Buyer guide · Inspection
Pre-shipment inspection for handmade rugs
Before dispatch, each rug is measured, weighed, checked for skew and colour against the approved sample, photographed, logged and packed. You can also add an independent inspection of your own.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
Pre-shipment inspection at a glance
- Measured
- Weight (plus or minus 5%), size (plus or minus 3%), skew (within 1 inch)
- Checked
- Colour, finish, edges, cleanliness, packing
- Recorded
- Each piece photographed and logged
- Reference
- The approved sample
Terms at a glance
- Minimum order
- 1 piece
- Sampling cost
- Credited against your order
- Sampling
- 5 to 20 days
- Bulk production
- 8 to 16 weeks
- NDA
- Signed as standard before designs are shared
- Label, barcode, packaging
- Your own, on request
- Payment terms
- 50% advance, 50% before dispatch
What we check before dispatch
- Finished dimensions measured and recorded, within plus or minus 3%.
- Weight checked against the specification, within plus or minus 5%.
- Skew within 1 inch (about 2.5 cm).
- Colour checked under standardised lighting against the approved reference.
- Pile height, surface, edges and handle checked against the approved sample.
- Each piece photographed and logged, then packed to protect against transit damage and confirmed against your specification.
Inspection points across an order
Inspection is more useful earlier than at the end. A common good practice for handmade goods is to inspect at four points: the approved strike-off, the first piece off the loom, partway through weaving, and pre-shipment. Catching a fault on the first piece costs one rug. Catching it at pre-shipment is expensive. Our own staged checks are in rug quality control.
Dryness and packing
A rug must be fully dry before it is wrapped. Moisture sealed in for the weeks in a container can cause mildew, which on wool is often not recoverable. Dryness is a named point in any careful inspection. Packing for your market, including your own packaging or polybag and labels on request, is covered in OEM and private label.
Adding your own inspection
A buyer can book an independent inspection agency and give them the approved standard, tolerances and defect definitions in advance. Without those, an inspector applies generic textile criteria and the report is less useful. Inspection is normally at the buyer's cost. A buyer or the buyer's inspector is welcome to attend inspection and visit at any time.
Related: why handmade rugs fail quality checks and weight and GSM checks.
Ask about inspection on your order
Send your design, size and estimated quantity. We reply within two business days, usually within one. Minimum order: 1 piece. Sampling cost is credited against your order. Payment: 50% advance, 50% before dispatch.
Buyer questions
Pre-shipment inspection: your questions
What is checked before my rugs ship?
Dimensions, weight, skew, colour, finishing and packing, against the approved sample and your specification.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We keep you updated with photos throughout the process, from production until dispatch. Each piece is also photographed and logged before dispatch.
Can my own inspector check the order?
Yes. A buyer or the buyer's inspector is welcome to attend inspection and visit at any time.
What tolerances apply?
Weight plus or minus 5%, size plus or minus 3%, skew within 1 inch.
Why does dryness matter?
A rug packed damp can arrive mildewed after weeks in a container. Drying is checked before packing.
What should I give an inspector?
The approved sample or standard, the tolerances and written definitions of what counts as a defect.
Can you pack with my own label and polybag?
Yes, on request. Your own label, barcode or QR sticker (you supply the numbers) and packaging are available.
What if a piece fails inspection?
A piece that fails inspection is repaired. If it is beyond repair, which is rare, it is scrapped responsibly and not shipped.