An accurate industrial boiler quotation starts with complete project information. At minimum, the supplier needs to know the required boiler type, application, capacity, working pressure or temperature, operating schedule, available fuel, feedwater condition, electrical supply, installation country, local code and emission requirements, site conditions, destination port and expected scope of supply.
Sending only “I need a 2-ton boiler” is usually not enough. Two factories with the same nominal capacity may require different burners, controls, water-treatment systems, emission equipment, electrical configurations and shipping arrangements. The more clearly the real operating conditions are defined, the more useful the technical proposal and commercial comparison will be.
This guide provides a practical industrial boiler RFQ checklist that factory owners, engineers and procurement teams can use before contacting a supplier.
Quick answer: For an industrial boiler quotation, prepare the application, required heat medium, normal and peak load, working pressure or temperatures, operating hours, fuel specification, feedwater analysis, condensate-return condition, voltage and frequency, site dimensions, altitude, local codes, emission limits, destination and complete supply scope. The final selection must be reviewed for the actual project.
Key Takeaways
– State the process requirement before asking for a boiler model.
– Provide normal, minimum and simultaneous peak load—not capacity alone.
– Separate working conditions from design conditions.
– Send a real fuel specification and water analysis whenever available.
– Confirm the installation country’s codes, inspection and emission requirements before ordering.
– Define which auxiliary equipment, documents and services must be included.
– Compare quotations on the same technical and commercial boundary.
Table of Contents
1. Why complete quotation data matters
2. Application and required heat medium
3. Capacity and operating load profile
4. Pressure, temperature and steam condition
5. Fuel specification and availability
6. Feedwater and condensate return
7. Electrical and utility conditions
8. Installation site information
9. Codes, inspection and emissions
10. Scope of supply and auxiliary equipment
11. Commercial and logistics information
12. Documents to request from the supplier
13. Industrial boiler quotation checklist
14. Common RFQ mistakes
15. Frequently asked questions
1. Why Complete Quotation Data Matters
A boiler is not a stand-alone purchase. It works with a burner or fuel-feeding system, water treatment, pumps, controls, chimney, piping and the factory’s production process. Missing information can change the proposed model, system configuration, price and installation boundary.
Complete data helps a supplier:
– Select a preliminary boiler type and configuration
– Check whether the proposed capacity matches the load profile
– Match the burner or combustion system to the available fuel
– Identify water-treatment and condensate requirements
– Review electrical, environmental and installation conditions
– Define auxiliary equipment and documentation
– Prepare a quotation that can be compared with competing offers
If you are still deciding which system is suitable, read How to Choose the Right Industrial Steam Boiler for Your Factory before preparing the RFQ.
2. Describe the Application and Required Heat Medium
Start with the production process. Tell the supplier what the boiler will heat, how the heat is transferred and whether the process is continuous or batch-based.
Useful application information includes:
– Industry and final product
– Steam- or heat-consuming equipment
– Number of production lines
– Continuous, intermittent or batch operation
– Startup and shutdown pattern
– Existing boiler system, if this is an expansion or replacement
– Planned future production increase that has already been approved
Then identify the required heat medium:
– Steam boiler: provide steam consumption and required pressure at each user.
– Hot-water boiler: provide heating duty, supply temperature, return temperature and circulation conditions.
– Thermal oil heater: provide heat duty, required supply and return temperatures, heat-transfer-fluid details and process conditions.
– Electric boiler: provide steam or heating duty plus the available electrical capacity.
Anton Boiler’s industrial boiler products page provides an overview of steam boilers, hot-water boilers, thermal oil heaters and electric boilers. Final selection remains project-specific.
3. Provide Capacity and the Real Operating Load Profile
Capacity should be based on the heat required by the factory, not on an arbitrary model number.
For a steam boiler, provide demand in kg/h or t/h. For a hot-water or thermal-oil system, provide the required heating duty in kW or MW together with the relevant temperatures and flow conditions.
