Before You Send Drawings: What Makes a Takeoff Accurate
What should we send for a BOQ or drawing takeoff?
The most recent approved drawing set — architectural plans, door and window schedules, and any specification addenda — plus any partial BOQ you already have, so FBM Sourcing reconciles rather than starts from zero. Council-approved or stamped drawings reduce the chance of a quantity revision later in the project.
What should we confirm before the takeoff quantities are used for ordering?
FBM Sourcing flags any conflict between the schedule and the plan view rather than resolving it silently, confirms which drawing revision the quantities are based on, and asks you to sign off the reconciled BOQ before it is used to request factory quotations.
BOQ & Drawing Takeoff Service:
FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. The starting point is usually a document you already have: a Bill of Quantities, a set of construction drawings or a door and window schedule. Our team reads those documents line by line, splits them into factory-level RFQs by product category, collects comparable factory quotations mapped back to your BOQ numbering, and turns approved items into factory production orders — one accountable team in China, on a 5–8% commission on products you select yourself (products we source for you are quoted at a direct price).
Watch How We Work
How Does a Sourcing Agent Source FF&E from China?
How does a China sourcing agent source FF&E from China for hotels, schools, offices, apartment buildings and student accommodation? FBM Sour…
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How Does a Sourcing Agent Source Pergolas & Awnings from China?
How does a China sourcing agent source pergolas and awnings from China for a hotel, resort or school project? FBM Sourcing is a building mat…
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How Does a Sourcing Agent Source Doors for Hotel & Apartment Projects?
How does a China sourcing agent source entrance doors, interior wood doors, and hollow metal doors from China for hotels, apartment building…
Watch & read transcript →Who we Are?
The China Procurement Team That Reads Your Drawings — Building Materials & FF&E
FBM Sourcing is a China sourcing agency based in Guangzhou, at the centre of the world’s largest furniture and building-material production region.
Reading construction documents is where our work starts, not an add-on: our founder has read BOQs and drawings for China export orders since 2014, and every project at FBM Sourcing begins with a document takeoff — quantities, specifications and finishes extracted from your BOQ or drawings, split by factory category, and priced by the specialized factories that actually make each product. The takeoff feeds straight into the rest of the package: samples, shop drawings, production follow-up, our own pre-shipment inspection and full-container consolidation, all under one China procurement service. Sourcing as a developer across several buildings or phases? See our China procurement service for property developers.
Products We Source For Construction Projects
Procurement Projects Delivered From China
Five Star Hotel Building Materials Procurement in Hurricane Zone
Five-star hotel building materials procurement case in a hurricane-zone project, covering China sourcing, QC and shipment coordination.
Four Star Hotel Building Materials Procurement — Florida, United States
14+ categories of building materials and FF&E — tiles, sanitary ware, aluminum windows, fire doors, cabinets, bedding and outdoor products — sourced from China and delivered in 7 containers to a luxury hotel new-build in Florida.
12 x 40HQ Custom Furniture for Apartment Project in Melbourne
Melbourne apartment custom furniture procurement case involving 12 x 40HQ containers, China supplier coordination, QC and shipment planning.
804-Bed Student Accommodation Furniture Procurement in Melbourne
Melbourne student accommodation furniture procurement case covering China sourcing, supplier follow-up, QC and shipment planning.
Custom Furniture Procurement for Student Accommodation in Melbourne
Custom furniture procurement from China for a Melbourne student accommodation project: production, QC inspection and container delivery.
22 Containers of Metal Filing Cabinets for Australia and New Zealand Office Projects
Filing cabinet procurement case for Australia and New Zealand with China supplier coordination, quality checks and export preparation.
Melbourne Office Chair Procurement Case Study: Approx. 10 x 40HQ from China
Melbourne office chair procurement case covering large-volume China sourcing, factory coordination, QC and container shipment preparation.
Custom Aluminum Profile Procurement for a Buenos Aires Hardware Wholesaler
Argentina wholesaler customized aluminum profiles procurement case with China supplier coordination, specification checks and export preparation.
How we Charge?
Your payment is Safe with Us – Transparent Accounting, Fair Adjustments.
Products You Select Yourself
5–8% commission (8% below USD 50,000, 5% above)
- 8% commission on orders below USD 50,000
- 5% commission on orders above USD 50,000
- You choose the product or factory; we manage the order, inspection and shipping
Products We Source For You
Direct quotation
- One direct price from FBM Sourcing for the sourced product
- Factory sourcing, inspection and shipping included
- Quotations, invoices and shipping documents issued by FBM Sourcing
In Both Cases
Full container
- We always ship by full container
- Our own FBM Sourcing QC team inspects before shipment
- You deal with FBM Sourcing — we carry the responsibility
Our Typical Clients
We Manage Your Construction Procurement, Building Materials & Furniture, Like Our Own.
