---
title: "Overhead Crane Quote: RFQ Checklist and Offer Comparison"
description: "What an overhead crane quote request must contain, how to handle unknown values, how to read a technical offer and how to compare quotes item by item."
url: https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/overhead-crane-quote-checklist/
language: en
---

To get a reliable **overhead crane quote**, send the manufacturer the load, span, lifting height, runway situation, duty (how intensively the crane will work), operating environment and site power supply, and say plainly which values you do not know. Then compare the offers on scope as well as price: runway, installation, load test, documentation and training should be stated in every quote.

This guide focuses on the buying stage. For how an overhead crane works, see [what is an overhead travelling crane](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/what-is-an-overhead-travelling-crane/); for what drives its price, see [overhead crane cost factors](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/overhead-crane-cost-factors/).

## What information does an overhead crane quote need?

The table lists what an overhead crane RFQ (request for quotation) should contain, why each item is needed and what to send if you do not know the value. How these values shape the choice of crane is covered in [choosing an overhead crane: capacity, span and duty class](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/choosing-an-overhead-crane-capacity-span-duty-class/).

| Information | Why it is needed | If you don't know it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Load and capacity | Sizes the hoist, the girder section and the wheel loads. | Take the weight of the heaviest part from the delivery note, a weighbridge ticket or the part drawing; mention any expected increase. |
| Load type, dimensions and below-the-hook device | Slings, spreader beams or magnets hang on the hook too; long or bulky loads affect the height and clearances required. | Send a photo of the load with rough dimensions, plus the type and approximate weight of the lifting device. |
| Span | Sets the length and section of the bridge girder; measured between runway rail centrelines. | Give the hall width and column grid or attach the floor plan; rail centres come from drawings or a site survey. |
| Lifting height | Determines drum length, the hoist and whether the crane fits under the roof. | State the highest obstacle the load must clear, the height of load plus slings and the lowest point of the roof structure. |
| Runway length and condition | Determines the quantity of runway beam, rail and conductor line; an existing runway cannot be used unmeasured. | Give the hall length; add photos of the runway, rail fixings and end stops; mention other cranes on the same runway. |
| Building, columns and rail | How wheel loads pass into the building, and whether the brackets can carry them, depends on this. | Send the structural drawings, or photos of columns and brackets; photograph the rail with a tape measure alongside. |
| Duty (classification) | Motors, brakes, gearboxes, rope and steel structure are sized for it. | No need to name a class; describe a typical day: how many lifts, what most loads weigh, how many shifts, how often near-capacity loads are lifted. |
| Environment (indoor/outdoor, dust, temperature, corrosion) | Changes the paint system, protection rating of motors and panels, sometimes the materials. | Describe the area: nearby furnaces, a coastal site, chemical vapours, heavy dust. Always state whether an explosive atmosphere (ATEX) is possible. |
| Speeds and precise positioning | Hoisting, cross-travel and long-travel speeds set the cycle time; precise work calls for inverter drives or a creep speed. | Describe the task instead: placing moulds or feeding machine tools with millimetre accuracy? |
| Control type | Pendant, radio remote or cab: decides where the operator stands and how well they see the load. | Explain where the operator will watch the load from and what obstacles are on the floor. |
| Power supply and mains (voltage/frequency) | Motors and panels are selected for the mains; a conductor line is needed along the runway. | Ask your electrician for the voltage and frequency at the main distribution board; critical on export projects. |
| Site and access | Transport, mobile crane and erection method are planned around the site and the hall entrance. | Give the site address, the hall door dimensions and whether production continues during installation. |

How dimensions are taken is explained in our guide to [overhead crane dimensions](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/overhead-crane-dimensions/); runway beams, rails and brackets in [crane runway requirements](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/crane-runway-requirements/).

## How do you request a quote when some values are unknown?

You do not need every value to ask for a quote. The real risk is writing a guess as if it were a fact: a wrong span or understated duty gets the wrong crane priced.