The RFQ should distinguish four values:
1. Normal operating load
2. Simultaneous peak load
3. Minimum stable load
4. Confirmed future load
Also state:
– Hours per day and days per year
– Number of shifts
– Whether several machines start together
– Duration and frequency of peak demand
– Whether production can continue during boiler maintenance
– Whether one boiler or multiple units are preferred
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Steam System Survey Guide treats boiler loading and steam-system pressure as core parts of system assessment. Real operating data is therefore more useful than simply adding the nameplate rating of every steam user.
Do not add a standard oversizing percentage without an engineering basis. Any allowance should reflect documented startup demand, distribution losses, redundancy and approved expansion.
4. Confirm Pressure, Temperature and Steam Condition
For steam projects, provide the pressure required at the point of use. Also state whether the process needs saturated steam, superheated steam or a specific steam-quality condition.
Important items include:
– Required pressure at each steam user
– Proposed boiler outlet working pressure, if already calculated
– Distance and elevation between boiler room and users
– Existing pressure-reducing stations
– Required steam temperature or superheat condition
– Whether a steam accumulator is being considered
Do not use working pressure, design pressure and process pressure as if they mean the same thing. The design pressure is established through the applicable engineering and code process; it is not simply copied from the operating pressure.
For hot-water projects, provide supply and return temperatures. For thermal-oil projects, provide the required operating temperature, return temperature and heat-transfer-fluid information. Review thermal oil boiler options or hot-water boiler options according to the application.
5. Send the Fuel Specification and Supply Conditions
“Natural gas,” “diesel” or “biomass” is only a starting point. Fuel properties affect the burner or furnace, fuel-handling system, emission control and operating cost.
Gas or Liquid Fuel
Provide, where available:
– Fuel name and composition
– Lower or higher heating value and its basis
– Gas supply pressure and expected fluctuation
– Liquid-fuel viscosity, density and sulfur content
– Fuel temperature at the burner inlet
– Whether fuel heating or filtration is required
– Main fuel and backup fuel
If gas or liquid fuel is planned, review the oil and gas boiler range. Burner compatibility must be confirmed against the real fuel specification.
Coal or Biomass Fuel
Provide a representative fuel analysis showing:
– Fuel source and trade name
– Particle size range
– Moisture
– Ash
– Volatile matter and fixed carbon, if available
– Calorific value and test basis
– Sulfur, chlorine or other relevant constituents, if tested
– Bulk density and planned storage method
– Seasonal changes in fuel quality
Solid-fuel systems may also require storage, conveying, feeding, ash handling and dust-collection equipment. Review the coal and biomass steam boiler range when these fuels are being evaluated.
Electricity
For an electric boiler, provide voltage, frequency, phase, available transformer capacity, maximum permitted electrical load and the local tariff structure. See the electric steam boiler range for product context; final electrical requirements must be confirmed in the technical proposal.
6. Provide Feedwater and Condensate-Return Information
Feedwater quality influences scale, corrosion, blowdown, steam quality and water-treatment selection. “City water” or “well water” is not a technical analysis.
Send a recent laboratory report where possible. Depending on the project, useful items may include:
– Total hardness
– pH
– Total dissolved solids or conductivity
– Alkalinity
– Silica
– Chlorides
– Iron
– Dissolved oxygen
– Suspended solids
Also provide:
– Raw-water source
– Existing treatment equipment
– Expected condensate-return percentage
– Condensate temperature and possible contamination
– Make-up-water demand, if known
– Available drainage and blowdown-disposal arrangement
Spirax Sarco’s Water for the Boiler explains that treatment selection depends on raw-water quality, boiler conditions and condensate return. Its guidance also notes that external treatment methods have different capital and operating implications. The supplier should therefore state the required inlet-water condition and proposed treatment system rather than assume one solution fits every project.
7. Confirm Electrical Supply and Other Utilities
Every quotation should use the correct site utility data.
Provide:
– Voltage
– Frequency
– Number of phases
– Available electrical capacity
– Control-voltage requirement, if specified
– Instrument-air pressure and quality, if required
– Water-supply pressure and flow
– Drainage condition
– Existing fuel connection conditions
Frequency and voltage affect motors, pumps, fans, control cabinets and electric heating elements. Do not wait until shipment to confirm them.
