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. Portée
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
| # | Clause | Exigence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Domaine | Rooms and items included and excluded |
| 2 | Conseil d'administration | CARB P2 or E0, 18 mm, HMR in wet areas |
| 3 | Finition | Lacquer or melamine, sheen and colour |
| 4 | Hardware | Named brand or approved equal, cycle rating |
| 5 | Portes | Style, thickness, edge banding |
| 6 | Benchtop | Quartz or laminate, edge profile |
| 7 | Conformité | Standards, certificates, labelling |
| 8 | Emballage | Export standard, carton, label |
| 9 | Camera d'inspection canalisation | Scope, timing, acceptance |
| 10 | Paiement | 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 guide des matériaux de carcasse et la guide des finitions de portes cover the options.
4. Matériel
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 hardware specification guide 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. Une liste de vérification avant de s'engager
Avant de signer, veuillez confirmer six points : la qualité du circuit imprimé, le modèle de matériel, le système de finition, les normes d’emballage, le périmètre d’inspection et les modalités de paiement. Chaque point doit être confirmé par écrit, et non par téléphone. La liste de vérification du devis permet de synthétiser ces six éléments en un tableau comparatif d’une seule page.
10. Erreurs courantes
L'erreur la plus fréquente consiste à comparer le prix d'usine avec le coût final. La deuxième est d'omettre l'inspection du budget. La troisième est de payer le solde avant la validation de l'inspection. Chacune de ces erreurs est évitable grâce à un cahier des charges écrit et une inspection avant expédition.
11. Comment mesurer la pièce
Mesurez chaque mur en trois points : en haut, au milieu et en bas, et retenez la plus petite mesure. Les murs sont rarement d'équerre, et une courbure de 10 mm sur trois mètres modifie le remplissage. Mesurez le plafond à chaque angle et repérez les prises électriques, les radiateurs et les canalisations d'évacuation avant de dessiner. Un relevé précis est plus rapide qu'un dessin, et le guide de mesure est fourni avec une fiche imprimable.
Foire aux questions
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.
Combien de temps devrait-il être?
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.