- **Mark estimates:** write “approx. 18 m, not measured” and give a range where you can.
- **Describe the situation, not the value:** daily use instead of a class, the task instead of a speed. How usage translates into a class is explained in [crane duty classification: FEM, ISO and CMAA](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/crane-duty-classification-fem-iso-cmaa/).
- **Add pictures:** hall plan and section, photos of the site and the load.
- **Use the old crane:** if you are replacing one, copy capacity and span from its nameplate and list the problems you have had.

### How do you prepare the request for internal approval?

Before sending any RFQ, put the requirement on a one-page sheet – some companies call it a user requirement specification (URS) – and have production, maintenance, safety and purchasing approve it. It should include:

- the job the crane will do and the problem it solves
- the values from the table and their source: measured, estimated or unknown
- must-haves separated from nice-to-haves
- revision number, date and approvers

Send the same sheet to every manufacturer and record decisions from clarification on it. At commissioning it is also the reference for “did we get the crane we asked for?”

## What will the manufacturer ask after you send the request?

A review of the request is usually followed by a round of clarification, so that the offer rests on data rather than assumptions. Typical questions:

1. How often is the heaviest load lifted, and what do most of the daily lifts weigh?
2. How close must the hook get to walls or columns; is there a point at the end of the hall it must reach?
3. How much clearance is there between the top of the rail and roof trusses, lighting or services?
4. Are there drawings or structural calculations for the existing runway; what condition are the rail and fixings in?
5. Which device will hold the load; does it need to be rotated or turned over in the air?
6. In which country will the crane be used, and in which language must the instructions be?

If needed, a site survey follows; prepare safe access to the runway (platform or scaffold), the hall drawings and a contact who knows the building. Once open points are settled, the manufacturer prepares the technical offer; after an order, detailed design and approval drawings usually follow.

## How do you read a technical offer?

A technical offer should be more than a price page. Read each section side by side with your requirement sheet:

- **Technical data:** capacity, span, lifting height, crane and mechanism group (for example FEM 1.001 / ISO 4301-1 groups, or a CMAA 70/74 service class), speeds and controls should match your sheet line by line.
- **General arrangement drawing:** compare the hook approach dimensions, the highest hook position and the clearance to the roof with your hall section.
- **Calculation summary:** wheel loads and crane self-weight; pass them to the engineer checking your building structure.
- **Component list:** make, type and protection rating of the hoist, motors, brakes, inverters, controls and conductor line. Where it says “or equivalent”, ask who approves the equivalent.
- **Scope, exclusions and options:** listed separately, with the work left to you (buyer's obligations) spelled out.
- **Assumptions and deviations:** what the offer assumes and where it departs from your request.
- **Standards and commercial terms:** the standards applied (such as EN 15011 for bridge and gantry cranes), validity, payment and delivery terms.

## How do you make different quotes comparable?

A sound comparison of overhead crane quotes starts before the offers arrive; four steps expose most differences:

1. Send every manufacturer the same sheet at the same revision; if a value changes, issue the new revision to all.
2. Ask for offers in the same structure: technical data, a scope list (included, excluded, optional) and a deviation list.
3. Keep questions and answers in writing, and tell every bidder about any clarification that changes your request.
4. Where one offer includes an item another leaves out, ask the other bidder to price it, so every figure covers the same scope.

Fill in the checklist below separately for each offer:

| Item | Clearly stated in the quote? | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Runway and rail | Are runway beams, rail, fixings and end stops included; are rail type and length stated? | If excluded, someone else must supply the runway and answer for how it fits the crane. |
| Conductor line and electrical connection | Who supplies the conductor bar or festoon along the runway, the main isolator and the feed cable? | If this line is blank, commissioning waits when the crane arrives. |
| Transport | Delivery point and terms, unloading and storage on site: whose responsibility? | Long girders need their own handling equipment and planning. |
| Installation and commissioning | Are the erection crew, mobile crane, scaffold and the setting of limit switches and overload limiter included? | “Installation included” alone does not say which of these it covers. |
| Load test | Are the static and dynamic tests, test weights and test report written in? | Without test weights, commissioning stalls; the report is the basis for later inspections. |
| Documentation | Are the declaration of conformity for the complete crane, instructions in the language of the country of use, drawings and wiring diagrams listed? | In the EU and Türkiye, lawful putting into service depends on them; so do later repairs. |
| Training | Is training for operators and maintenance staff stated, with its content? | Without training at handover, correct use and daily checks are left to guesswork. |
| Spare parts | Is there a recommended spare parts list with part identification data? | A part that can be identified quickly shortens downtime after a fault. |
| Warranty scope and period | Which parts are covered, how are wear parts treated, does the period start at delivery or commissioning? | If it is not in writing, who covers what after a fault becomes a dispute. |
| Inspection readiness | Are the test report, diagrams and safety-device settings the inspector will ask for handed over? | Missing documents hold up the first inspection and complicate later periodic ones. |

