10 Mistakes Buyers Make When Ordering FRP Grating

These are the recurring errors in quotation traffic — each with its one-line fix.

1. Ordering to nominal span, not clear span. Fix: measure between supports; quote that number.
2. Not naming the resin. “FRP grating, green” prices ortho. Fix: name the system — it is the biggest cost and life decision.
3. Buying on steel price logic. Steel quotes compare material; FRP's value is lifecycle. Fix: present the 20-year model to whoever holds the budget.
4. Forgetting fixings. The deck arrives; the clips don't. Fix: clips and 316 hardware on the same PO — ~3–5 % of package value.
5. Skipping the load table. Accepting catalogue performance for a modified panel. Fix: demand the panel-specific signed table.
6. Over-specifying depth, under-specifying resin. A 50 mm ortho panel in acid duty dies before a 38 mm vinyl ester — spend on resin first, depth second.
7. Ignoring cut direction on pultruded panels. Bearing bars must run perpendicular to supports. Fix: mark span direction on every drawing.
8. Ordering stock sheets for complex layouts. Site cutting eats 10–20 % waste and weeks. Fix: pay for factory cut-to-schedule; it's the cheapest fabrication on earth.
9. No written chemical confirmation. The resistance chart is a selection aid. Fix: the supplier confirms your media list in writing before the order.
10. Comparing quotes on different incoterms. FOB vs DDP differ by the whole logistics leg. Fix: normalize to landed cost per m².

Print this list into your RFQ template and most of it enforces itself.