Buyer guide · Timeline
The rug order timeline, from enquiry to shipment
An order runs from NDA and brief to a sample in 5 to 20 days, your approval, a purchase order, then bulk production in 8 to 16 weeks from sample approval. Packing, documents and shipment follow, usually FOB Nhava Sheva, with approximate port to port sea transit of 4 to 55 days depending on region. Payment: 50% advance, 50% before dispatch.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
Terms at a glance
Confirmed timings
- 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
The stages, in order
| Stage | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Enquiry and NDA | You send a brief. We sign an NDA as standard before designs are shared. | We reply to quote requests within two business days |
| 2. Brief and quote | Design, construction, fibre, size and estimated quantity are confirmed. | Quote is written to your specification |
| 3. Sampling | We make a sample or strike-off, including colour approval. | 5 to 20 days |
| 4. Review and approval | You review, request revisions if needed, and approve. The approved sample becomes the reference. | Depends on your review |
| 5. Purchase order | You issue a PO with quantities, sizes, packing and preferred Incoterm. | Production starts once the PO is confirmed |
| 6. Bulk production | Weaving or tufting, washing, finishing and checks against the approved sample. | 8 to 16 weeks from sample approval |
| 7. Packing and documents | Rolled, poly-wrapped and palletised to your packing spec, with export documents. | Confirmed on your quote |
| 8. Shipment | Dispatch under the agreed term, usually FOB Nhava Sheva. | Approximate sea transit in the table below |
| Region | Main ports | Approximate transit |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp | 20 to 35 days |
| UK | London Gateway, Felixstowe | 22 to 35 days |
| US East | New York/Newark, Savannah, Houston | 25 to 40 days |
| US West | Los Angeles, Long Beach | 30 to 45 days |
| Gulf | Jebel Ali | 4 to 10 days |
| Australia | Sydney, Melbourne | 18 to 30 days |
| Canada | Halifax, Montreal, Toronto | 35 to 55 days |
Phased shipments are possible on wholesale orders. Routing around the Red Sea, transshipment and port congestion can lengthen these ranges.
Payment: 50% advance, 50% before dispatch.
Only two durations are fixed figures: sampling at 5 to 20 days and bulk production at 8 to 16 weeks from sample approval. Everything else depends on your response time and your destination.
What can lengthen the timeline
- An incomplete brief, such as missing colour references or sizes.
- Revision rounds at the sample stage.
- Finer densities, larger sizes and larger quantities, confirmed on your quote.
- Sea freight and your own import clearance, which sit outside the production window.
Go deeper on each stage
The sampling steps are in the rug sampling process. Minimum order and shipping terms are in MOQ, lead times and shipping. How the rug is made during production: manufacturing process stage by stage.
Start your order with a brief
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
Rug order timeline: your questions
How long from enquiry to shipment?
Sampling takes 5 to 20 days, then bulk production takes 8 to 16 weeks from sample approval. Sea transit is additional at roughly 4 to 55 days port to port depending on region (approximate, subject to carrier schedules, routing and port conditions; checked 30 October 2026), and your review time sits in between. Payment: 50% advance, 50% before dispatch.
When does production start?
After you approve the sample and issue a purchase order that we confirm. Production does not begin before that.
Can I skip sampling?
Sampling is how colour, pile and construction are approved, so we recommend it. The sampling cost is credited against your order.
When do I need to choose the Incoterm?
On the purchase order. FOB Nhava Sheva is the usual term, and other terms can be quoted.
What happens during the 8 to 16 weeks?
Weaving or tufting, washing, finishing and checks against the approved sample, then packing.
Will you keep my design confidential?
Yes. An NDA is signed as standard, at no cost, before designs are shared.
Can the order ship in parts?
Yes. Shipments can be split on wholesale orders. Tell us the delivery sequence you need when you enquire.
How do I track progress?
We keep you updated with photos throughout the process, from production until dispatch, and you can ask your contact for an update at any stage.