“How much for 500 T-shirts?” sounds like a straightforward question. But without the fabric, fit, print details and delivery requirements, a manufacturer has to make assumptions before giving you a price.
Those assumptions are where comparisons go wrong. One factory may quote a lightweight blank garment; another may include heavier fabric, printed branding and individual packaging.
To request a useful clothing manufacturing quote, send a clear product specification, quantities by style and colour, size breakdown, decoration details, packaging requirements, delivery destination and required arrival date. Ask the supplier to list inclusions, exclusions and any assumptions.
This buyer’s checklist will help you prepare a request for quotation (RFQ), reduce follow-up questions and compare offers on the same basis.
1. Describe the Garment and the Work You Need
Start with the product, its intended use and the manufacturing scope. A retail hoodie, a staff polo and a training jersey need different materials and construction.
Include:
- Product and style reference: for example, “TS-01, adult short-sleeve crew-neck T-shirt.”
- Intended wearer and fit: adult or youth; fitted, regular or oversized.
- Construction details: sleeves, neckline, pockets, zips, lining and any reinforcement.
- Required services: fabric sourcing, pattern development, sampling, cutting, sewing, decoration, labels and packing.
State which materials or files you will supply. If you are supplying fabric, ask whether the quote covers checking it, cutting waste and any additional handling. If you need a finished product, ask the factory to identify all included stages.
Our cut-to-pack garment manufacturing guide explains how these production stages fit together.
2. Attach a Tech Pack—or a Clear Starter Brief
A tech pack is the document that tells the factory how your garment should be made. For quoting, useful attachments include front and back drawings, construction notes, a measurement chart, fabric details, artwork and a list of trims.
Give each file a style code, date and revision number. Send the same revision to every supplier, and identify which file takes priority if a reference photo differs from the written specification.
No tech pack yet? You can still request an initial estimate. Send reference images, explain the features you want, provide an approximate quantity and ask what development work is needed. Mark undecided details as “to be confirmed.”
Ask the supplier to separate development fees from bulk production costs and explain what must be approved before the price can be finalised. A photo can communicate an idea, but it does not establish fabric composition, measurements or internal construction.
3. Specify Fabric, Colour and Finish
“Premium cotton” or “performance polyester” leaves too much open to interpretation. Where known, specify:
- Fibre composition, such as 100% cotton or a stated polyester–elastane blend.
- Fabric construction, such as single jersey, pique, fleece or interlock.
- Fabric weight in GSM, plus an acceptable tolerance to agree with the supplier.
- Colour reference or physical swatch, and whether stock fabric is acceptable.
- Required finishes, wash treatments or performance characteristics.
If you are unsure, describe the intended use and ask for clearly identified fabric options with separate prices. Keep alternatives separate from the main quote so an inexpensive substitute does not silently become the production specification.
Fabric weight alone does not define quality. Our guide to fabric GSM explains what that number can—and cannot—tell you.
4. Break Down Quantities by Style, Colour and Size
An order for 600 identical garments is different from 600 pieces divided across several styles and colours. Show the breakdown rather than giving only a total.
For example, a 300-piece T-shirt enquiry could use this size split:
| Colour | S | M | L | XL | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 20 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 150 |
| White | 20 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 150 |
| Total | 40 | 100 | 100 | 60 | 300 |
Ask whether the minimum order quantity (MOQ) applies per style, per colour, per fabric or to the whole order. Also ask about extended-size surcharges and whether the factory proposes any allowance for delivering more or fewer units than ordered.
If your volume is flexible, request prices at realistic quantities—for example, 300, 500 and 1,000 pieces—with the same specifications and stated colour split. Our MOQ guide covers why minimums can differ between projects.
5. Include Decoration, Labels and Packaging
A small chest logo and a large back print are different production requirements. For each decoration, provide the method if decided, dimensions, position, colours and artwork file. Identify individual names or numbers separately.
List the finishing details too: neck labels, size labels, care-label artwork, hang tags, barcode stickers, individual bags and carton packing instructions. Tell the supplier your intended sales market and identify any required testing or documentation for review before costing.
Ask whether artwork preparation, embroidery digitising, print setup and label setup are included or charged separately. Clarify whether those charges apply again to an unchanged repeat order.
