How to Compare Aluminum Composite Panel Quotes: An RFQ Checklist
By ALUCOVERBOND · Updated October 20, 2026
The short answer
To compare an aluminum composite panel quotation, put every offer against the same written specification: panel family, total thickness, face and back skins, core, coating, finish, dimensions, quantity and supply scope. Then compare packing, inspection documents, delivery terms and exclusions. A price per sheet is useful only after the sheet and the scope have been matched.
This guide is for importers, distributors, contractors and OEM buyers preparing a request for quotation (RFQ). It complements our thickness guide by focusing on how to compare offers and close unanswered purchasing questions before an order.
Why can two ACP quotations describe different purchases?
One offer may cover flat sheets at the factory, while another includes fabricated panels, packing or installation. Those differences belong alongside the price. A real public example is DEWA RFQ 2332501535, dated June 16, 2025: its cladding scope includes supporting work and installation as well as panel requirements. That project-specific tender illustrates why a supply-and-install rate cannot be compared directly with a material-only offer. It is not a specification for every ACP project.
| Compare | Record in each offer | Resolve before approval |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Product code, panel family and intended application | Is the offered construction the one requested? |
| Thickness and skins | Total thickness; face and back metal gauges; tolerances | Are both skin gauges explicit, rather than a single unexplained number? |
| Core and evidence | Exact core construction and required reports | Does the documentation cover the proposed product and intended use? |
| Coating and finish | Coating system, face/back treatment, color, gloss and sample reference | Are appearance and exposure requirements agreed? |
| Format and quantity | Width × length, sheets per size and color, tolerances | Are cutting allowances and the quoted unit clear? |
| Supply scope | Flat sheets, fabrication, accessories, installation and exclusions | Which items must be purchased separately? |
| Packing and delivery | Pack arrangement, destination, delivery term and timing basis | Are transport-related costs and responsibilities comparable? |
Mark a missing answer as not confirmed. A supplier's alternative may be useful, but keep it separate from the requested specification so it does not silently replace a requirement.
What information should an aluminum composite panel RFQ include?
Begin with the application and destination market, then attach the drawing or specification revision that governs the inquiry. For an undecided item, ask the supplier to propose a clearly identified option and explain what still needs approval.
Copy this purchasing brief into your inquiry
- Application and destination: [facade / interior / signage / other; country and project conditions]
- Product construction: [panel family; core; face and back metal]
- Dimensions: [total thickness; face/back gauges; width × length; required tolerances]
- Finish: [coating; color code or physical reference; gloss; visible face]
- Quantity: [sheets per size and finish; total area if available]
- Supply scope: [flat sheets / fabricated parts; drawings and revision; accessories]
- Evidence and approval: [required reports; sample reference; agreed inspection requirements]
- OEM details: [artwork, labels, protective film and packing requirements, if applicable]
- Commercial basis: [destination; proposed delivery term; required timing; items to quote separately]
- Supplier response: [confirm compliance; list alternatives, deviations, exclusions and quotation validity]
The ALUCOVERBOND 2026 catalogue, page 29, lists architectural ACP with several thickness, skin, core and finish options. This is why a family name alone does not define a purchase. Select the combination with the technical team; catalogue options do not guarantee every combination or immediate stock availability. Compare our architectural panels, A2 and FR options and signage panels according to the intended use.
For fire-performance requirements, provide the project's required standard and request applicable evidence for the exact offered construction. A material classification does not establish approval of a complete installed wall. Our fire-rating guide explains the documentation questions; our coating guide covers the separate finish decision.
Compare price per sheet, price per square meter and usable yield
Convert dimensions to meters before calculating area. For a rectangular sheet, sheet area = width × length, and quoted material price per m² = price per sheet ÷ sheet area. For example, a 1250 × 2500 mm sheet has a gross area of 3.125 m². This arithmetic example is not a stock or price offer.
Gross sheet area is not the finished coverage after trimming, routing, folding or layout losses. Ask the fabricator to compare sheet formats against the actual panel schedule. Keep estimated waste, fabrication and installation costs visible instead of treating a lower sheet rate as a lower completed-project cost.
Check the currency, quantity basis and included charges. When using an Incoterms® rule, identify the selected rule, named place or port and edition in the quotation. ICC explains that Incoterms® 2020 allocates costs, risks and obligations. Ask the supplier and logistics adviser to clarify the agreed transport scope rather than assuming two trade terms produce the same delivered cost.
Keep OEM artwork and material approval connected
The catalogue's OEM section describes custom branding and surface-pattern services. Discuss the requested details before assuming that a film design, label or special finish is included in the base quotation.
Use one approval record for the material specification, physical finish sample, artwork revision, label content and proposed packing. Identify which face is decorative and any orientation requirement. Ask the supplier to confirm minimum quantities, setup charges, timing and repeat-order conditions for the particular customization; no universal minimum or lead time should be assumed.
For printed signage, material approval and print-process approval are separate steps. Include a trial using the intended ink, equipment and finishing process; see our signage printing and sample-approval checklist.
Five checks before releasing the order
- Close the deviations. Obtain written answers to the unresolved comparison-table items.
- Approve identifiable references. Link the product code, drawing revision, finish sample and any OEM artwork to the order.
- Agree inspection. Record what will be measured or reviewed, the applicable tolerances, evidence required and how discrepancies will be handled.
- Confirm the delivery basis. Agree packing, destination, timing assumptions and the documents to accompany the shipment.
- Control later changes. Review substitutions or revisions against the approved specification before treating the original sample as approval of the new version.
Preparing an ACP quotation comparison? Send the application, panel schedule, finish reference, documentation requirements and destination. ALUCOVERBOND can discuss the proposed construction and identify details that need confirmation.
Send Your ACP SpecificationCommon purchasing questions
Can I compare two quotations that both say “4 mm ACP”?
Only after checking the skins, core, coating, dimensions and supply scope. The same total thickness does not establish an identical product.
Should an RFQ request a sheet price or a square-meter price?
Either can work if dimensions, quantity and scope are explicit. Request enough detail to convert between them and review usable yield separately.
Does a color sample approve bulk production quality?
It can establish an appearance reference. It does not, by itself, establish skin gauge, bond performance, fire classification or agreement with every order requirement.
Are packaging and private-label film automatically included?
Confirm them in the quotation. Define the requested pack arrangement, artwork and approval process instead of assuming they are standard for every order.
Sources and scope
- ALUCOVERBOND Catalogue 2026, PDF pages 10, 12 and 29: OEM services and architectural material options.
- DEWA RFQ 2332501535, June 16, 2025, pages 1–2: a public example of project-specific supply-and-install purchasing scope, not a universal ACP specification.
- International Chamber of Commerce: Incoterms® 2020: the allocation of costs, risks and obligations under the selected rule.
This checklist supports purchasing discussions. Product availability, tolerances, supporting evidence, warranty terms and commercial commitments require confirmation in the quotation and approved order documents.