Cost Factors in Custom Sweater Manufacturing

When you send a sweater design out for quotes, the prices that come back can vary widely, and reading those RFQ responses correctly is a skill. This guide focuses on the quoting and RFQ side of custom sweater costs: what factories are pricing, why quotes differ, and how to compare them fairly. For the underlying cost drivers in depth, see our custom knitwear cost factors guide; here we focus on the quote itself.

Two quotes for the same sweater can differ 30% and both be honest. The skill is knowing what each factory actually priced.

A sweater RFQ price is usually quoted per piece, FOB, at a given quantity. But what sits inside that number varies between factories, which is why quotes are hard to compare at face value:

When two factories quote very different prices, the usual reasons are:

• Yarn grade: one quoted a cheaper yarn for the same fiber name
• Quantity assumed: different MOQ tiers produce different unit prices
• Inclusions: one bundled labels/packaging, the other did not
• Incoterm: an FOB and a DDP quote are not comparable
• Construction: fully-fashioned vs cut-and-sew, see our construction guide

A cheaper quote often means a cheaper yarn or fewer inclusions, not a better deal.

To get quotes you can actually compare, specify the same basis for everyone:

• Exact yarn (fiber, composition, ideally grade or a reference)
• Gauge and construction method
• Quantity (and per-color split)
• What to include (labels, packaging, sampling)
• Incoterm (FOB is standard)

A complete tech pack is the best way to ensure every factory prices the same product.

Line up quotes on the same basis before judging price. Normalize for Incoterm, confirm the yarn grade matches, check what is bundled, and confirm the quantity tier. The right choice is the best value at your quality standard, not the lowest number, see how to assess the factory itself in our vetting guide.

If quotes come back over budget, the levers are the same as the cost drivers: simplify construction, adjust yarn grade, consolidate colors, or increase quantity for a better tier. Share your target openly, good factories propose how to hit it. See the full breakdown in our cost factors guide.

Licheng Knitwear provides transparent, itemized FOB quotes so B2B buyers can compare fairly and design to a target. Request a quote with your spec and quantity.