The best time to discover a supplier’s assumptions is before the deposit, not when the first container is being packed.
A quotation can look complete because every window mark has a price beside it. Then the questions begin: were screens included, who approves the colour, which drawing revision governs, and what happens if the glass specification changes? A good pre-order meeting turns those questions into named decisions.
Can you show what you understood?
Ask the supplier to return a marked schedule, not simply repeat the total quantity. The returned review should connect each mark to an opening type, dimensions, glass, finish, hardware and quantity.
This is the fastest way to expose a mirrored handing, an outdated revision or a window described differently on the elevation and schedule.
- Which drawing revision did you price?
- Which marks or quantities conflict?
- What did you exclude or assume?
What evidence matches this configuration?
A certificate with the right product family name may still cover a different size, glass, hardware or opening type. Ask the supplier to identify the tested configuration and list every material difference from the proposed unit.
The useful answer is not a folder full of reports. It is a short evidence matrix that connects each project requirement to an applicable document—or clearly marks the gap.
What exactly will the sample approve?
Define whether the sample approves appearance only or also the profile, colour, hardware, glass, gaskets, drainage and workmanship. Give it a reference number and record exceptions.
If the team later says ‘as sample’, everyone should be able to retrieve the same approved configuration rather than rely on a photograph in a chat thread.
Who controls changes and release?
Name the people authorised to approve drawings, finishes and substitutions. Ask what freezes the order for production and how a later change affects cost and programme.
One uncontrolled revision can be more damaging than a slow answer. A written release gate protects both buyer and supplier.
- Approved drawing register
- Finish and sample approval
- Production release record
- Variation and revision log
How will units arrive and be identified?
Discuss labels, packing sequence, crate or rack references, accessory cartons and unloading constraints before production. Site teams need to find the right unit without opening every package.
Ask how damage is photographed, reported and resolved. The answer should fit the real shipping and site sequence, not a generic packing statement.
Questions buyers ask
Should all 17 questions be answered before paying a deposit?
Critical scope, approval, evidence and commercial assumptions should be clear before commitment; minor details can have named deadlines.
Is a signed quotation enough?
Usually not. The quotation, approved schedule, drawings, samples, scope matrix and revision record work together.
Who should attend the pre-order review?
At minimum, include the buyer’s technical and commercial owners and the supplier’s project, engineering and commercial representatives.
Continue the project review
Connect this guide with the proposed window and door systems, then review how Cavorlen approaches manufacturing and quality control. When your schedule is ready, send it through the project review form.
Primary references
FGIA — fenestration performance resources ↗ICC — building safety and code resources ↗Related buyer guides
Exact systems, performance, price, programme, delivery and warranty require authorised project-specific review.