Who measures bespoke cabinets and curtains?
Use a competent local cabinet fitter or curtain installer to survey the finished site and check fit. Have the factory show how site measurements become finished sizes, then obtain named written approvals and agree error responsibilities before manufacture. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate the factory handover.
Appoint the surveyor, fit reviewer and production approver
Ask the installer who will fit the goods to conduct or check the site survey. If a designer or separate surveyor measures, have the installer review the results and installation assumptions. Agree the scope in writing, including concealed areas, unfinished surfaces and anything that cannot yet be checked.
Name who records site dimensions, who converts them into manufacturing dimensions, who confirms installation fit and who authorises manufacture. Ask each person to acknowledge their role. Staff in China can coordinate drawings and factory checks, but a factory inspection cannot establish whether measurements of your home are correct.
Keep a dated survey of the actual installation site
Record the address, room and opening identifiers, survey date, surveyor, instrument, units and measurement reference points. Attach labelled sketches, photographs and raw readings. Measure widths and heights at different positions and record uneven floors, walls out of square, skirting, sockets, pipes and other obstructions. Check the delivery route and assembly space as well as the final location.
State whether plaster, flooring, tiles, worktops and curtain tracks are finished or proposed. Show how pending work affects the measurements and name who will recheck it. Mark provisional dimensions clearly and hold affected manufacture until they are confirmed. Photographs and estate-agent plans should support the survey, not replace measured records.
Separate site dimensions from finished product sizes
Keep separate fields for the measured space, each installation allowance and the finished product dimension. For cabinets, distinguish carcass sizes from overall sizes including doors, end panels and worktops. Identify filler panels, edges to be trimmed on site, levelling adjustment, door movement and service access. Have the installer and factory agree the allowances and tolerances for this design rather than applying a universal deduction.
For curtains, identify the actual track or pole, heading style and the point from which the drop is measured. Distinguish track length, flat fabric width, gathered coverage and finished hanging drop. Record overlap, side returns, floor clearance, hems and any fabric conditioning before measurement. Put the agreed result in the product specification, including whether the factory should apply any further allowance.
Agree responsibility for errors before ordering
Use the responsibility schedule below as a negotiation checklist, not an automatic allocation of liability. Ask the seller, surveyor, installer and factory to accept the relevant entries in writing. Separate an inaccurate site reading from an incorrect conversion, manufacture outside the approved dimensions, installation damage and a later site change.
Agree how an error will be investigated and who pays for remeasurement, alteration, replacement, transport and repeat installation when responsibility is established. Record how disputed or shared causes will be handled. If you buy as a UK consumer, terms in a service contract that deny your implied rights are unlikely to be enforceable.
| Possible cause | Role to name | Record to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect site measurement | Person accepting responsibility for the survey | Signed survey, raw readings and site photographs |
| Incorrect conversion or allowance | Person preparing the finished dimensions and person checking fit | Dimension schedule showing each adjustment and approval |
| Goods outside approved dimensions | Seller and factory accepting manufacturing responsibility | Released drawing and finished-goods measurement report |
| Site changes after approval | Person authorising the change and arranging remeasurement | Change record and revised survey |
| Installation error or damage | Installer accepting the installation scope | Agreed fitting method and installation record |
Release an identified pack and check against it
Collect the survey, finished-dimension schedule, drawings, allowances, installation scope and responsibility agreement into an identified revision. Record names, dates and the scope of each approval: appearance, dimensional fit or authority to manufacture. Require the seller and factory to acknowledge the exact files. Use the translated drawings guide for language approval and the design revision guide if the site or design changes.
Before dispatch, request measurements of the actual finished cabinets or curtains against the released pack, with item identifiers and photographs showing measurement points. The factory measurement guide explains checking the method. Resolve discrepancies before release. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate this handover with its staff in China; keep local site verification and installation approval explicitly assigned.
Frequently asked questions
Can I measure for China-made cabinets myself?
You can supply preliminary measurements, but ask the intended fitter to check the site, finished dimensions and allowances before manufacture. Agree who accepts responsibility for the survey.
Should I order curtains using the window width?
Do not use window width alone. Confirm the track or pole, heading, gathered coverage, overlap and drop reference point. Ask the factory to state whether your figures are site measurements or finished curtain sizes.
Does signing a drawing make me responsible for every error?
Record exactly what your signature approves and agree responsibility separately. Distinguish appearance approval, site verification, dimension conversion and manufacturing conformity. Seek advice on disputed liability.
What if my flooring changes after the survey?
Hold manufacture of affected items. Have the surveyor and installer check the changed reference levels, revise the dimensions and allowances, and obtain fresh written approval before work resumes.