RFQ Checklist

24 Aug RFQ Checklist

A capsule house RFQ checklist helps a buyer turn a general request into a quotation that can actually be compared. The RFQ should define the project, unit quantity and configuration, site and climate, required systems, documentation, delivery scope, installation responsibilities, commercial terms, and the assumptions every supplier must state. Without these inputs, two quotations may look similar while covering very different products and responsibilities.

An RFQ does not need to contain every final design decision. It should identify what is confirmed, what remains optional, and which information the supplier must provide. This makes uncertainty visible instead of allowing it to appear later as a variation, exclusion, or delay.

Start With the Project Use and Buyer Objective

Describe how the units will be used: resort accommodation, staff housing, an office, a campsite, a temporary facility, or another defined application. Include the expected occupancy, operating model, target opening or handover window, and whether the purchase is a pilot unit or part of a larger rollout.

State the country and site location, but do not ask the supplier to guarantee local approval without a defined compliance scope. The buyer, local professionals, authorities, and supplier may each have different responsibilities. Ask bidders to identify the codes, standards, certificates, drawings, or test records included in their offer and what requires local verification.

Define Quantity, Model, and Configuration

List the required number of units and whether they must be identical. If the model has not been selected, provide the required occupancy, room layout, approximate space need, bed arrangement, bathroom requirement, accessibility objectives, storage, glazing preference, and operational priorities.

Separate mandatory requirements from preferences. A simple structure is:

• Required: an item without which the offer is not acceptable;
• Preferred: an item the buyer wants priced or evaluated;
• Optional: an alternate configuration shown separately; and
• Supplier proposal: an area where the bidder may recommend a solution and explain the basis.

This prevents an optional feature from being silently included by one bidder and excluded by another.

Provide Site and Climate Information

The site can affect structure, envelope, corrosion protection, insulation, HVAC, foundations, utilities, transport, lifting, and maintenance. Give bidders the information available and clearly mark any missing surveys.

Relevant inputs may include site coordinates, elevation, access constraints, terrain, ground information, coastal or industrial exposure, temperature and humidity ranges, rain, snow, wind, dust, vegetation, flood considerations, and local utility conditions. These are coordination inputs, not a substitute for professional site assessment or local design criteria.

Describe the Required Product Scope

Ask each supplier to provide a scope matrix covering the main shell, structure, exterior finishes, insulation, doors and windows, interior finishes, bathroom, furniture, appliances, lighting, electrical distribution, plumbing interfaces, HVAC, controls, fire-safety provisions where applicable, and loose accessories.

For every system, require the bidder to identify:

• what is included in the base quotation;
• the proposed specification or performance basis;
• the buyer or site work required;
• options and alternates;
• information still needed; and
• explicit exclusions.

Buyers can review the capsule house product range before preparing the model and configuration section.

Request Drawings and Technical Documents

Specify which documents are required with the quotation and which are required after award. Depending on the project, these may include general arrangement drawings, dimensions and weight, support or foundation interfaces, lifting information, utility connection points, electrical information, material descriptions, equipment schedules, packing information, installation guidance, operation and maintenance manuals, and available test or compliance records.

Do not assume that a certificate applies to the exact quoted configuration. Ask bidders to identify the product, model, component, test scope, issuing body, date, and limitations associated with each document.

Clarify Delivery, Transport, and Installation Responsibilities

State the required delivery destination and ask bidders to identify the commercial delivery basis used in their quotation. The offer should separate product supply, packing, inland transport, export handling, international freight, insurance, destination charges, customs responsibilities, local delivery, crane work, foundations, utility connections, installation, commissioning, and training where relevant.

The capsule-house import guide and transport checklist provide related coordination questions. Actual logistics and customs requirements must be verified for the shipment and destination.

Use a Comparable Commercial Schedule

Ask every bidder to return prices in the same structure. The RFQ may request a base unit price, quantity basis, options, spare parts, documents, packing, delivery components, installation support, taxes or duties treatment, payment milestones, quotation validity, production assumptions, and proposed schedule.

Do not compare only the headline price. Compare inclusions, exclusions, specification, documentation, responsibilities, delivery basis, payment exposure, and assumptions. A lower price may simply represent a narrower scope.

Capsule House RFQ Return Schedule

Require an Assumptions and Deviations List

Every quotation should include a consolidated list of assumptions, exclusions, deviations, and information still required. Ask suppliers not to hide exceptions across emails or drawing notes. This list becomes one of the most useful documents during technical clarification and contract review.

Also require bidders to identify changes they recommend. A technically useful alternative should explain its effect on scope, performance, interfaces, price, schedule, and local verification.

Evaluate the Supplier as Well as the Offer

The RFQ can request company identification, manufacturing location, relevant quality process information, references that can be verified, proposed project contacts, document-control process, inspection arrangements, and after-sales communication route. Do not rely on unsupported claims or generic badges. The supplier evaluation guide provides a broader review framework.

Turn the RFQ Into a Decision Record

Issue the same RFQ and clarifications to every shortlisted bidder. Record question dates, answers, revised documents, and quotation versions. When the scope changes, request a clearly identified revision rather than editing totals informally.

A strong capsule house RFQ does not guarantee that every project question is solved at quotation stage. It creates a transparent basis for technical review, commercial comparison, local verification, and later contract documents.

For a project-specific quotation, contact Rovellc with the proposed use, destination, unit quantity, configuration priorities, site information, delivery scope, and required documents. The resulting discussion can then focus on the exact inputs that affect the offer.