A request for quote stands or falls on the detail it carries. For Wood Grain Melamine Cabinets, two projects with the same layout drawing can produce quotes that differ widely once the board specification, grain direction and hardware are left open. The buyer who spells out those variables up front gets comparable prices; the buyer who does not ends up comparing three quotations that describe three different products.
The checklist below reflects what we need from project buyers at SANTERSON, a China-based furniture and building materials manufacturer working on villa, apartment and hospitality projects. Use it as a template for your next cabinet enquiry, whether the order covers a single kitchen or a full apartment block.
Start with the project, not the product
Before listing dimensions, tell the supplier what the cabinets are for. A residential kitchen renovation and a serviced-apartment fit-out are specified differently: one is judged by household wear, the other by repeated use across many identical units and by how quickly replacements can be matched later. State the project type, location, unit count and target delivery window in the first paragraph of your RFQ. Buyers who send only a rendering and a quantity routinely receive prices that shift after the first technical review.
Specify the wood grain surface precisely
"Wood grain melamine" covers a wide range of decorative papers, embossing depths and gloss levels. A quote that simply repeats your product title tells you nothing about what is being priced. In the RFQ, define:
- Grain pattern and tone — oak, walnut or another species look, and whether the tone should read light, mid or dark. Attach a reference photo or a supplier code where one exists.
- Surface texture — smooth finish or registered embossing that follows the grain line; the two behave differently under kitchen lighting and around fingerprints.
- Gloss level — matte or high gloss. Our Matte Melamine Cabinets and High Gloss Melamine Cabinets are separate lines for exactly this reason.
- Grain direction and matching — whether doors in a run should be book-matched or grain-aligned, and whether off-cut areas may vary slightly. This matters most on wide slab fronts, similar to our Minimalist Slab Melamine Cabinets.
- Edge treatment — matching ABS edge banding on all four edges, with the colour and radius stated; ask how visible the seam is on dark grains.
Name the substrate and construction you expect
The decorative face is only half of the panel. Your RFQ should state the core board the supplier should quote, the panel thickness for carcases and doors, and the backing specification. If you have no preference, ask the supplier to quote two substrate options with a note on which suits humid zones such as laundry areas or coastal villas, and confirm that the quoted board suits the intended use. Buyers comparing quotes from different factories should check that both are quoting the same core, not just the same surface colour.
Send drawings, not photographs
Made-to-measure cabinetry is priced from dimensions. Attach what you have at RFQ stage:
- Room elevations or a measured layout with overall run lengths, heights and depths.
- Appliance schedule with model numbers for anything built in, so cut-outs and ventilation gaps are quoted correctly.
- Interior configuration per unit: drawer stacks, shelf spacing, corner solutions, integrated laundry or pantry tall units.
- For multi-unit projects, one typical-unit drawing plus a count of each variant.
If your drawings are still at concept stage, say so. A supplier can price from partial information with the assumptions written down; what you cannot do is compare quotes built on different assumptions.
Ask for an itemised quote
A single lump-sum number hides where the money goes. Request a breakdown covering doors, carcases, worktops if included, hardware brand and model, delivery to site or port, and installation support if offered. Itemisation also lets you decide later whether to change a handle spec or downgrade an interior fitting without reopening the whole negotiation.
| RFQ item | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|
| Grain pattern, texture and gloss level | Different decorative papers and embossing lines are priced differently; matte and high gloss are separate product families. |
| Substrate and panel thickness | Core board choice drives both cost and suitability for humid or high-use areas. |
| Edge banding specification | Matching ABS edges with stated radius add processing steps that a bare "melamine panel" price omits. |
| Hardware brand and model | Hinges and runners vary several-fold in price; naming them makes quotes comparable. |
| Unit count and repetition | Repeated identical units are faster to produce than one-off bespoke sizes. |
| Delivery terms and destination | Port-versus-door delivery, packaging standard and container loading plan all affect the landed figure. |
Cover logistics and site conditions
Cabinetry is bulky, heavy and easily damaged at the corners, so the commercial terms matter as much as the product. In the RFQ state your Incoterms preference, destination port or site address, and whether the receiving point has lift access for long carcase panels. Ask how the cabinets are packed — flat-pack versus assembled boxes, corner protection, and how spares are included. For international orders, our Logistics & Door-to-Door Delivery service covers freight arrangements through to delivery, which is worth raising at quote stage rather than after production starts.
Set the approval sequence in writing
A good RFQ also proposes how the order will be approved. Ask for a sample door or finish board before full production, and state who signs it off. For multi-unit projects, agree that a first article or one complete test unit is reviewed before the remaining units are released. Suppliers working to a Custom & OEM process can match finishes and adjust details at this stage; once panels are cut, changes become claims instead of edits.
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask for a physical sample before signing a quote?
Yes, at least for the door front. Wood grain melamine photographs poorly and screen colours vary; a physical board lets you check tone, embossing depth and how the edge banding matches the surface. Budget time for sample shipping in your schedule.
What drawings are enough at RFQ stage?
Measured elevations with overall dimensions, plus an appliance list. Detailed shop drawings normally come after the quote is accepted; at RFQ stage the supplier needs enough to price fairly and state assumptions.
How do I compare quotes from different factories?
Compare item by item, not totals. Check that each quote names the same substrate, edge treatment, hardware model and delivery terms. A lower total usually comes from one of these variables being quoted differently.
Can the same wood grain be matched years later for an extension?
Decorative papers can change over time, so record the exact surface reference in your project file and ask the supplier to confirm availability when planning phased work. For projects that may expand, our team keeps finish references with the production records.
Send your drawings, finish references and quantities to us through the contact page, and we will return an itemised quote for Wood Grain Melamine Cabinets with the substrate, hardware and delivery assumptions stated line by line.