6. Separate Sampling, Production and Delivery Timelines
Give the date you need the goods at your destination, not just your launch date. Allow time for receiving and checking the shipment before you need to sell or use it.
Request separate estimates for:
- Initial sample development and sample delivery.
- Revisions and approval of final materials, fit and decoration.
- Bulk production after the agreed approvals and payment milestone.
- Inspection, dispatch and transport to the destination.
Ask what starts the production clock. “Four weeks” is incomplete unless you know whether it begins after a deposit, fabric availability, sample approval or all three.
Confirm sample charges, courier costs, included revision rounds and whether any sample fee is credited against a bulk order. For a new fit or broad size range, discuss size-set samples before bulk cutting.
7. Ask Exactly What the Price Includes
Request the currency, unit of sale and price basis. Is the amount per garment, per two-piece set or per pack? How long is the quote valid?
For delivery, provide the country, city and postcode, and request the proposed transport method. Ask the supplier to state the applicable Incoterms® rule, named place and version. These rules allocate delivery responsibilities, costs and risk between buyer and seller; the International Chamber of Commerce’s Incoterms® overview is a useful reference.
Have the supplier identify whether freight, insurance, customs clearance, duties, taxes and final delivery are included or excluded. Avoid treating “shipping included” as a complete explanation.
Also request payment milestones, inspection arrangements and the agreed process for handling defects or specification mismatches. Record the approved sample and specification revision that bulk production will follow.
A Clothing Manufacturing Quote Request Template
Copy this into your enquiry and replace the bracketed details. Attach the specification files rather than leaving essential information spread across several messages.
Subject: Quote request — [product/style code], [quantity], delivery to [country]
Hello,
We are sourcing [product] for [brand, business or team]. Please quote against the attached [tech pack/brief, revision and date].
Product and fit: [garment, intended use and fit].
Fabric: [composition, construction, GSM, colour and finish—or options requested].
Quantity: [total and breakdown by style, colour and size].
Decoration: [method, dimensions, positions and artwork references].
Labels and packaging: [requirements].
Development needed: [patterns, samples, size set or other services].
Delivery: [country, city, postcode and required arrival date].
Target budget, if available: [currency and whether this is garment-only or delivered cost].Please confirm MOQ, unit prices, one-time charges, sample costs, payment terms and quotation validity. Separate sample, production and shipping timelines, and state what starts each lead time.
Please identify the delivery terms, all inclusions and exclusions, and any assumptions or proposed substitutions. Quote alternatives separately. Also confirm inspection arrangements and the process for resolving defects.
Please let us know what information you need to finalise the quote.
Thank you,
[Name / company / contact details]
How to Compare Clothing Manufacturer Quotes
Put responses side by side and resolve differences before choosing a supplier.
| Compare | What to check |
|---|---|
| Product specification | Same fabric, weight, fit, construction and decoration |
| Quantity basis | Same style, colour and size breakdown; same unit of sale |
| Included work | Labels, packing, setup, sampling and development |
| Delivery scope | Same destination, transport basis and included charges |
| Timing | Same approval milestones and required arrival date |
| Quality agreement | Approved sample, tolerances, inspection and defect process |
For a practical order-budget comparison, add the garment total, one-time development charges and any delivery or import costs not already included. Do not count a charge twice. Ask for clarification wherever a line is missing; a blank does not mean free.
If an offer is substantially cheaper, ask which specification or service differs. A lower price may be useful, but only once you understand what you are buying. Review the supplier as well as the quotation using our manufacturer verification checklist.
Final Checklist Before You Send
- Product, fit and manufacturing scope are clear.
- Attachments have matching style codes and revision dates.
- Fabric, colour and undecided details are identified.
- Quantities add up by style, colour and size.
- Decoration, labels and packaging are specified.
- Sampling needs and approval stages are included.
- Destination and required arrival date are provided.
- The request asks for itemised costs, exclusions and payment terms.
Ready to discuss your project? Request a clothing manufacturing quote from Byon Textile with your tech pack or starter brief. Include your quantity, fabric preferences and delivery requirements so the team can review the scope and identify anything still needed for pricing.
