How to Place a Sample Order With a Chinese Factory (2026 Guide)

Why the Sample Order Decides Everything

A sample is the most cost-effective insurance in importing. It verifies material, finish, craftsmanship and sizing before you commit to a production run — and it tells you a lot about the supplier: how fast they respond, whether they charge fairly, and whether the final goods will match what was promised. Skip it and you are trusting photos; take it seriously and you de-risk the whole purchase.

What You Should Ask Before Sampling

Send a clear inquiry with these points so the factory can quote accurately the first time:

• Product spec — size, material, finish, quantity; for stone, include dimensions and whether you want polished or honed surfaces

• Design reference — photo, sketch, drawing or 3D model; for custom carvings, ask for an approval drawing before sampling

• Sample purpose — a stock sample for checking quality, or a pre-production sample of your exact custom design

• Destination — the factory needs your country and city to quote shipping (DHL, FedEx, UPS, or air/sea freight)

• Deadline — when you need the sample, and whether you are comparing multiple suppliers in parallel

How Sample Pricing Works

Expect three components: sample cost (material + labor), tooling if your design needs a new mold or template, and freight. For stone pieces the sample is usually carved specially, so it is priced close to the per-unit cost of a small run. Many factories, including ours, refund or deduct the sample cost from the first bulk order — always ask, because this policy varies and is worth having in writing.

Sample Delivery: Courier vs Freight

Small items (10-30kg) go by international courier — DHL, FedEx or UPS — and arrive in 3-7 days door-to-door, with the factory handling export paperwork. Heavier or fragile items, like stone samples, are cheaper by air freight or as part of a sea-freight consolidation, but take longer. For stone we recommend wooden-crate packing even for courier samples — a chip in transit tells you nothing about the factory's quality.

Timeline & What to Check on Arrival

Stock samples from a prepared factory usually ship within 3-5 days; custom carved samples take 1-3 weeks because the piece is made from scratch. On arrival, check against the order: dimensions (measure, do not eyeball), material and color, surface finish, and craftsmanship details like edge work and carving depth. Take photos, compare with the approval drawing, and flag any discrepancy immediately — the response to a legitimate complaint tells you exactly what a bulk-order dispute would look like.

From Sample to Bulk: Lock the Spec

Once the sample is approved, freeze the specification: dimensions with tolerance, material grade, finish, packing method, and the QC checklist. Get the bulk price, MOQ, production time and payment terms (typically 30% T/T deposit, balance before shipment) in a written PI. The sample is the benchmark — the factory should confirm the bulk order matches it, and your pre-shipment inspection should check against it.