Solid wood table tops: what buyers should check before ordering
Two quotations for the same table top can differ by 40 % — and both can be correctly calculated. The difference lies in details that often do not appear in the quotation at all.
1. Grade: the biggest price factor
Rustic, class 2 or class 3 — this single detail decides more about the price than the species does. Rustic means visible knots, natural colour differences and a lively appearance. Class 3 is largely knot-free and uniform in colour, which may be what you want on large surfaces and which means considerably more waste.
If the quotation only says "solid oak", the grade is not defined. Ask — otherwise you are comparing two different products.
The most common question I get is not about price, it is about grade. When an enquiry just says "solid oak", that is three different products and three different prices.
2. From one piece or composed
From a single piece we produce up to approx. 3 m in length, up to 140 cm wide and up to 80 mm thick. Larger formats are possible but are then created through project-specific composition. That is not a defect, but it is a different construction — and it belongs in the quotation.
3. Moisture content on delivery
The value that later decides whether joints open and tops cup. We dry in our own chambers to around 7 % as a rule. A supplier who cannot state this value is probably not controlling it.
4. Finish and repeatability
Oiled, lacquered, stained, brushed — the look is one question. The more important one for series is whether it stays the same across several batches. For running series we keep reference samples for colour tone and gloss level. Without a reference sample the second delivery is a gamble.
A reference sample is cheap until the series is repeated. The second delivery without one is a gamble — and I have seen that with customers who worked with someone else before us.
5. Minimum quantity and capacity
With us the minimum order quantity for table tops is 5 pieces, and capacity is around 100 to 150 tops per month. Both numbers matter: the first tells you whether a trial order is possible, the second whether the supplier can carry your series at all.
6. Packaging and delivery terms
Table tops are sensitive in transport. Edge protection, interlayers and the question of whether delivery is palletised to your warehouse or packed individually for end customers belong in the quotation. So does the Incoterms clause — EXW and DDP are two very different prices for the same top.
- From one piece: up to 3 m long, 140 cm wide, 80 mm thick
- Grades: rustic, class 2, class 3
- Moisture content on delivery: approx. 7 %
- Minimum order quantity: 5 pieces
- Capacity: 100–150 tops per month
The quantity figures are guide values from our production and depend on format and finish. Binding dates and quantities are always agreed per project.
Read on
Request a quotation for your table tops
Send us the species, grade, dimensions, finish and quantity. We will check what is feasible and reply within seven days at most.
Your direct contact: Haris Ćostović, deputy managing director. Communication in English and German.