Many flooring quotes are slow because the first request leaves out something the price depends on. The factory then replies with questions instead of a number, and each round of questions adds days. This checklist sets out what to put in the first RFQ, in the same order a made-to-order factory works through a specification.
Why a complete RFQ gets a faster, firmer quote
A made-to-order hardwood floor is priced from its build, not from a catalog line. The thickness of the oak wear layer, the type of core, the grade yield, the format, the machining and every finishing step all change the cost. When one of these is missing, the factory has two options: ask, or assume. Asking costs a round trip. Assuming produces a quote you cannot compare fairly with another supplier’s, because each one filled the gap differently.
A complete RFQ also protects you later. The specification you send becomes the basis of the sample, and the approved sample becomes the basis of production. Gaps at the start tend to reappear as disagreements at inspection.
The order below follows the decision sequence on our Specify page: construction, species, format, width, grade, finish, then quantity and delivery.
If a term on the quotation is unfamiliar, see the engineered flooring terms glossary.
1. Construction and thickness
State which construction you need:
- Solid: one piece of oak through the full thickness, with no core. Best suited to narrower boards and projects where repeated sanding and refinishing matters.
- 2-layer engineered: a sawn oak wear layer bonded to a stable plywood core. A practical choice where floor height is limited, and common for herringbone and chevron.
- 3-layer engineered: an oak wear layer over a cross-layered core with a backing layer, suited to wider boards and larger open areas.
Then give the overall thickness and, for engineered, the wear layer. If you are flexible, say so. It lets the factory quote a build it already runs.
| Build | Overall thickness | Wear layer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineered | 5/8” (15mm) | 3mm sawn | Current production |
| Engineered | 3/4” (20mm) | 6mm sawn | Current production |
| Other | 3/8” (10mm) to 13/16” (21mm) | To specification | Made to order |
2. Species
Name the species and, if it matters to your market, the cut. Our range is built on French White Oak. If you have a preference for rift and quarter, plain sawn or mixed grain, include it; if not, say that the cut is open.
3. Format
The pattern affects machining, yield and packing, so it must be in the first message:
- Plank: straight lay, random length.
- Herringbone: 90-degree pattern with left and right blocks.
- Chevron: mitered ends, and you need to state the angle, 45° or 30°.
- Parquet: cut to a drawing you supply.
If the project uses more than one format, list each one with its own quantity. More than one format can be produced within one order using the same approved color reference.
4. Width and length
Give the face width in inches and millimeters so there is no rounding question. Widths we have already run include 3-1/4” (83mm), 3-1/2” (89mm), 5” (127mm), 6” (152mm), 7-1/2” (190mm), 9” (229mm) and 9-1/4” (235mm). Other widths from 3” (76mm) to 12” (305mm) are made to order.
For length, say whether you want random length (12” to 86”, or 300 to 2200mm) or fixed length. Fixed length and long boards to 118” (3000mm) are cut to order. For herringbone and chevron, give the block length or send the drawing.
5. Grade
Grade controls how much natural character shows on the face, and it has a direct effect on yield and price. Use one of the four names and describe what you expect to see:
- Premium: clean, quiet face with very few knots.
- Select: small sound knots with gentle color variation.
- Natural: visible knots and natural color movement.
- Rustic: larger sound knots, stronger color variation, filled natural features.
Grade names are not identical across suppliers, so a reference photo or a board you have approved before helps. Our grades explained article covers the trade-offs in more detail.
6. Color reference
Give one of two things:
- A library code and name from our collection of 211 colors, for example VU-NR-019 Natural Oak.
- Your own reference: a physical board, a fan deck reference or a photograph. The color is developed against it and a sample is made for approval.
Photographs are a starting point, not a standard. Screens shift color, so the final approval should always be made on a physical sample. See why color is approved on a physical sample.
7. Surface texture, sheen and finish
These three are often lumped together as “finish”, but each changes the process:
- Texture: Smooth, Light Wire Brushed, Medium Wire Brushed, Wire Brushed, or Wire Brushed with Cross Marks.
- Sheen: Matte, Extra Matte or Ultra Matte.
- Finish system: Unfinished (for site-applied finish), Clear UV, Color UV, or Color and Effect UV (for example smoke, wash or a two-tone reaction).
If the installer will finish on site, say so clearly, because an unfinished board is supplied sanded and ready for site-applied finishing rather than stained and UV-cured on the line.
8. Quantity and destination
Quantity and destination are needed for a firm quotation. Give quantity in sq ft for each SKU, not only a project total. Then give the delivery address or the destination port. If you already have a preferred trade term, state it, since it changes what the price includes.
9. Drawings and supporting documents
Attach anything that removes a guess:
- Parquet and border drawings, or herringbone and chevron layouts
- Photos of the look you want, clearly marked as reference only
- Your compliance requirements for the destination market
- Carton and labeling requirements if the program is private label
A drawing is reviewed together with the specification, so it is better sent with the first request than after the quote.
The one-page RFQ checklist
| Item | A complete answer looks like | What happens if it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 2-layer engineered | Core and cost are assumed |
| Thickness and wear layer | 3/4” (20mm), 6mm wear | Price cannot be fixed |
| Species and cut | French White Oak, cut open | Grain look is guessed |
| Format | Herringbone, left and right blocks | Machining is not quoted |
| Width and length | 5” (127mm), block length per drawing | Yield is guessed |
| Grade | Select | Face appearance disputed later |
| Color | Library code, or your physical board | Sample plan is unclear |
| Texture and sheen | Medium Wire Brushed, Extra Matte | Finishing steps are assumed |
| Finish system | Color UV | Line route is unknown |
| Quantity | Sq ft per SKU | No firm quotation |
| Destination | Delivery address or port | Delivery basis is open |
| Drawings | Attached PDF | Extra round of questions |
What slows a quote down
- “Oak, engineered, light color” with no thickness, width or grade.
- A total quantity for a project that mixes plank and herringbone.
- A color given only as a photo from a website or a phone screen.
- A chevron request with no angle.
- Texture and sheen described with a single word such as “natural”.
Each is easy to answer. They only cost time when answered one email at a time.
Working with Vu Uy Wood
Vu Uy Wood manufactures solid and engineered French White Oak flooring to buyer specification in Song Than 3 Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, and has done so since 2006. The Specify page walks through each decision above and turns your selections into a written specification you can send as a request for quotation. If you include a drawing, it is reviewed together with the specification. We normally reply within one working day.