How do I start ordering custom furniture and wood products from a Chinese factory?
Confidence 4/5 Established practice · review by 2026-12-31
A workable first order follows the same sequence in every category: fix the specification in writing including tolerance and finish; decide the quantity against the minimum above; get a physical sample approved before any mass production; agree tooling ownership and payment terms in writing; arrange inspection before the balance is paid; and confirm the HS code and the destination labelling requirements before the goods ship rather than after. For custom furniture and wood products the two details that most often delay a first order are quoting per unit and ignoring cubic volume and assuming flat-pack design is free; it needs engineering and hardware, and it changes the product experience.
Sources
- Furniture MOQ, lead time and freight-volume practice — Industry practice; varies widely by material and construction
- Furniture under HS chapter 94 — World Customs Organization HS nomenclature
- Formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood — US EPA TSCA Title VI
- Phytosanitary requirements for wood packaging and solid wood — International Plant Protection Convention ISPM 15
What goes wrong with custom furniture and wood products
- Quoting per unit and ignoring cubic volume.
- Assuming flat-pack design is free; it needs engineering and hardware, and it changes the product experience.
- Composite wood panels without CARB or TSCA documentation for the US market.
- Solid wood without heat treatment and the associated phytosanitary certificate.
- Not budgeting for the assembly instructions and the hardware kit, both of which are part of the product.
Related questions people ask
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