8. Describe the Installation Site
Site data affects the equipment arrangement, combustion calculation, shipping split and installation method.
Provide:
– Installation country and city
– Site altitude
– Minimum and maximum ambient temperature
– Indoor or outdoor installation
– Humidity, dust, corrosion or coastal conditions
– Seismic and wind requirements, if applicable
– Boiler-room length, width and clear height
– Door, corridor and access dimensions
– Foundation condition
– Chimney location and height limits
– Distance to steam or heat users
– Crane, forklift and unloading conditions
Send a floor plan, photos and a short site video whenever possible. For replacement projects, include images and dimensions of the existing boiler, connections and route used to remove or install equipment.
9. State Codes, Inspection and Emission Requirements
The buyer or responsible project engineer must identify which laws and standards apply at the installation site.
Confirm:
– Required boiler construction code
– Local registration requirements
– Third-party inspection requirements
– Required certification mark or data report
– Material-document and welding-record requirements
– Pressure-test and nondestructive-examination requirements
– Operator licensing or boiler-room rules
– Applicable emission limits and reference conditions
– Required environmental testing and permits
ASME states that its Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides construction requirements covering areas such as materials, design, fabrication, examination, inspection, testing and certification. Its boiler and pressure-vessel certification guide also distinguishes specific certificate scopes. A general statement such as “ASME material” is therefore not the same as requiring an ASME-certified and code-stamped boiler.
For emissions, provide the legally applicable local limits for the selected fuel and boiler size. IFC’s EHS Guidelines for Power can support environmental discussions for projects within their stated scope, but international guidance does not replace national or local law.
10. Define the Complete Scope of Supply
Two quotations cannot be compared fairly if one includes only the boiler body and another includes a complete operating system.
State whether the supplier should include:
– Boiler body and platform
– Burner or solid-fuel combustion equipment
– Control cabinet and field instruments
– Feedwater pumps
– Water-treatment equipment
– Feedwater tank or deaeration equipment
– Economizer or other heat-recovery equipment
– Chimney and flue-gas ducts
– Fuel-storage and transfer equipment
– Fans and air ducts
– Dust collector, scrubber or other emission-control equipment
– Ash-handling equipment
– Steam header, separator or accumulator
– Valves, gauges and local piping
– Thermal insulation and cladding
– Spare parts and consumables
– Installation supervision, commissioning and training
Mark each item as included, excluded, by buyer or optional. The boundary should be shown clearly in the technical proposal.
11. Add Commercial and Logistics Information
A technical proposal still needs a clear commercial basis.
Provide:
– Buyer company and project name
– Installation country and final site
– Destination port or delivery address
– Preferred Incoterm, if known
– Required quotation currency
– Required delivery schedule
– Site construction status
– Packaging or shipment restrictions
– Maximum transport dimensions or weight, if restricted
– Required quotation validity
– Required warranty, payment and performance-guarantee terms for discussion
If the project schedule is urgent, state the actual required-on-site date. The supplier can then assess production, documentation, shipping and installation coordination. Do not treat an estimated factory-production date as the complete project-delivery date.
12. Request Clear Technical Documents
Ask the supplier to identify the documents included at quotation, production and shipment stages.
Depending on project scope, the buyer may request:
– Technical data sheet
– Scope-of-supply list
– General arrangement drawing
– Utility-consumption list
– Electrical load list
– Process or system flow diagram
– Foundation and interface information
– Burner or fuel-system data
– Water-quality requirements
– Recommended spare-parts list
– Operation and maintenance manual
– Inspection and test plan
– Required material, welding and test records
– Packing list and shipping dimensions
Document availability depends on the project stage, contract scope and applicable code. List mandatory submittals in the RFQ so the supplier can confirm them before order.
13. Industrial Boiler Quotation Checklist
Copy the checklist below into your email or RFQ form.
