An apartment cabinet specification is a one-page document that fixes ten things: scope, board, finish, hardware, doors, benchtop, compliance, packing, inspection and payment. Write it before the quote. Without it, two factories quote different products and the prices cannot be compared.
One page, ten clauses, each measurable.
Name the board grade, not just the standard.
Name hardware or an approved equal with published ratings.
Every clause should be checkable at inspection.
Write it before the quote, not after.
1. Alcance
State what is included: kitchen, wardrobe, vanity, laundry, and any loose furniture. State what is excluded: benchtop, splashback, appliances, installation. Ambiguity here is the most common cause of a quote that looks low and lands high.
2. The ten clauses
| # | Cláusula | Requisito |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | <b></b><b></b> | Rooms and items included and excluded |
| 2 | Junta Directiva | CARB P2 or E0, 18 mm, HMR in wet areas |
| 3 | Termine | Lacquer or melamine, sheen and colour |
| 4 | Componentes metálicos | Named brand or approved equal, cycle rating |
| 5 | Puertas | Style, thickness, edge banding |
| 6 | Benchtop | Quartz or laminate, edge profile |
| 7 | Cumplimiento | Standards, certificates, labelling |
| 8 | Empaque | Export standard, carton, label |
| 9 | Inspección | Scope, timing, acceptance |
| 10 | Pago | Deposit, balance, retention |
Each clause should be checkable. If a clause cannot be checked at inspection, it is a preference, not a requirement.
3. Board and finish
Name the board grade and thickness, and the finish system with sheen. A specification that says melamine without a sheen can receive gloss when matte was intended. The guía de materiales de la canal y conectar guía de acabados para puertas cubrir las opciones.
4. Hardware
Name a brand or an approved equal with published cycle and load ratings. That keeps competition in the tender without losing the performance requirement. The Guía de especificaciones de hardware lists the six fields to include.
5. Doors and benchtop
Specify door style, thickness and edge banding; benchtop material, thickness and edge profile. These are the visible items and the ones most often substituted, so name them precisely.
6. Compliance and packing
Name the standards, the certificates and the labelling requirement. For packing, name the carton spec, the moisture barrier and the label content. A specification that stops at the product and ignores the pack will still produce damage claims.
7. Inspection and payment
State the inspection scope, timing and acceptance criteria, and the payment schedule with retention. The inspection clause is what turns the rest of the document from a wish list into a requirement.
8. Using the template
Copy the ten clauses into a one-page document, fill each with a measurable requirement, and attach it to the RFQ. Ask each factory to confirm compliance line by line, not with a single yes. That response is what makes the quotes comparable.
9. Una lista de verificación antes de comprometerse.
Antes de firmar, confirme seis puntos: la calidad de la placa, el modelo de hardware, el sistema de acabado, el estándar de embalaje, el alcance de la inspección y el calendario de pagos. Todos deben constar por escrito, no por teléfono. La lista de verificación del presupuesto resume estos seis puntos en una comparación de una página.
10. Errores comunes
El error más común es comparar el precio de fábrica con el costo de entrega. El segundo es no incluir la inspección en el presupuesto. El tercero es pagar el saldo antes de que se apruebe la inspección. Todos estos errores se pueden evitar con un alcance del proyecto por escrito y una inspección previa al envío.
11. Cómo medir la habitación
Mida cada pared en tres puntos: superior, medio e inferior, y utilice la medida más pequeña. Las paredes rara vez son perfectamente cuadradas, y una curvatura de 10 mm en tres metros modifica el relleno. Mida el techo en cada esquina y anote la ubicación de enchufes, radiadores y tuberías de desagüe antes de dibujar. Un levantamiento a escala ahorra más tiempo que un dibujo rápido, y la guía de medición incluye una hoja imprimible.
Preguntas frecuentes
Why write a specification before the quote?
Because the quote is only comparable if the specification is fixed. Without it, two factories quote different boards, hardware and finishes and the prices cannot be compared.
¿Cuánto tiempo debería ser?
One page is enough for most apartment projects. Ten clauses, each with a measurable requirement, beat a 20-page document nobody reads.
What board grade should I specify?
CARB P2 or E0 for general use, HMR in wet areas. Name the grade, not just the standard, because a certificate can name the factory without naming the board.
Should I name a hardware brand?
Name a brand or an approved equal with published ratings. That keeps competition in the tender without losing the performance requirement.
Who writes the specification?
Usually the project manager or the buyer, with input from the installer. The factory can comment, but should not write it, because the specification is the buyer requirement.
How does the specification link to inspection?
Every clause should be checkable at inspection. If a clause cannot be checked, it is a preference, not a requirement.
