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Quote turnaround statistics for job shops.

There is one measured study of quoting speed and wins, from a single shop. The rest is shop surveys and vendor data. The claim that faster quotes win more is usually repeated without any of it. We give each figure with its sample.

Jeff Weinberg, JRW · Checked 9 July 2026

Speed and winning.

  1. > 50% (link to this figure)

    More than half of one job shop’s winning bids came within three days of the quote going out, across 1,794 RFQs in a year.

    Measured: The Fabricator, 2019. One shop, 1,794 RFQs, one year. Reported September 2019

    The only measured study of quoting speed and wins we found. One shop, so read it as a case study.

    Cite

    JRW, “Quote turnaround statistics for job shops”, https://jrw-tech.com/blog/quote-turnaround-statistics#wins-within-3-days, checked 9 July 2026

  2. 67% (link to this figure)

    Two in three buyers expect a quote within 24 hours, up from 53% the year before.

    Vendor figure: Paperless Parts, 2020. Buyer survey by a quoting-software vendor, 2020

    Cite

    JRW, “Quote turnaround statistics for job shops”, https://jrw-tech.com/blog/quote-turnaround-statistics#buyers-expect-24h-67, checked 9 July 2026

  3. about 2× (link to this figure)

    Quotes sent within 24 hours win about twice as often as quotes sent after 48 hours, by one vendor’s account. A separate dataset showed 32% closed for replies under five minutes and 7% after 24 hours.

    Vendor figure: Uptool, citing Optif AI, 2025. Vendor-reported, method not published

    Our calculator uses a smaller lift per day saved and caps it, so the win rate can never double.

    Cite

    JRW, “Quote turnaround statistics for job shops”, https://jrw-tech.com/blog/quote-turnaround-statistics#fast-quotes-win-2x, checked 9 July 2026

Win rates.

  1. 70% / 51% (link to this figure)

    Median quote-to-book ratio of 70% for the top fifth of shops and 51% for the rest, across more than 450 shop principals.

    Survey: Modern Machine Shop, 2013. Top Shops benchmarking survey, 2013. The 2016 round found 61% and 50%

    Old, but the largest shop survey on the question. Shops quoting repeat work run far higher than shops quoting new RFQs.

    Cite

    JRW, “Quote turnaround statistics for job shops”, https://jrw-tech.com/blog/quote-turnaround-statistics#quote-to-book-70-51, checked 9 July 2026

  2. ~30% (link to this figure)

    A quoting-software vendor puts the average job shop win rate near 30%.

    Vendor figure: Paperless Parts, 2020. Vendor estimate

    Cite

    JRW, “Quote turnaround statistics for job shops”, https://jrw-tech.com/blog/quote-turnaround-statistics#win-rate-30, checked 9 July 2026

From our calculator.

  1. $561,600 (link to this figure)

    Revenue a shop sending 30 quotes a week in three days at a 30% win rate would add in a year by quoting in one. Assumes a 15% win-rate lift per day saved and a $4,000 average order.

    Our default: JRW, 2026

    Quote turnaround calculator. This is a model output. The order value and win rate are placeholders for yours.

    Cite

    JRW, “Quote turnaround statistics for job shops”, https://jrw-tech.com/blog/quote-turnaround-statistics#jrw-quote-revenue, checked 9 July 2026

The labels.

  • Measured. Call logs, records or a trial, with a stated sample, from someone not selling a fix for the problem measured.
  • Measured, vendor data. A vendor’s own platform data, with a stated sample.
  • Survey. A survey or secret-shopper study, with a stated sample.
  • Official. Government statistics, statutes and regulations.
  • Legal analysis. A law firm’s or court’s account of a law or ruling. Not legal advice for your state.
  • Vendor figure. Published or repeated by a company that sells a related product, with no independent check. Some have no primary source we could find; the note says which. Where a calculator starts from one, its defaults table says so.
  • JRW engagement. Measured in one of our own client engagements. We sell the work being measured, so read it as one practice’s result, not a benchmark.
  • Our default. A number we chose, or a JRW calculator’s output at its default settings. The calculator page shows the assumptions.

To cite a figure, copy its cite line. Anchors are stable. Corrections: jeff@jrw-tech.com.

Questions.

Is there a published average quote volume for job shops?
No. The figures that circulate are worked examples. Count your RFQs for a month.
Does quoting faster win more?
The measured evidence is one shop’s year of RFQs, where more than half of wins came within three days of quoting, plus buyer surveys saying they expect a quote within a day. The doubling figures are vendor claims. The sources agree on the direction but not the size, so the calculator lets you set the lift and caps it.
What is a good win rate?
It depends on what you quote. Top Shops found 70% for the top fifth and 51% for the rest, mostly repeat work. A vendor estimate for shops quoting open RFQs is near 30%. Use your own ratio from last quarter.
Can I cite these?
Cite The Fabricator, Modern Machine Shop or the vendors for their figures. Cite JRW for the calculator output and this page.

See what a faster quote is worth to your shop.

The calculator takes your quote volume, win rate and days to quote.

Open the quote turnaround calculator

Related: Quote turnaround in a job shop: the three delays · Quote turnaround calculator · AI quoting and order entry for job shops