Furniture MOQ and lead times: what to expect when you order custom
Why furniture minimums exist, realistic MOQs by product type, how production scheduling works, and how to plan your first custom order without missing your opening date.
Why MOQs exist
A minimum order is not a way to squeeze you. It is the volume at which the factory recovers the cost of setup: programming the CNC, cutting the tooling jigs, ordering the material, and holding machine time. Below that volume, the unit cost stops making sense for either side.
When a supplier quotes no minimum at all, ask who is carrying the setup cost. In most cases it is you, hidden in a higher unit price.
Realistic MOQs by line
Minimums scale with the complexity and setup cost of each product.
- Executive desks: 10 units
- Task chairs: 50 units
- Workstation bays: 20 bays
- Meeting sofas: 20 units
- Acoustic screens: 40 units
Lead times and scheduling
Standard production runs 20 to 35 days depending on the line. Custom tooling, veneer work, or private-label packaging pushes it to 35 to 50 days. A first sample ships in 5 days and revisions take 48 hours, so the sample loop rarely adds more than two weeks even with changes.
The practical way to hit a hard opening date is to work backward: lock the finish, approve the sample, and only then start the production clock.
Planning your first custom order
For a custom piece, the sequence that keeps you on schedule is always the same.
- Send the drawing and target price; get a feasibility answer in a day.
- Approve the first sample and any revisions.
- Sign off the finish and packaging spec.
- Release production and agree a loading date.
- Book freight once the container is packed, not before.
The buffer that saves you
Every schedule slips somewhere. Plan a two-week buffer between the promised delivery and your actual opening date, and keep one line of products off the critical path until the first container is confirmed.
A manufacturer that quotes honest lead times and updates you when they change is worth more than one that quotes fast and misses.
Have a specific line in mind? Send quantities and get landed costs within one business day.
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