Yes. A professional China sourcing agent should be able to read your CAD files, architectural and shop drawings, and your Bill of Quantities (BOQ), and turn them into factory-ready production drawings. For custom millwork, cabinetry, doors, windows and joinery this is essential: the factory does not build from your architect’s drawing directly — it builds from a Chinese production drawing that has to match your design, dimensions, materials and finishes exactly. Reviewing that translation is one of the core reasons project buyers use a sourcing agent instead of emailing factories themselves.
What Drawings and Documents Can You Send a China Sourcing Agent?
For a building materials and FF&E project, you can send whatever you already have — the more complete the package, the more accurate the quotation. Commonly supplied documents include:
- CAD files (DWG/DXF) — floor plans, elevations and setting-out drawings
- Shop drawings and joinery details — for cabinetry, wardrobes, reception desks, headboards, feature walls and other custom millwork
- Bill of Quantities (BOQ) — itemised list of materials and quantities
- PDF drawing sets, finish schedules and material boards — specifying colours, finishes, hardware and standards
- Reference photos or product links — where a “make it like this” example is easier than a drawing
If you only have a product list or a BOQ and no drawings, that is still enough to start — drawings become important mainly for custom-made items rather than standard catalogue products such as tiles, sanitary ware or standard doors.
How Does the Drawing Review Process Work?
The review runs as a loop between you, the sourcing agent and the factory, so that errors are caught on paper rather than in the finished container:
- Takeoff and clarification: the agent reads your CAD/shop drawings and BOQ, lists the items, and raises any missing dimensions, unclear finishes or specification gaps before quoting.
- Factory production drawings: the chosen factory prepares its own manufacturing drawing for each custom item, based on your design.
- Cross-check against your design: the agent checks the factory’s production drawing against your original drawing — sizes, panel layout, materials, edge and finish, hardware and tolerances — before anything is cut.
- Client approval: only after the factory drawing is confirmed correct is it sent to you for sign-off. Production starts from the approved drawing.
What Are Factory Production Drawings and Why Do They Matter?
A factory production drawing (also called a manufacturing or shop-fabrication drawing) is the factory’s own technical drawing showing exactly how a custom item will be built: panel sizes, joints, board thickness, hardware positions, finishes and assembly. It is different from your architectural drawing, which shows design intent rather than manufacturing detail.
Most quality problems on custom joinery come from a mismatch between the two — a wardrobe built to the wrong internal layout, a reception desk at the wrong height, a door leaf sized to the wrong frame. Reviewing the factory’s production drawing against your original design is where those mistakes are caught, and it is the step that a language barrier makes hardest to do directly with a factory.
Sourcing this for a commercial project?
FBM Sourcing works with project owners, developers, main contractors and FF&E contractors on hotel, apartment, school, office and other commercial building projects. Send us your BOQ, drawings or product list — we’ll come back with a sourcing plan and budget estimate.
CAD and Shop Drawings for Custom Millwork, Cabinetry and Joinery
Drawing review matters most on the bespoke parts of a project, where “close enough” is not acceptable:
- Fitted kitchens, wardrobes and vanity units built to room dimensions
- Hotel FF&E: headboards, bedside units, minibar cabinets, luggage benches, reception and check-in desks
- Non-standard doors and windows — oversized, arched, or made to unusual frame sizes
- Feature walls, wall panelling, skirtings and architraves with a specified profile
- Stone and stair components cut to a setting-out drawing
For standard, in-stock products — floor tiles, standard sanitary ware, off-the-shelf lighting — a specification sheet or product code is usually enough and no production drawing is needed.
What If I Only Have a BOQ and No Drawings?
A BOQ on its own is enough to begin. The agent prices the itemised quantities against real factory rates, flags any items that need a drawing or a sample to quote accurately (typically the custom pieces), and returns a preliminary cost estimate. Drawings can then be added for those specific items as the project firms up. Sending the BOQ in an editable format (Excel rather than a flat PDF) speeds up the takeoff.
Red Flags: When a Sourcing Agent Cannot Really Handle Your Drawings
- They quote custom joinery instantly from a photo without asking for dimensions or a drawing
- They cannot produce or check a factory production drawing before you pay a deposit
- They will not send the factory’s drawing back to you for approval before production
- They treat every item as a catalogue product and cannot explain how your custom pieces differ
Any of these usually means your drawings are not being read — they are being ignored, and the risk lands in your container.
How FBM Sourcing Handles Your CAD, Shop Drawings and BOQ
FBM Sourcing reviews CAD files, shop drawings and BOQs as a standard part of every project quotation. For custom items we coordinate the factory’s production drawings, cross-check them against your design and specification, and send the confirmed drawings back to you for approval before production begins. Because we are based at the manufacturing base in Guangzhou/Foshan and work across multiple factories, we can match each drawing to a factory that is genuinely set up to build it — and we build a factory QC and inspection checkpoint against those approved drawings into the production schedule.
Send Your Drawings for a Project Quotation
To get a quotation, send your CAD files, shop drawings, BOQ or product list, along with quantities, destination port and timeline. Submit your project requirements and we will return a supplier shortlist and cost estimate, with drawing review and QC checkpoints built in.
For related reading, see how factory QC and inspection works, how much a China sourcing agent costs, and our comparison of sourcing agents, trading companies and buying factory-direct.
