Many butterfly valve enquiries still arrive with only three details: size, pressure, and quantity. That is rarely enough for an accurate quotation.
In 2026, industrial buyers are dealing with stricter reliability expectations, more demanding temperature ranges, and more project audits around standards, materials, and testing. At the same time, current standards activity continues to highlight the importance of valve category, service conditions, cryogenic suitability, and application-specific testing.
That means a better RFQ is no longer optional. If you want a faster quote, the right structure, and fewer back-and-forth emails, your butterfly valve request should answer a few practical questions before it reaches the manufacturer.
This checklist is designed for EPC teams, distributors, OEM buyers, and plant engineers who need to source industrial butterfly valves for water, oil and gas, power, chemical, or general process service.
1. Define the Service Clearly
Start with the actual working service, not only the product name.
Include:
- Media type
- Normal operating pressure
- Design pressure
- Normal temperature
- Maximum temperature
- Whether the service is clean, corrosive, abrasive, slurry, steam, vacuum, or low temperature
This is the first filter for valve design. A soft seated wafer butterfly valve for clean water is a different product from a metal seated triple eccentric butterfly valve for high-temperature isolation.
If the application involves low-temperature duty, cryogenic service, or hydrogen-related projects, do not assume a standard butterfly valve build is enough. Ask for the exact construction and testing basis.
2. State Which Butterfly Valve Category You Need
Not all butterfly valves solve the same problem. Buyers should specify the intended valve structure as early as possible.
Typical categories include:
- Resilient seated butterfly valve for general water and utility duty
- Double eccentric or high-performance butterfly valve for higher pressure and improved sealing performance
- Triple eccentric butterfly valve for high temperature, metal seated service, or more demanding shutoff requirements
If you are still comparing options, it is better to say that directly in the RFQ. For example:
Please quote both double eccentric and triple eccentric options for 10-inch Class 150 steam isolation service.
For a quick overview of available product structures, buyers can review our . For higher-temperature or metal seated applications, our is the more relevant starting point.
3. Specify Shutoff Requirement and Flow Direction
One of the biggest quotation mistakes is asking for a butterfly valve without stating the shutoff expectation.
Clarify:
- Whether the valve is for on-off isolation, throttling, or both
- Required leakage standard or shutoff expectation
- Whether bi-directional sealing is required
- Whether dead-end service is required
These points affect seat selection, disc design, torque, and price. They also help prevent a common mismatch: buying a lower-cost valve for a duty that actually needs a higher-performance seat or eccentric design.
4. Confirm Seat Type and Main Materials
Butterfly valve performance depends heavily on seat and trim selection.
Your RFQ should request or confirm:
- Soft seated or metal seated
- Body material
- Disc material
- Stem material
- Seat material
- Required coating or corrosion protection
This matters even more when the project involves:
- High temperature
- Steam
- Corrosive chemicals
- Slurry or solids
- Seawater
- Fire-safe requirements
- Oxidizing chemical service
For example, a buyer asking for a butterfly valve in hydrogen peroxide or aggressive chemical service should not stop at body material. Seat compatibility, trim details, cleaning requirements, and testing basis also matter.
5. Include Standard and Testing Requirements
If your project has a standard or inspection requirement, write it in the RFQ instead of discussing it later.
Common items to state include:
- API 609 or project-specific butterfly valve standard
- Pressure class or flange drilling standard
- Face-to-face standard
- Fire-safe requirement if applicable
- Low-temperature or cryogenic requirement
- NDE, MTC, hydrostatic test, seat test, or PMI requirements
- Third-party inspection requirement
This is where many buyers save time. A manufacturer can quote faster when the standards stack is already clear.
In practice, this also helps when the project team is comparing multiple offers. It is much easier to compare quotations when all suppliers are pricing against the same technical basis.
6. Do Not Forget Actuation and Fail Position
Buyers often focus on the valve body first and only later mention the actuator. That can create avoidable delays.
If actuation is part of the scope, state:
- Manual gear
- Lever
- Pneumatic actuator
- Electric actuator
- Hydraulic actuator
- Required fail-open, fail-close, or fail-in-place position
- Available air supply, voltage, or control signal
Even when the valve itself is standard, actuator sizing can change with seat type, pressure, torque margin, and safety requirement.
7. Ask for the Right Documents With the Quote
An RFQ should request documents that help the buying team approve the offer, not only the unit price.
Useful document requests include:
- General arrangement drawing
- Datasheet
- Material list
- Pressure-temperature rating
- Test plan
- MTC
- Installation or maintenance instructions
- Lead time
- Packing method
- Country of origin if needed for project paperwork
For export or EPC work, these documents often matter as much as the commercial quote.
8. Use Separate RFQ Lines for Different Services
Do not combine dissimilar services into one line item if the technical basis is different.
For example, the following should usually be quoted separately:
- Soft seated water-service butterfly valves
- High-performance double eccentric butterfly valves
- Triple eccentric metal seated valves for steam or thermal oil
- Cryogenic butterfly valves
When buyers combine all of them into one general request, the quotation process slows down and technical clarification multiplies.
A Simple RFQ Format Buyers Can Copy
If your team wants a clean template, this format works well:
Product: Butterfly valve Valve type: Double eccentric / triple eccentric / resilient seated Size: Pressure class: Connection: Wafer / lug / double flange Media: Operating temperature: Maximum temperature: Operation: Manual / pneumatic / electric / hydraulic Seat type: Soft seat / metal seat Leakage requirement: Flow direction requirement: Applicable standard: API 609 / project spec / other Inspection documents required: Quantity: Destination country: Target delivery:
Final Recommendation
The best butterfly valve quote usually starts with the best RFQ, not the lowest opening price.
If your project may involve high temperature, low temperature, cryogenic duty, aggressive chemicals, or stricter shutoff requirements, specify those points at the start. It is faster, more accurate, and safer than correcting the design after the quotation stage.
91探花 supplies industrial butterfly valves for project and distributor requirements. If you are comparing seat types, offset structures, or documentation requirements, send your valve size, pressure class, media, temperature range, and standard requirement to our team. We can help you narrow the right design before you place the order.
FAQ Draft
What should I include in a butterfly valve RFQ?
At minimum, include valve type, size, pressure class, media, temperature, seat type, actuation, standards, document requirements, quantity, and delivery destination.
When should I choose a triple eccentric butterfly valve?
Triple eccentric butterfly valves are commonly considered for higher-temperature service, metal seated duty, and more demanding shutoff requirements than general soft seated valves.
Is API 609 enough to specify a butterfly valve?
API 609 is an important basis, but a complete RFQ should also state materials, seat type, leakage requirement, actuation, inspection documents, and service condition.
Why does cryogenic service need special clarification?
Low-temperature service can affect materials, stem extension, sealing behavior, and testing requirements. Buyers should request confirmation of the exact cryogenic design basis instead of assuming a standard valve build will qualify.
Need a project quote? Send your butterfly valve size, pressure class, media, temperature range, and standard requirement to 91探花 for technical review.