A stainless steel RFQ that says "304, 2 mm, 1 ton" will come back as five different prices — because five suppliers each guessed a different surface finish, standard and certificate. The fields that make quotes comparable are not exotic; they are the ones a mill certificate already records, and writing them down is the cheapest requote-avoidance you will ever buy.
Here are the fields that matter, in the order they matter.
1. The grade, with the L
"304" is not a complete requirement. If the part will be welded, write 304L or 316L — the L caps carbon at 0.030% and is the entire difference between a line that lasts and one that sensitizes at the weld. "316" on the drawing does not mean "316L", and the two quote differently.
2. The product standard and form
The standard names the acceptance limits. Sheet and plate follow ASTM A240 (or EN 10088-2); pipe follows ASTM A312 or EN 10216-5; fittings follow ASTM A182. Write the standard and the wall schedule for tube, not just the outside diameter.
3. The surface finish as a number
"A mirror finish" is an opinion; Ra 0.4 µm is a measurement. For sheet, name the mill finish — 2B, BA, No.4, 8K — or the Ra value. For food or pharma contact, state the Ra and the passivation requirement together, because a 2B 304 sheet and a pickled-and-passivated 316L part are different material decisions.
4. The certificate level
EN 10204 2.2 or 3.1. The 3.1 carries the actual composition and mechanical results for your heat and is signed by an inspector independent of the production line; 2.2 is the mill's own declaration. For load-bearing, welded or critical service, specify 3.1 — and name the heat number requirement.
5. The service condition
This is the field suppliers cannot guess. Name the environment — coastal, chlorinated, food contact, chemical — and the design temperature. Chlorides move you from 304 to 316L to 2205; temperature above 60 °C in chloride service moves you from austenitic to duplex. Leave it off and the supplier quotes the grade you asked for, not the grade you need.
6. Quantity, gauge and tolerance
State the thickness, width, length or coil weight, and the tolerance standard (for example ASTM A480 thickness tolerance). A coil that is on-gauge at the start and drifts by the end is a tolerance problem, not a material problem — and the tolerance is what you write on the order.
7. The delivery terms
FOB Shanghai / Ningbo / Qingdao, or CIF / DAP to your port. The Incoterm decides who owns the freight risk, and it changes the price more than most buyers expect.
The fields in one table
| Field | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Grade + L | 316L, not 316 | weld safety |
| Standard | ASTM A312, sch 40 | acceptance limits |
| Finish | 2B, or Ra 0.4 µm | measurable surface |
| Certificate | EN 10204 3.1 | checkable heat |
| Environment | coastal, 80 °C | the grade decision |
| Gauge + tolerance | 2.0 mm, ASTM A480 | thickness, not "about 2 mm" |
| Incoterm | CIF Rotterdam | freight ownership |
What gets asked that does not help
Two questions add round trips without adding information. "What is your best price?" without the fields above cannot be answered with a price that means anything. And "is your stainless good quality?" is not a requirement — a grade, a standard and a certificate are. The supplier that quotes against "good quality" is guessing, and the guess lands in your invoice.
Bottom line
A stainless RFQ is a short specification, not a shopping-list item. Name the grade (with the L), the standard, the finish, the certificate and the environment, and you get one comparable quote instead of five guesses. The fields are already on the mill certificate — writing them on the enquiry is what makes them enforceable.
For the full failure modes these fields protect against, see the stainless failure modes index. When you are ready, send us the grade, gauge and quantity and we will quote it back with the certificate type stated.