A plank floor can be quoted from a few lines of text. A custom parquet floor cannot. Every piece has a shape, a size, an edge profile and a place in the layout, and none of that can be guessed from a photograph. The drawing is the specification. When it is complete, the factory can review the cut, price it and make a sample that shows the real pattern. When it is not, the first reply is a list of questions. This guide sets out what a factory needs to see in a parquet drawing, how borders are handled, and how the review works from drawing to approved sample.
What “parquet cut to drawing” means
At Vu Uy Wood, parquet is one of four formats, alongside plank, herringbone and chevron. Plank, herringbone and chevron follow defined geometries. Parquet is cut to a drawing the buyer supplies, for borders, parquet fields and custom layouts where the pattern itself becomes a design feature.
That covers a wide range of work: repeating geometric fields, panels, framed floors, borders around a plank or herringbone field, and one-off layouts for a single room. Our Showcase page shows examples of pattern work produced in the factory, including basket weave, Versailles panel and herringbone. What any custom layout has in common is that the drawing, not a catalog, defines the pieces. Whether a specific design suits production is confirmed when the drawing is reviewed and quoted.
What the drawing must show
A useful parquet drawing answers every question the cutting line will ask. The table below lists what we look for.
| Drawing item | What to show | Why the factory needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Piece shapes | Every distinct piece, drawn and numbered | Each shape is a separate cutting setup |
| Piece dimensions | Length, width and angles for each piece, in inches and millimeters | Pieces must close up without gaps across the whole field |
| Thickness and construction | Overall thickness, wear layer, solid or engineered | Sets the build and the machining route |
| Edge profile per edge | Which edges carry T&G and which are square edge | Profile decides fit and installation method |
| Grain direction | An arrow on each piece | Grain direction is part of the pattern’s look |
| Color per piece | One color reference, or which pieces take which reference | Multi-tone patterns need each tone approved |
| Quantity per piece | Count of each piece, or area per pattern with the repeat | Pieces are cut and packed by type |
| Layout plan | Room plan with the pattern placed, a start point and centerlines | Shows how the repeat meets walls and thresholds |
| Borders and transitions | Frame width, corner detail, meeting points with other floors | Borders are often cut separately from the field |
A dimensioned PDF is the minimum. If a CAD file exists, send it with the PDF so dimensions can be read directly rather than scaled.
Piece geometry
The single most important item is the piece list. Draw each distinct piece once, give it a number and dimension it fully: length, width and every angle that is not 90 degrees. Angled pieces need the angle stated, not only drawn. If two pieces look the same but differ by a small amount, give them different numbers. The cutting setup follows the piece list exactly.
Edge profile
Our standard profile is Tongue & Groove on all four sides, and square edge is available on request. In parquet, the profile may differ from piece to piece: a field piece may be profiled on all edges while a border piece has a square edge where it meets a wall. Mark the profile on each edge. The profile also decides how the floor can be installed, so the installer should confirm it before the order. See square edge vs micro-bevel for how edge treatment changes the look of a pattern floor.
Grain direction and color
In a parquet field, grain direction is part of the design. Two identical pieces laid at right angles read as two different tones under directional light, even in the same color. Mark grain direction on every piece.
If the pattern uses more than one color, each color needs its own reference and its own approval. More than one format can be produced within one order using the same approved color reference, so a parquet border and a plank field can share a single color standard when the design calls for it.
Borders
Borders deserve their own section of the drawing, because they are where a pattern meets the room. Show:
- Frame width, and whether it is one board or several strips.
- Corner detail: mitered corners, a square corner block, or another detail.
- The meeting line between border and field, and which side takes any adjustment.
- Transitions to other rooms, formats or materials, and any thresholds.
A border drawn only as a line on a floor plan leaves the corner and the adjustment open. Those are the two details most likely to cause a question later.
How the review works
A parquet drawing goes through the same order process as any other specification, with the drawing reviewed at the start:
- Drawing and specification received. The drawing is reviewed together with the written specification: construction, thickness, grade, color, texture, sheen and finish.
- Questions back. Anything missing or unclear is raised before pricing, so the quotation reflects the actual design.
- Quotation. Pricing follows the piece list, the profile and the finishing route. Any pieces that do not suit production are identified at this stage.
- Sample. A sample is made with the intended production finish so the pattern, color and profile can be checked together.
- Approval. The approved sample becomes the master reference for production.
- Production and dry lay. Patterns are shown during dry lay in the factory before packing, which is the point to confirm that pieces close up as drawn.
The review and sample steps follow the same logic as for other pattern floors. The herringbone specification guide and chevron vs herringbone explain how fixed geometry affects those formats.
Common gaps in parquet drawings
- A rendering or photograph with no dimensions.
- Piece sizes given, but angles missing.
- No indication of which edges are profiled.
- A total area with no count per piece.
- Borders shown without corner details.
- No start point or centerline, so the repeat meets the walls in an unknown place.
- Grain direction left open on a pattern that depends on it.
Each is quick to add. Sent with the first request, they save a full round of questions.
Working with Vu Uy Wood
We manufacture solid and engineered French White Oak flooring to buyer specification in Song Than 3 Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, and have done so since 2006, with parquet cut to buyer drawings alongside plank, herringbone and chevron. Select Parquet as the format on the Specify page and send the drawing with your request, or use the contact page if the drawing set is large. The drawing is reviewed together with the specification. Every pattern, with produced and made-to-order sizes, is listed in our product catalog. We normally reply within one working day.