A. Project Basics
– Company and project name:
– Industry and application:
– Installation country and city:
– Destination port or delivery address:
– New project, expansion or replacement:
B. Required Boiler Service
– Product: steam boiler / hot-water boiler / thermal-oil heater / electric boiler / other
– Normal capacity or heat duty:
– Peak demand and duration:
– Minimum load:
– Working pressure or supply temperature:
– Return temperature, if applicable:
– Operating hours per day:
– Operating days per year:
C. Fuel and Utilities
– Main fuel and backup fuel:
– Fuel analysis or specification attached: yes / no
– Gas pressure or liquid-fuel condition:
– Voltage / frequency / phase:
– Raw-water source and analysis attached: yes / no
– Expected condensate return:
D. Site and Compliance
– Altitude and ambient temperature:
– Indoor or outdoor installation:
– Boiler-room dimensions and access:
– Required construction code:
– Required inspection or certification:
– Local emission limits:
E. Scope and Schedule
– Required auxiliary equipment:
– Installation, commissioning or training requirement:
– Required technical documents:
– Required delivery date:
– Preferred Incoterm and currency:
– Other project restrictions:
14. Common Industrial Boiler RFQ Mistakes
Sending Capacity Only
Capacity does not define pressure, fuel, operating profile, water treatment, emission equipment or supply scope.
Using Unclear Units
Always state the unit and basis. Do not send a number such as “10” without kg/h, t/h, kW, MW, bar, MPa, °C or another clear unit.
Confusing Working and Design Conditions
Working conditions describe operation. Design conditions are established through engineering and code requirements. They must be reviewed separately.
Omitting Fuel and Water Reports
Real fuel and water data reduces assumptions. If reports are not yet available, mark them **to be confirmed** instead of guessing.
Comparing Incomplete Supply Boundaries
The cheapest boiler-body quotation may not be the lowest complete-system cost. Compare every offer using the same included, excluded and buyer-supplied items.
Confirming Compliance Too Late
Code, inspection and emission requirements can influence design and documentation. Identify them before the supplier finalizes the offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum information needed for a steam boiler quotation?
Provide the application, normal and peak steam demand, required working pressure, operating schedule, fuel specification, water source, voltage and frequency, installation country, destination and required supply scope. More detailed data supports a more useful proposal.
Can I request a quotation before I know the exact boiler capacity?
Yes, but provide the production-process data and steam-consuming equipment list. The supplier can support a preliminary review, while the responsible engineer confirms final sizing from actual loads and project conditions.
Why does the supplier need a fuel analysis?
Fuel properties affect burner or furnace selection, feeding, ash handling, emission control and expected operating conditions. This is especially important for biomass, coal, heavy oil, biogas and other variable fuels.
Why is a feedwater report needed?
Water quality influences treatment selection, blowdown, scale and corrosion risk. A laboratory report is more reliable than describing the source only as city water, borehole water or river water.
Should auxiliary equipment be included in the quotation?
It should be clearly defined. Ask the supplier to mark each item as included, excluded, buyer-supplied or optional so that competing quotations have the same boundary.
Does an ASME material requirement mean the boiler has ASME certification?
No. Material specifications, code construction, manufacturer authorization, inspection, certification mark and data reporting are separate requirements. State exactly what the project requires and ask the supplier to confirm its offered compliance in writing.
How should I compare industrial boiler quotations?
Compare design basis, capacity, pressure or temperature, fuel basis, included equipment, water treatment, controls, emissions, codes, documents, services, shipping terms and exclusions—not price alone.
Conclusion: Prepare the Data Before Comparing Prices
A useful industrial boiler quotation begins with a clear description of the factory process and ends with a defined technical, commercial and supply boundary. Capacity, pressure or temperature, load profile, fuel, water, utilities, site conditions, codes, emissions, logistics and auxiliary equipment should all be recorded before final comparison.
When information is not yet available, mark it to be confirmed and agree on the assumptions used for the preliminary proposal. This is more reliable than allowing each supplier to make different assumptions.
Request an Industrial Boiler Quotation
Send Anton Boiler your application, required capacity, working pressure or temperature, fuel specification, water information, voltage and frequency, installation country, destination and expected supply scope.
Use the Contact Anton Boiler page to submit your project requirements for technical review and quotation.