What Should an RFQ for Custom Wooden Products Include?

Updated October 2026 By Ninghai Bohong Arts & Crafts Co., Ltd.

A request for quotation (RFQ) for a custom wooden product should state the product and its use, the size with tolerances, the wood species and finish, the logo and how it is applied, the packing and labels, the documents your market needs (for example an EN 71 report for a toy), the quantity range, the trade term and destination, and your shipping window. With those fields filled in, a supplier can quote in one round instead of several.

This guide gives a field-by-field checklist you can copy into your own RFQ, points out which fields change the price most, and shows how Ninghai Bohong Arts & Crafts Co., Ltd. handles a custom request. It is general guidance, not legal advice; check the rules for your market with your compliance adviser or test laboratory.

What must every RFQ for a wooden product state?

Use this table as the core of the RFQ. A blank field usually comes back as a question from the supplier, and every round of questions costs time.

Field	What to write	Why it matters
Product and use	Product type, where it is sold, indoor or outdoor, who uses it (adults, or children of a stated age)	Decides construction, finish and which rules apply
Size	Overall dimensions in mm and the tolerance you accept; a drawing or a reference sample if you have one	Size drives material use and carton size
Wood or bamboo	Preferred species, or “supplier to propose”; whether FSC-certified material is required	Species changes price, weight and availability
Finish and colour	Natural, stained or sprayed colour; a colour reference such as a Pantone or RAL code	Colour matching needs a reference, not a description
Logo and artwork	Vector file, size, position and method (for example engraving)	Method and position change the set-up work
Packing	Unit pack, carton type, printing, units per carton, any transit test	Packing is a real part of the landed cost
Labels and markings	Text and identifiers that must appear on the product, packaging or documents	Required in many markets; see below
Documents	Test reports, FSC claim, EUDR data, other papers your customer asks for	Some take weeks; plan them into the timeline
Quantity	A range (first order and expected yearly volume) and the number of designs or colours	Unit price depends on volume per design
Trade term and destination	Incoterms rule, destination port or address, shipping window	Decides who pays freight, insurance and duties

How do you specify wood, finish and size?

Name the species if you have one in mind, and say whether the supplier may propose another. Species differ in colour, weight and price, so an RFQ that says only “solid wood” brings back quotes that cannot be compared.

At Bohong the species is chosen per project from pine, beech, poplar, paulownia, oak, maple, walnut, acacia, cedar, teak, sapele or bamboo; species and availability are confirmed per project. The finish is natural, stained or sprayed colour. FSC-certified material is available on request under our FSC® chain of custody certificate (BV-COC-179312); not every product is FSC.

Size: give the overall size and the dimensions that must not change, for example the inside of a box that has to hold an insert. State the tolerance.
Finish: say where it goes (all faces, or visible faces only) and send a physical colour sample if the shade matters.
Use conditions: outdoor use, bathrooms and children’s products each change the finish and the construction. Say which applies.

What should the RFQ say about logos, labels and packing?

For a logo, send a vector file and state the size, position and method. Engraving is done in our own workshop; other methods are confirmed with your quote.

Labels need more attention since the EU General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, began to apply on 13 December 2024. Consumer products must carry a type, batch or serial number or another element that identifies them, and the manufacturer’s name, registered trade name or trademark, with a postal and an electronic address. A product sold in the EU also needs an economic operator established in the EU, such as the importer or an authorised representative, who is responsible for it. Put the exact label text and its position in the RFQ, so the supplier can quote the printing and the carton artwork.

For packing, name the unit pack and the carton. At Bohong the options are brown, white or printed colour boxes, shrink wrap, bubble bags and foam inserts, printed with your artwork. Within our FSC scope, cartons and labels can be supplied as FSC 100%, Mix or Recycled. If your retailer requires a transit test, name it: the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) publishes test series from basic integrity tests such as ISTA 1A to general simulation tests. See Packing & shipping.

Which compliance documents should you ask for up front?

Ask in the RFQ, not after the order. A test report covers the tested model only, so the real question is whether a report exists for your model or has to be arranged.

Product or claim	Document to ask for	What to check
Toy sold in the EU	EN 71-1, -2, -3 test report for the model, and the basis for CE marking	Model, material and laboratory match your product; age grading
FSC claim on the product	FSC certificate and the claim on the invoice	Scope and validity in the FSC public certificate database
Wooden product in EUDR scope	Species, country of harvest, supplier records and geolocation data	Your customs broker confirms scope by customs code
Consumer product sold in the EU	Label text, product identifier, the EU operator to be named	Who appears on the label and in the documents

Bohong holds EN 71-1, -2, -3 reports for two tested models, a children’s wooden stool and a wooden reward star badge, both ages 3 and up. Testing for a new model is arranged per order with a third-party laboratory; we have worked with Bureau Veritas and DL Testing. Testing typically takes one to two weeks after the samples reach the lab. We do not claim EN 71 or CE for models without a test report. More in how to check EN 71 when sourcing wooden toys and the EUDR data guide.

Which trade term and shipping details belong in the RFQ?

Name an Incoterms® rule and a place. Incoterms 2020, published by the International Chamber of Commerce, has eleven rules. FOB, FAS, CFR and CIF are meant for sea and inland waterway transport; rules such as FCA, CPT and CIP can be used for any mode of transport. Many container shipments are still bought FOB, so agree the rule with your forwarder before you send the RFQ.

Bohong ships from Ningbo port. Trade terms are FOB, CIF or DDP, agreed per order and confirmed with your quote, and loading is planned as a full or part container. Add to the RFQ:

Destination port or delivery address.
Shipping window: earliest and latest date.
Whether your own inspector or an inspection company will check the goods before loading.
Who handles export and import documents.

What happens after you send the RFQ?

Quote: specifications, MOQ, lead time and packing in writing.
Sample: we make a sample for your approval. Sample terms are confirmed with your quote.
Production: built against the approved sample.
Testing: for toys, EN 71 testing is arranged per order for your market and age grading.
Shipping: from Ningbo port, with the documents your forwarder and customs broker need.

Lead times are usually about 7 days for a single unit or sample, and about 33 days for 2 to 1,000 units. Larger orders are confirmed with your quote. We build only to designs you own or that are ours to offer. For what can be changed, see OEM / ODM & custom.

FAQ

Do I need a drawing to send an RFQ?

No. A sketch, a reference sample, or a product from our range with the changes listed is enough to start. A drawing makes the quote faster and more exact.

Why do quotes for the same wooden product differ so much?

Usually because the RFQ left fields open: species, finish, packing, documents or trade term. Fill in the checklist above and ask every supplier to quote against it.

Should I ask about the MOQ in the RFQ?

Yes, and give your own quantity range. At Bohong the MOQ is confirmed with your quote and depends on the product and the change.

Can my company name go on the label?

Yes. Label text is part of the packing specification. Under EU rules an operator established in the EU must be named, so send the exact wording you need.

Do you test every product to EN 71?

No. Two models have reports. Testing for a new model is arranged per order with a third-party laboratory, and we do not claim EN 71 or CE for models without a test report.

Sources

Official and public sources used for this guide.