates, lifting — part numbers or approved-equal list |
| 6. Quantities and cadence | Project or annual quantity, release size, first-delivery date, forecast horizon |
| 7. Inspection and test | First-article scope, dimensional report, leak or rain test, finish test, witness points |
| 8. Documentation | MTRs, certificates of conformance, weld maps, finish reports, as-builts, submittal format |
| 9. Packaging and delivery | Wrapped, crated, racked; labeling; delivery location and dock constraints; freight terms |
| 10. Commercial | Terms, tooling ownership, capacity reservation, revision and cancellation handling |
The three that are usually missing
Finish is the first. “Painted gray” has cost fabricators and buyers more arguments than any other two words on a drawing; the spec needs the system, the color standard, the film thickness and the test. The film thickness and salt-spray posts give the language. Hardware is the second: a drawing that says “hinges and latches by fabricator” gets whatever the fabricator stocks, which is fine until a technician in the field has the wrong padlock. The hardware spec sheet covers the families. Cadence is the third: a fabricator prices and schedules one enclosure, a hundred at once and a hundred over a year three different ways, and a quote without the cadence is a quote for none of them.
Ask for the quote broken out
Request unit price at the stated cadence, tooling and fixture cost (and who owns them), any first-article or qualification charge, and the terms on which capacity is reserved — monthly volume band, lead time within the band, forecast horizon. With that breakout, two fabricators’ quotes compare line by line, and the buyer can see whether a low unit price is carrying a high tooling charge or no capacity commitment. The reserved-capacity model is explained in lead times and capacity and its economics in stalled line vs. reserved capacity.
Qualification questions to include
- Quality system — ISO 9001 certificate and the inspection plan for this part.
- Welding — welder certifications to the applicable AWS code and whether weld maps ship with the job; see which welding code applies.
- Finish data — salt-spray and film-thickness results from the fabricator’s own line.
- Listing — UL 50/50E file where a listed enclosure is required; see UL 50/50E explained.
- Capacity — share of enclosure capacity this program would take; what happens when another customer surges.
- Revisions — how drawing changes after release are priced and re-dated.
- References — comparable programs, with permission to call.
The fuller version of this list is in how to vet a power and utility fabricator.
When the design is not finished
Send it anyway, labeled preliminary, and ask for a DFM review and a budgetary quote rather than a firm one. A fabricator reviewing a preliminary design will find the bend that needs a relief, the gauge that can drop, the hardware that conflicts with a flange and the finish that cannot be masked — before the laser runs. FabTek’s DFM review is how that works. A firm quote on an unfinished drawing is the quote that will be wrong.
An RFQ that reads like a build package gets a quote that reads like a commitment. An RFQ that reads like a sketch gets a number, and the number is a guess.
Family-specific guides
The ten parts apply to every enclosure; the family-specific details are in the guides for switchgear enclosures, relay cabinets, pad-mount cabinets, BESS enclosures, generator enclosures, 4X stainless for water and industrial control enclosures.
FabTek Industries fabricates custom electrical enclosures — switchgear housings, control cabinets, transformer cabinets, NEMA 3R, 4 and 4X enclosures, BESS and generator enclosures — to print, with reserved capacity for programs, under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system with AWS-certified welding and UL 50/50E listing, from four production sites in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Send us an RFQ — or a preliminary drawing for a DFM review.
Working on something like this? Send a print or a scope — pricing and lead time within one business day, from four Mississippi plants.
Frequently asked questions
What should an RFQ for a custom electrical enclosure include?
Fabrication drawings or a model, material and gauge by component, the NEMA/UL type and listing requirement, the finish system and color with film thickness and test, a hardware bill of materials, quantities with release cadence and first date, inspection and test scope, documentation requirements, packaging and delivery details, and commercial terms including tooling and capacity reservation.
Why do enclosure quotes vary so much between fabricators?
Usually because the RFQ left room to guess — on finish, hardware or cadence — and each fabricator guessed differently. Asking for the quote broken out by unit price, tooling and capacity terms makes quotes comparable.
Can a fabricator quote from a preliminary drawing?
A budgetary quote and a DFM review, yes; a firm quote, not reliably. Sending the preliminary design for review finds fabrication, finish and hardware conflicts before the drawing is frozen.
What qualification questions should be in an enclosure RFQ?
ISO 9001 certification and the inspection plan, welder certifications to the applicable AWS code, finish test data from the fabricator’s own line, UL 50/50E file where required, the share of capacity the program would take, how revisions are handled, and references.
