| Supplier channel | Compare manufacturers, sourcing agents, and trading companies based on product control, communication, and export support. | The supplier type alone does not establish product quality. Confirm who makes the door set, who inspects it, and who handles export documents. | Factory or production-site details, business documentation, product specifications, and a written statement of each party’s responsibilities. |
| Prehung set contents | List every component included in the quoted price. | A prehung set commonly includes a door slab, frame or jamb, and hinges. Casing, lockset, threshold, and other hardware may be optional or excluded. | An itemized quotation, assembly drawing, hardware schedule, and written confirmation of exclusions. |
| Sample approval | Approve the actual construction, finish, handing, hinge preparation, and frame details before mass production. | A sample can reveal appearance and assembly details, but it does not replace confirmation of production tolerances and the final order specification. | A signed sample or approval record, annotated drawings, finish reference, and a list of agreed dimensions in millimetres. |
| Dimensions and handing | Specify slab size, overall frame size, jamb depth, opening direction, and hinge side using an agreed viewing convention. | There is no single rough-opening allowance suitable for every door system. Use the supplier’s installation drawing and the project’s local building requirements. | Dimensioned shop drawings showing the door, frame, swing, handing, clearances, and stated manufacturing tolerances. |
| Export packaging | Agree protection against abrasion, impact, moisture exposure, and movement during handling and transit. | Packaging should suit the door’s finish, packed dimensions, handling method, and transport route. Cartons, edge protection, separators, and crating needs vary by order. | Packaging photos or a packing specification, package dimensions and gross weights, and clear carton or crate marking requirements. |
| Container planning | Base the loading plan on final packed dimensions, orientation, protection, and weight—not just the door-slab dimensions. | Approximate internal volume is about 33 m³ for a standard 20-foot container and 67 m³ for a standard 40-foot container. Actual usable space and payload depend on equipment and route. | A packing list with package dimensions and weights, plus a proposed container-loading plan confirmed with the freight provider. |
| Shipping terms | Name the agreed Incoterms® rule and the precise named place or port in the contract. | Under Incoterms® 2020, FOB, CIF, and CFR are for sea or inland-waterway transport; FCA can be used for any mode. Under CIF, the seller pays freight and insurance to the named destination port, while risk transfers when goods are on board at shipment. | A pro forma invoice stating the Incoterms® rule, named place or port, shipment responsibilities, and any separately quoted charges. |
| Inspection and timing | Set inspection points and agree when production, inspection, and shipping schedules begin and end. | Production time and ocean transit time are separate. Neither should be treated as a guaranteed delivery date unless the contract clearly defines the commitment and consequences of delay. | A production schedule, pre-shipment inspection criteria, shipment window, and written process for reporting defects or shortages. |
| Documents and compliance | Check import requirements for the destination market, including any applicable fire, safety, or building-code requirements. | Common shipping documents include a commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading. Required certificates, duties, and product rules depend on the destination and product specification. | Draft shipping documents for review, product test reports where required, and confirmation from the importer or customs broker about local requirements. |