What is a request for quote (RFQ) in the building-materials industry?

A request for quote (RFQ) is a customer asking a distributor to price a list of products for a job — often a contractor, builder, or smaller dealer. It shows up in all kinds of formats: an email, a spreadsheet, a PDF takeoff, a text, even a voice note. Unlike a retail order, it can't just be rung up — each item has to be found in the catalog, checked for stock, and priced to that customer's terms, which is what makes turning an RFQ into a quote quickly and accurately.