In stages. For a new client, FBM Sourcing first shares examples of previous quotations to show the price range, and can price one category as a reference; the reference price for one category is free. A full quotation for a complete package is charged, with the fee confirmed before work starts and credited toward your first order. A factory visit then follows an accepted quotation, not the other way round.
This article walks through those steps in order: what to send, what you get back, what is charged and what is credited, and when the visit happens. It is based on FBM Sourcing’s own client guide and its answers to the questions clients ask; where either differs from the proforma invoice for your order, the proforma invoice applies. How you choose products once the reference is in hand is covered in how product selection works without a catalogue.
The Three Steps Before Any Visit
The guide sets out how to start in three steps.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Send your project details | You send your drawings and your bill of quantities (BOQ). |
| 2. Review reference quotations | FBM Sourcing shares examples of previous quotations to show the price range, and can price one category as a reference. |
| 3. Agree the next scope of work | Further sourcing work requires an upfront sourcing fee, fully credited toward your first order. FBM Sourcing then compares manufacturers’ quotations and verifies their production lines. |
The guide adds that it helps most if you tell FBM Sourcing your budget range. The sections below take the steps one at a time.
Step 1: What to Send With Your Drawings and BOQ
To quote, the guide asks for drawings, a product list or BOQ with quantities, and reference photos, links or a finish schedule. The more precise the list, the more precise the match. Examples the guide gives are window drawings with a requirement list, railing drawings with a list, and a sanitary schedule with specifications and reference links. For company clients, FBM Sourcing can also take the product list off your plans, room by room.
Before sourcing starts, FBM Sourcing also asks what test reports or certificates you need, and makes sure every product it sources meets the corresponding requirements. Five mistakes to avoid before sending your BOQ to China is a checklist for the BOQ itself.
Step 2: Reference Quotations, and Why One Category First
FBM Sourcing shares examples of previous quotations to show the price range. Where your project fits the service, it can also price one category first; if quality and price fit, the work continues with the rest. According to the guide’s answers to client questions, the reference price for one category is free.
The reasoning is in the guide. A project usually has a hundred or more categories, and prices for the same category vary widely, so for a new client FBM Sourcing does not start with a massive comparison quotation. For a residential project it adds a second rule: it does not prepare a full-package quotation before the developer or contractor has decided to come and see the quality, because in its experience that quotation is never enough to decide on.
The test the guide describes is a short one: if quality and price fit, FBM Sourcing continues with the rest. For what a quotation line shows once it is issued, see what a BOQ-based quotation from China includes and excludes.
Step 3: The Next Scope of Work and the Upfront Sourcing Fee
Beyond the reference, the guide says further sourcing work requires an upfront sourcing fee, fully credited toward your first order. The fee applies to new clients only and is waived for existing clients. The work it opens is described in one sentence: FBM Sourcing compares manufacturers’ quotations and verifies their production lines, then recommends the best option based on quality, price, factory size, specialization and experience.
The client Q&A adds one detail about size. A full quotation for a complete package is charged, the fee depends on the size of the package, and it is confirmed with you before work starts. The credit is applied toward your first order.
Sourcing this for a commercial project?
FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. We work with Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers. Send your BOQ, drawings or product schedule for review.
When the Factory Visit Happens: After an Accepted Quotation
The Q&A is explicit about the order. For products FBM Sourcing has quoted, the visit follows an accepted quotation. Your project manager accompanies you throughout, you are welcome to negotiate on site, and the price you agree there is the price on the proforma invoice.
Before you land, FBM Sourcing reviews your drawings, shortlists factories and plans the route. The visit has its own charge: factory visits are On-site Sourcing Management, charged per day and fully credited toward your first order. During the visit, no business cards or contact details are exchanged with factories, and communication afterwards runs through FBM Sourcing.
What a visit looks like on the ground is set out in what visiting Chinese factories with a sourcing agent actually looks like. If you cannot travel, company clients with a defined specification can run the project remotely; see how a remote project runs.
After the Quotation: Price, Freight and the Proforma Invoice
Once a quotation is accepted, the order follows the steps in what happens after you accept a quotation. Two details are worth knowing. The Q&A says the price you get at a factory or market is ex-works, so freight is not included; it is quoted to you separately before shipment. And the proforma invoice carries the full product details, prices, deposit, warranty period, Incoterm and estimated dates.
Each quotation line shows the item, specification, materials and finish, dimensions, unit price, quantity, packing and lead time, quoted like-for-like against your specification, with any substitution flagged on the line.
Questions About Quotations Before a China Visit
Will a sourcing agent quote before I visit China?
In stages. FBM Sourcing first shares examples of previous quotations to show the price range, and can price one category as a reference. A full quotation for a complete package is charged, and the factory visit follows an accepted quotation.
Is the reference price free?
The reference price for one category is free. A full quotation for a complete package is charged; the fee depends on the size of the package and is confirmed with you before work starts, and it is fully credited toward your first order.
What is the upfront sourcing fee for?
It opens the next scope of work, in which FBM Sourcing compares manufacturers’ quotations and verifies their production lines, then recommends the best option based on quality, price, factory size, specialization and experience. It is fully credited toward your first order, applies to new clients only and is waived for existing clients.
Should I tell you my budget range?
The guide says it helps most if you tell FBM Sourcing your budget range, and it notes that prices for the same category vary widely.
Can I negotiate prices at the factory?
Yes. For products FBM Sourcing has quoted, the visit follows an accepted quotation; your project manager accompanies you throughout and you are welcome to negotiate on site. The price you agree there is the price on the proforma invoice.
How does FBM Sourcing charge for this?
For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Sea freight is quoted to you before shipment. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and the client’s project team is welcome to attend.
FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. We work with Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.
