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Twelve Checks Before You Send a Copper Quote

September 25, 2026

A checklist rather than an essay. Work down it before the number leaves your shop.

Material

1. Is the grade stated, with a UNS number? If it says “copper”, pick the grade you are pricing and write it on the quote. Do not silently assume.

2. Is a temper stated? Needed on anything bent and on every age hardening alloy. Missing temper on a tight bend radius is a question, not an assumption.

3. Is substitution allowed, and on what condition? If the drawing states a requirement rather than a grade, check whether a free-machining grade meets it. That is often the difference between winning and losing the job.

4. Can you actually get the material, and when? C110 in common sizes is easy. C101 in a specific thickness, or C145 bar in an unusual diameter, may take longer than the machining. Quote the material lead time separately. See copper machining lead times.

5. What is your metal price exposure? Put a validity date on the quote. On repeat work, split metal and conversion.

Geometry and process

6. Where are the chips going? Deep narrow pockets and long turned features in pure copper are intervention work. Price the intervention.

7. What deflects? Thin walls, tall ribs, fin packs. Spring passes are time, and they are not in a standard cycle estimate.

8. How are you holding it without marking it? Soft jaws, sleeves, vacuum, sacrificial stock. If the drawing forbids marks on every face, that is a question.

9. Threads and cross holes? Tapping pure copper is where parts are lost at the last operation. If the part is threaded and the grade is open, propose the free-machining alternative.

Finishing

10. Deburring, in minutes. Count the edges, check the access, decide the method, write down the minutes. Do not use a percentage carried from aluminum. If the drawing says burr free with no dimension, price the conservative reading and say so.

11. Plating: scope, minimum and queue. Finish, underlayer, thickness by area, masking, and whether dimensions are before or after plating. Include the plater’s minimum charge and the transport legs in the lead time.

12. Inspection and certification. First article, dimensional reports, material certificate, plating test report. Each is real hours after the parts exist. Copper material certificates covers when a customer genuinely needs one.

Before you press send

Write these five lines on the quote itself:

Quoted on the following assumptions:
1. Material: [grade, UNS, temper]
2. Edge condition: [dimension]
3. Finish: [Ra and which faces], remainder as machined
4. Plating: [scope and area], dimensions [before/after] plating
5. Inspection: [level]
Price valid [n] days. Material lead time [n] weeks, quoted separately.

That block costs you two minutes and settles most of what goes wrong later.

Two quotes are often better than one

If the drawing allows a substitution, quote both. “As drawn in C11000: X. In C14500 meeting your stated requirement: 0.6X.” It demonstrates you understand the material and it gives the buyer a decision rather than a number to negotiate.

Frequently asked questions

How long should quoting a copper part take?

Longer than the equivalent aluminum part, because two or three questions usually have to be resolved first. That time is recovered on the jobs you do not lose money on.

Should assumptions go on the quote or in the email?

On the quote. Emails get forgotten and quotes get attached to purchase orders. Five lines of stated assumptions is the cheapest dispute insurance available.

What if the customer will not answer my questions?

Quote the conservative reading and say on the quote which reading you priced. A customer who will not define the edge condition has told you something about how first article will go.

Need a quote for this part?

Send the drawing. We match you with up to 3 copper shops and reply within 24 business hours.

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