Why Getting a PCB Budgetary Quote Early On is Critical

Getting a budgetary quote for your printed circuit board (PCB) design project as early as possible in the development process is crucial for several reasons:

1. It helps align expectations between you and your PCB design and manufacturing partners from the start
2. It allows you to allocate an appropriate budget for your project and avoid cost overruns later on
3. It enables you to make key design decisions upfront to optimize your board for your target cost
4. It provides a benchmark to evaluate your design against as you progress through development

Failing to get a PCB budgetary quote early can lead to unpleasant surprises, delays, and design re-spins that drain your budget and schedule. By engaging with your PCB supplier and getting a quote in the initial planning and architecture phase, you set your project up for success.

Key Factors That Impact a PCB Budgetary Quote

Several factors go into determining a budgetary quote for a PCB design project. Having a grasp of these levers enables you to have a productive discussion with your supplier and make informed decisions. The main cost drivers include:

1. Board Size

The larger the PCB, the more it will cost, all else being equal. Bigger boards require more raw materials and are more expensive to manufacture. Common PCB sizes and costs include:

PCB Size (sq in)	Approx. Cost Adder
1 – 10	–
11 – 30	+15%
31 – 50	+30%
51 – 100	+50%
>100	Custom Quote

2. Number of Layers

Each additional copper layer adds cost and manufacturing complexity to the board. More layers require additional fabrication steps, materials, and time. Typical layer counts and relative costs are:

Layer Count	Relative Cost	Common Applications
1	0.5X	Very simple circuits
2	1.0X	Basic digital boards
4	1.2X	Most common – digital/analog
6	1.5X	Dense boards, high speed digital
8+	2.0X+	Complex boards, high density

3. Material Type

The choice of laminate material has a big impact on cost, with high performance laminates commanding a significant premium over standard FR-4. Typical material choices include:

Material	Relative Cost	Characteristics
Standard FR-4	1.0X	Tg 130-140C, Dk 4.2-4.5
Mid-Tg FR-4	1.1X	Tg 150-170C, Dk 4.2-4.5
High-Tg FR-4	1.2X	Tg >170C, Dk 4.2-4.5
Isola 370HR	1.5X	Tg 180C, Dk 4.0, Low CTE
Rogers 4350B	2.0X	Tg >280C, Dk 3.5, Low loss
PTFE/ceramic	3.0X+	Tg >300C, Dk <3.0, Ultra low loss

4. Min Hole Size

Smaller drilled hole sizes add cost, with extra small holes requiring specialized equipment and processing. Standard thru-hole sizes and costs are:

Finished Hole Size (in)	Relative Cost
>0.020	1.0X
0.015 – 0.020	1.2X
0.010 – 0.015	1.5X
<0.010	2.0X+

5. Surface Finishes

The choice of PCB surface finish affects both cost and lead-times. Typical finishes include:

Finish	Relative Cost	Lead-time Adder
HASL	1.0X	–
ENIG	1.3X	+1 day
Immersion Silver	1.2X	+1 day
Immersion Tin	1.4X	+2 days
Hard gold (ENEPIG)	2.0X	+3 days
Soft gold (ENIG+Au)	2.5X	+4 days

6. Special Requirements

Any non-standard requirements will increase costs and lead-times. Examples include:

• Tight tolerances
• Controlled impedance
• Fine line/space
• Blind/buried vias
• Heavy copper weights
• Unique board thickness
• High aspect ratio drilling

The cost impact depends on the specifics of the requirement. In general, tighter specs and finer features drive higher costs.

How to Get the Most Accurate PCB Budgetary Quote

To get the most accurate PCB budgetary quote and set your project up for success, follow these best practices:

1. Engage with your PCB supplier as early as possible, ideally in the architecture and planning phase before committing to a design

2. Provide as much detail as you can about your PCB requirements, including:

3. Board size (dimensions)

4. Layer count
5. Material type
6. Surface finish
7. Overall quantity needed
8. Target cost

9. Any special requirements

10. If you have a preliminary schematic or layout, share it with your supplier under an NDA. This helps them identify any design for manufacturability (DFM) issues that could impact cost.

11. Be prepared to make tradeoffs between cost and performance. Your supplier can guide you on the cost impact of different design choices.

12. Get quotes from multiple suppliers to validate the budgetary estimates and get a competitive bid. Be sure to normalize the quotes by specs to do an apples-to-apples comparison.

13. Build in some buffer in your budget for the unexpected. A good rule of thumb is to add 20-30% contingency to the budgetary quote.

By partnering closely with your PCB supplier and proactively getting budgetary quotes early and often, you can keep your project on-track and on-budget, and avoid late-stage surprises.

FAQ on PCB Budgetary Quotes

What’s the difference between a budgetary and firm quote?

A budgetary quote is a rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimate based on preliminary information, while a firm quote is a contractual commitment based on the actual design files (gerbers, drill files, fab drawings). A budgetary quote is used for initial planning and can vary by 20-30%, while a firm quote is typically held to within 10% of the final price.

How long does it take to get a PCB budgetary quote?

Most PCB suppliers can provide a budgetary quote within 24-48 hours of receiving your request and preliminary information. The more details you can provide upfront, the faster and more accurate the quote will be.

What if my design changes after getting a budgetary quote?

It’s normal for designs to evolve, especially early in the development process. Most budgetary quotes are non-binding and allow for some changes. However, if there are significant changes to the board stack-up, layer count, materials, etc. it’s best to request an updated budgetary quote so there are no big surprises later on.

Are budgetary quotes free?

Yes, budgetary quotes are almost always free from PCB suppliers. They view it as part of the pre-sales support process and a way to build the relationship with a potential customer. Only if there is an extensive amount of custom engineering or dfm analysis required would a supplier potentially charge for a budgetary quote, but this is quite rare.

What if the firm quote comes back much higher than the budgetary quote?

If there is a big disconnect between the budgetary and firm quotes, first double-check that the specs and assumptions are consistent. If they are, then it’s likely that something changed in the design that is adding significant cost. Review the design changes with your supplier to identify the cost drivers. If needed, consider making modifications to bring the price back in line with the budget, or see if there is any flexibility to increase the budget. The key is to have open and honest communication with your supplier to determine the best path forward.