01. Developers
02. General Contractors
03. Builders
04. Commercial Project Owners
05. Interior Design & Construction Companies
06. FF&E Solution Providers
Our Typical Clients
What Service We Provide
Seamless Procurement for Custom Building Materials & Furniture, Managed Every Step.
From BOQ to Factory Production Orders
A BOQ written for tender is not a document a factory can quote against. We convert it, line by line, into the documents each specialized factory actually needs — and map every price back to your original numbering.
Certification Written Into the RFQ, Not Added Later
Destination-market requirements are matched line by line to your BOQ items before RFQs go out, so factory quotations already include compliant specifications — and the matching test reports travel with your shipment documents.
How FBM Sourcing Manages Your Project
A clear procurement workflow keeps suppliers, samples, production and shipping under control before goods leave China.
Project Scope Review
Send drawings, product lists, reference photos, quantities, destination and timeline.
Supplier Matching
We compare factories by capability, specification fit, export experience and pricing.
Quotation, Samples & QC
We coordinate quotations, samples, finish confirmation, production follow-up and inspection.
Loading container & Shipping
Timely and efficient shipping, ensuring your products reach you as promised.
Why FBM Sourcing for BOQ-Based Procurement?
Takeoff, Factory RFQs, QC and Shipment Coordination Under One Team
Emailing a Raw BOQ to Factories vs. FBM Sourcing Takeoff
This takeoff service is the front end of the FBM Sourcing China building materials & FF&E procurement service. Ready to start? Send your BOQ or drawings on WhatsApp or use the form below — our team will review it and get back to you.
Common Questions About BOQ & Drawing Takeoff
What is a BOQ and drawing takeoff in China procurement?
It is the work of converting the documents you already have — a Bill of Quantities, construction drawings or product schedules — into the documents Chinese factories can actually quote and produce against: factory-level RFQs by product category, comparable quotations mapped to your BOQ numbering, and factory production orders after approval.
Which documents can you work from?
A BOQ or tender bill, architectural and interior design drawings, window and door schedules, FF&E schedules, finishes schedules or a simple product list — in PDF, CAD or Excel. Our team reviews CAD files, shop drawings and BOQs directly; you do not need to re-format anything before sending it.
Do you charge separately for the takeoff and quotation?
No — takeoff and quotation are part of the managed procurement package, not a standalone service. All quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing — you deal with us, and we carry the responsibility. For products you have selected yourself, we charge a 5–8% commission (8% below USD 50,000, 5% above); for products we source for you, we quote a direct price.
How complete does my BOQ need to be?
Tender documents are rarely complete, and that is normal. During takeoff we flag missing dimensions, finishes and hardware as written questions and resolve them with your team before anything is priced — instead of letting each factory fill the gaps with its own assumptions.
What do Chinese factories need that my design drawings don't show?
Design drawings show intent; factories need production detail — exact opening sizes, profile systems, glass build-ups, hardware models, edge and finish specifications. We coordinate factory shop drawings for custom millwork, joinery, cabinetry, doors and windows and manage the approval loop with your team.
How long does a BOQ-based quotation take?
It depends on how many product categories the BOQ covers and how complete the documents are. Send your BOQ or drawings and our team will review them and get back to you.
Do you handle less-than-container shipments?
Our minimum order is a full container (FCL). Sometimes, on a large project, the aluminum windows alone fill full containers; sometimes the aluminum windows share containers with the other product categories of the same project; and sometimes, in one batch, we combine a dozen or more product categories from several projects of the same client into a few containers — always full containers, and for us this is routine, well-practised work.
What happens after I approve the quotation?
Approved items move into samples and shop-drawing approval, then factory production orders. Our own team inspects at the factories before shipment, with photo and video records, and goods from multiple factories are consolidated into full containers with a loading plan.
Guides: From BOQ & Drawings to Factory Production Orders
- How to Send a BOQ or Drawings to a China Sourcing Agent
- How a Sourcing Agent Splits Your BOQ into Factory-Level RFQs
- Window & Door Drawing Takeoff: From Schedule to Order Sheet
- What a BOQ-Based Quotation From China Includes (and Excludes)
- Shop Drawings vs Design Drawings: What Chinese Factories Need
- 5 Mistakes to Avoid Before Sending Your BOQ to China
Contact us
We will review your project and get back to you.
1402, No. 140 Zhongshan Ave W, Guangzhou, China
+86 135 6007 5057
9am - 6pm
Monday to Friday