Oct 30, 2026
Short answer: when two quotes for the same specification differ by 15%, it is rarely dishonesty — it is usually two or three cost blocks measured on different bases. The usual suspects are UV layer thickness, resin grade, packing method and whether freight is included. Learn to split the six blocks and you will negotiate better than by pushing for a discount.
|
Cost block |
Typical share |
Where it gets quietly changed |
|
1. PC resin |
Largest single item |
Regrind or off-grade resin passed off as virgin; grade not stated |
|
2. UV co-extrusion layer |
5–12% |
Layer cut from 50 μm to 30 μm or thinner — invisible to the eye |
|
3. Additives (FR / diffusion / colour) |
3–10% |
FR board quoted at standard price; diffusion haze not specified |
|
4. Energy and labour |
8–15% |
Line age drives thickness tolerance and surface appearance |
|
5. Packing |
2–6% |
Double-sided vs single-sided PE film; carton vs pallet |
|
6. Inland transport and documents |
3–8% |
Trucking, customs clearance or CO not included in the figure |
Shares are common industry ranges and move with profile, thickness and order size. Ask a supplier for their own split — it tells you more than any published average.
Buyers often extrapolate "price per millimetre", which works at 3 mm and fails badly at 10 mm. Three reasons:
1. Resin share rises with thickness. Processing, packing and documentation are charged per sheet, not per kilogram. Double the thickness and you double the resin while fixed costs stay flat — so cost per kilogram falls and resin share per square metre rises.
2. Tolerance control gets harder. Thick sheet demands a more stable extrusion line; higher scrap rates get priced in.
3. Freight steps up. Containers are weight-limited. Thick sheet often hits the weight cap before the volume cap, pushing unit freight cost up.
The correct comparison is therefore: same thickness, same panel size, same UV layer, same packing, same Incoterm. Align all five, then compare.
Take 8 mm double-sided UV multiwall, 2.1 m × 5.8 m, FOB Chinese port. The percentages below are illustrative only — they explain structure, not any specific price:
• Resin and additives: roughly 60–70%
• UV co-extrusion layer: roughly 6–8%
• Energy and labour: roughly 10–13%
• Packing (double-sided PE film + pallet): roughly 4–5%
• Inland transport and documents: roughly 4–6%
• Factory margin and overhead: roughly 8–12%
Two conclusions follow. First, negotiation room sits in blocks 5, 6 and margin — not in resin. Second, when resin rises 10%, the finished sheet typically rises 6–7%: the dilution effect described in our Q4 price outlook.
1. Thinner or single-sided UV. Yellowing and embrittlement appear after three to five years outdoors — by then the warranty has expired.
2. Regrind content. Invisible at first; two years later light transmission drops and the colour dulls. Thickness checks will not catch it.
3. Downgraded packing. Single-sided film, no pallet: chipped edges and scratched faces after ocean freight, with the loss usually disputed rather than compensated.
4. Incoterm substitution. EXW presented as FOB, or "FOB" with trucking invoiced separately.
Those four items typically account for exactly the 10–15% gap. A low price is not free — it defers the cost until after delivery.
Our quotes state the resin grade and virgin content, UV layer thickness and whether it is single- or double-sided, functional parameters for FR or diffusion grades, packing method, Incoterm and the cost items included, quote validity and repricing trigger. The point is to let you compare line by line instead of comparing one bare number.
Send drawings or specifications and we will issue a line-item quotation for your thickness, colour, panel size and destination port.
Two quotes differ by 15% for apparently identical specifications. Why?
Most often the UV layer thickness, virgin vs regrind resin, packing method or Incoterm differs. Ask both sides to state those four items in writing; the gap usually narrows to 3–5%.
Which costs more per square metre — multiwall or solid?
Solid, by a wide margin, because it uses several times more resin per square metre. But multiwall insulates far better, so for greenhouses and skylights the energy saving can make total cost lower. Choose by application, not by unit price.
Does "UV protected" mean the same thing everywhere?
No. Check whether it is co-extruded or coated, single- or double-sided, and the layer thickness in micrometres. Co-extruded, double-sided and thickness-compliant sheet lasts measurably longer outdoors.
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