## Which warning signs should you look for in a quote?

None of these proves an offer is poor on its own, but each justifies asking for a written explanation before ordering:

- The offer does not restate the capacity, span and lifting height you asked for, so you cannot check what was priced.
- Your values have changed silently: lower lifting height or speed, but no deviation list.
- Your request had blank fields, yet no questions were asked; the gaps may have been filled with guesses.
- There is no list of exclusions, or only a line such as “anything not listed is by the buyer”.
- A feature you asked for, such as radio control or inverter drives, has been moved to the options.
- Scope lines use open-ended words such as “if required”, “approx.” or “standard” – for example “load test if required”.
- Drawing and text contradict each other, for example on hook height.
- Documentation appears only as “CE certified”, without listing the documents you will receive.

Warning signs about the supplier itself, and questions to ask before signing, are covered in [how to choose an overhead crane manufacturer](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/how-to-choose-an-overhead-crane-manufacturer/).

## How does Ervan Cranes help with a quote?

Founded in 2003, Ervan Cranes designs and manufactures industrial cranes and lifting systems at its facility in Torbalı, İzmir, Türkiye, and commissions them on site. Our [quote form](https://ervancranes.com/en/request-a-quote/) starts with a short form: technical details are optional; leave unknown fields blank and our engineering team will clarify them with you. The form also has a field for attaching drawings or photos.

Our [project design](https://ervancranes.com/en/solutions/project-design/) service covers crane selection by load, span, lifting height and duty class, runway and building interaction, and technical drawings with a calculation report. For our single and double girder [overhead cranes from 1 to 100 t](https://ervancranes.com/en/products/overhead-cranes/), the steel structure and hoist units are fabricated at our Torbalı facility; erection, adjustment, load testing and commissioning take place on site.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do I need exact measurements to request a quote?

Not for a first offer. The hall width, column grid, an approximate lifting height and a few photos are usually enough to define the crane type and scope. Mark estimates as such. Exact dimensions are confirmed from drawings or a site survey before the order; an existing runway should never be reused unmeasured.

### Is the crane runway included in the quote?

It depends on the scope. Some quotes cover the crane only; others also include runway beams, rails, end stops and the conductor line along the runway. Ask for each item to be marked as included, excluded or optional, and for the runway to be priced as a separate line.

### What is most often overlooked when comparing quotes?

Easily overlooked are items left out of the offer and passed to the buyer: the runway conductor line, the feed cable from the main panel, test weights, the mobile crane and scaffolding. They may appear as one short line among the exclusions. Read every exclusion list and have missing items added or shown as separate lines in your comparison.

### Why can't a price be given over the phone?

“A 10 t crane” does not describe one machine. Without span, lifting height, duty class, runway condition and scope of supply, any figure is a guess that may change considerably once the written offer arrives. A short written request and a few clarification questions are the practical route to a comparable quote.

### Is a site survey needed for a quote?

Not always. For a new building with current plans and sections, the offer can be prepared from the drawings. A survey is advisable when an existing runway will be used, an old crane is replaced, headroom is tight or access is unclear. It measures span, rail level and alignment and checks columns, brackets and the installation route.

[Related product ![Double girder overhead crane inside a factory](https://ervancranes.com/uploads/media/2026/10/a293fcb8c201c814c5d1d577-960.webp) Overhead Bridge Cranes View](https://ervancranes.com/en/products/overhead-cranes/) [Get a Quote](https://ervancranes.com/en/request-a-quote/?urun=overhead-cranes) [All articles](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/)

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