No. FBM Sourcing is a sourcing agent, not a supplier with a range, so it has no general product catalogue and no price list to order from. Selection on a project starts from your own specification instead: you send drawings, a BOQ or a finish schedule, and FBM Sourcing matches each line to a factory that runs the production line for that product. For cabinets and wardrobes, aluminium and glass doors and windows, and entry doors, e-catalogues can be sent to choose styles once your requirements are known.
This article explains why there is no catalogue, what takes its place, and the four ways a buyer can choose products on a project run by a building material sourcing agent: from an e-catalogue, from a first reference quotation, remotely, or in person. It uses the FBM Sourcing client guide as its source; where the guide and the proforma invoice for your order differ, the proforma invoice applies.
Why There Is No General Catalogue or Price List
The client guide is direct about it. FBM Sourcing is a sourcing agent working on the buyer’s side: it does not manufacture, run a showroom or sell a range, so there is no product range for a catalogue to describe.
Scope is the second reason. Everything in a project’s building materials and FF&E package is in scope, and bespoke is the norm: cabinets, doors and windows, railings and furniture are made to your drawings. Products made to your drawings are quoted from those drawings, line by line, rather than read off a list.
The guide also says who the service is not for. It is not a fit for a buyer looking for the cheapest quote in China or a price list to order from. It is aimed at companies buying for a project, working from drawings, a BOQ or a finish schedule, who want mid-to-high-end product from factories that pass inspection and deliver on time. Manufacturer, trading company or sourcing agent sets out how the three differ.
What Takes the Place of a Catalogue: Your Specification
To quote, the guide asks for four things. The more precise the list, the more precise the match.
- Drawings, for example window drawings with a requirement list, or railing drawings with a list.
- A product list or BOQ with quantities.
- Reference photos, links or a finish schedule, for example a sanitary schedule with specifications and reference links.
- Where your project is, so that the certifications your market requires are checked.
For company clients, FBM Sourcing can also take the product list off your plans, room by room. Shop drawings for custom items come later: the factory prepares them after the deposit and they go back and forth with you until you sign off.
The last item matters for selection. The first step in choosing a factory is checking that it holds the test reports or certifications for that specific product, and this is confirmed before FBM Sourcing quotes.
Four Ways to Choose Products Without a Catalogue
The client guide describes four routes. Which one applies depends on the category, on whether you are a new client, and on whether you can travel.
| Route | How it works | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1. E-catalogue | For cabinets and wardrobes, aluminium and glass doors and windows, and entry doors. Once FBM Sourcing knows your requirements, it sends e-catalogues so you can choose styles. | An e-catalogue to choose styles from |
| 2. One category priced first | For a new client whose project fits the service. FBM Sourcing prices one category as a reference; if quality and price fit, it continues with the rest. Your budget range helps most. | A reference quotation for that category |
| 3. Remote selection | For company clients with a defined specification. Drawings are the starting point; FBM Sourcing sends photos and video of shortlisted products, couriers samples and colour boards, and goes through selections on video calls, with two or three quality levels per category where useful. | Shortlist photos and video, samples, colour boards |
| 4. In-person selection | For a whole venue or a whole residential package. Before you arrive, FBM Sourcing reviews your drawings, shortlists factories and plans the route; your English-speaking project manager accompanies you and records every selection. | A complete quotation for every product selected or under consideration |
Route 2 exists because of how a project is built. The guide notes that a project usually has a hundred or more categories and that prices for the same category vary widely, so for a new client FBM Sourcing does not start with a massive comparison quotation. It also does not prepare a full-package quotation for a residential project before the developer or contractor has decided to come and see the quality.
Routes 3 and 4 are covered in more detail in how a remote project runs and what visiting Chinese factories with a sourcing agent looks like. During a visit, no business cards or contact details are exchanged with factories, and communication afterwards runs through FBM Sourcing. For a new client’s residential project, such as a developer’s or contractor’s house or villa package, the guide still recommends coming for the selection stage, because it goes faster and better in person.
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.
From Shortlist to Order: What the Quotation and the Sample Settle
Once a product is shortlisted, the quotation fixes what you are comparing. Each line shows the item, specification, materials and finish, dimensions, unit price, quantity, packing and lead time. It is quoted like-for-like against your specification, and any substitution is flagged on the line.
For large orders, samples can be ordered first; they are couriered to you for approval before production, at your cost for the courier.
When your selection is final, FBM Sourcing issues a proforma invoice, and from there the order follows the steps in what happens after you accept a quotation. All quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing.
Why Selection Starts at the Production Line, Not at a Range
The guide’s approach starts from the factory rather than from a range: FBM Sourcing buys from the factory that runs the production line for your product. Before working with a factory, it looks at the production line for the product it intends to buy, and if a factory makes A and resells B, it is used for A only.
The guide gives an example of why this matters. Production lines are specialised: in sanitary ware, accessories, faucets, ceramic toilets, basins and bathtubs are five different factory types, and FBM Sourcing deals with each one. How we establish that a supplier is a real factory describes the checks.
Questions About Catalogues and Product Selection
Can you send me a product catalogue?
There is no general catalogue. For cabinets and wardrobes, aluminium and glass doors and windows, and entry doors, FBM Sourcing can send e-catalogues to choose styles once it knows your requirements. For other categories, selection starts from your drawings, BOQ or finish schedule.
Do you have a price list?
No. FBM Sourcing is not a supplier with a range, so there is no price list. Products are quoted line by line against your specification, and sea freight is quoted to you before shipment.
Are your prices the cheapest in China?
No. FBM Sourcing supplies mid-to-high-end product from factories that pass inspection and deliver on time, and it is not the right fit for a buyer whose main aim is the cheapest quote or a price list to order from.
Will you quote before I visit, or give a budget range?
For a new client, FBM Sourcing does not start with a massive comparison quotation. Where your project fits the service, it can price one category first as a reference, and if quality and price fit, it continues with the rest. It helps most if you tell FBM Sourcing your budget range.
Can I choose products without travelling to China?
Yes, for company clients with a defined specification. FBM Sourcing works from your drawings, sends photos and video of shortlisted products, couriers samples and colour boards, and goes through selections with you on video calls, with two or three quality levels per category where useful.
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.
