How to Verify a Chinese Millwork Factory Before You Order

This page is written for project buyers comparing factories in China. It is the checklist we expect to be measured against, and every item on it can be checked before an order is placed.

1. Ask what happens to your drawings first

A factory that quotes immediately has not read the drawings. The first deliverable should be a written list: what is manufacturable as drawn, what needs clarification, and which dimensions must be verified on site. Ask to see a sample of that list.

2. Check the edge and finish, not the showroom panel

Ask for close-up photographs of exposed edges and shaped components: glue line consistency, whether the edge sits flush, and whether there is chip-out on curved or profiled parts. Curved work separates factories faster than straight work.

3. Ask how a batch is controlled

Panels and edge banding vary between production runs. Ask whether batch records are kept and how a later addition or replacement part is matched to the original run. This is the difference between a supplier and a second source.

4. Ask for the packing plan, not just the price

Packing decides whether a shipment can be reconciled on site: edge and corner protection, part numbering, packing lists, and a loading arrangement that matches how parts are moved and installed. Ask for an example packing list.

5. Separate documentation into two questions

Ask (a) which documents the project requires, and (b) which of those the factory can issue with the shipment. A factory that answers both in writing is easier to work with than one that answers only the first.

6. Test with one part

Before committing a package, ask for one representative part or one room type. It costs little and it reveals more than any factory tour.

7. Ask what the factory does not do

Every factory has scope limits. A supplier that states them clearly is easier to plan around than one that accepts everything. Our own limits are on this site: no architectural wood doors, and installation remains with the project’s trades.

What we can provide at each step

These are the same steps we work through on every enquiry: technical confirmation on drawings, edge and finish checks during production, batch records, a packing plan with part numbering and lists, and a project-level answer on documentation.