A lighting procurement checklist has eight gates: sample approval, written specification, drawing sign-off, deposit, pre-shipment photographs, staged release, spares, and a 7-day damage report window. Only the first three are still cheap to reverse. Once a custom frame is cut, the order is locked, so run the gates in this order on every project.
Most lighting orders that go wrong do not go wrong in production. They go wrong in the handover between specifier, buyer and factory, where an assumption held by one side never became a document held by the other. This is the sequence we use on project orders, and it is worth following with any supplier, not just this one.
What should be on a lighting procurement checklist?
Eight gates, in this order. Each gate produces a document or a photograph. If there is no artefact, the gate did not happen, and the risk simply moves downstream to the site.
| # | Gate | Artefact | Signed off by | What fails without it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sample approval | One physical unit, finish matched to a reference | Designer or owner | Finish and shade surprises on a 40-unit order |
| 2 | Written specification | Spec sheet: model, dimensions, finish, voltage build, drop per floor | Specifier and buyer | The fixture arrives correct to a spec nobody signed |
| 3 | Drawing approval | Dimensioned drawing with tolerances for handmade parts | Architect or project manager | Changes requested after the material is already cut |
| 4 | Deposit | Proforma invoice at 50% of order value | Buyer’s finance | The production slot is released to another order |
| 5 | Pre-shipment QA | Photographs of finished units, crated boxes and crate markings | Buyer | A transit claim you cannot prove |
| 6 | Staged release | Release schedule by floor or by phase | Site manager | Months of stock sitting in a construction corridor |
| 7 | Spares | Glass shades, crystal drops and sockets above installed quantity | Buyer | A closed order and no matching part |
| 8 | Damage report | Crate and fixture photographs within 7 days of delivery | Site receiver | Replacement refused or charged at list price |
What has to be fixed in writing before production starts?
Six fields decide both price and lead time. Everything else is cosmetic and can be settled later without touching the factory schedule.
Dimension comes first. Chandeliers on this site run from 5 in. to 168 in. in diameter with a median of 34 in., and that range is the difference between a parcel and a crate. A 168 in. frame is a volumetric-weight shipment, a two-person install and a structural conversation; a 24 in. frame is a box. Getting the diameter wrong is not a refinishing problem, it is a re-engineering problem.
| Field | Why it moves cost or time | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Frame diameter | Sets material volume, crate size and freight class; catalogue spans 5 in. to 168 in. | The approved drawing, not a room photograph |
| Light count | Drives socket count, wiring and weight; catalogue pieces run from 1 to 72 lights | The reflected ceiling plan |
| Drop or cord length | Adjusts in 6 in. increments at the canopy, extra rod supplied free; anything beyond the published range is a custom build | Ceiling height, floor by floor |
| Canopy diameter | Catalogue canopies run 4 in. to 24 in.; it has to cover the junction box and the fixing | The structural or electrical drawing |
| Voltage build | 110-120V for North America, 220-240V for the UK, EU and most of Asia; decided at order, not after | The destination country, stated once |
| Finish | A custom match is the slowest change; send a physical reference or a daylight photograph | The sample unit |
| Weight | 99 published weights on this site are 100 lbs or more, and the heaviest is 611 lbs; above roughly 80 lbs the ceiling needs a fixing rated for it | The published spec sheet |
Write the six fields into one document and have it signed before drawings are issued. Dimension and drop arithmetic for single rooms is covered on the chandelier size chart, and the room-by-room method is in how to size a chandelier. If the project needs a diameter or a finish that is not in the catalogue, that is a custom build and the drawing gate becomes mandatory rather than advisory.
How long does a lighting order take, and when does the clock start?
Three clocks run, and they do not run in parallel: quotation, production and freight. Only one of them belongs to the supplier.
- Quotation. Valid for 30 days. After that the price is re-quoted, because material and freight move.
- Production. Standard models ship in 30 days. Custom dimensions and finishes ship in 30-45 days after the drawing is approved, which is not the same as 30-45 days after the enquiry.
- Freight. Sconces, table lamps and pendants under 24 in. ship express at a flat rate. Large chandeliers are quoted on actual volumetric weight with crating included, and DDP is available for the US, Canada, the UK and the EU, so the customs charge does not arrive as a surprise at the site gate.
| Stage | Supplier clock | What the buyer owes | Still changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quotation | One business day for a reply | Destination country, ceiling height, quantity | Everything |
| Sample | Same production queue as a standard order, 30 days | One unit per model at the sample rate, credited against the first project order | Everything |
| Drawing approval | Issued before production is scheduled | A signature in days, not weeks | Everything |
| Production | 30 days standard; 30-45 days custom from drawing approval | 50% deposit, specification frozen | Nothing on a custom frame |
| Pre-shipment QA | Before the crate closes | Review the photographs and release | Packing and labelling only |
| Freight | Quoted on volumetric weight | Confirm DDP or ex-works, and the staging plan | Delivery address and release date |
| After delivery | 7-day window to report damage | Crate and fixture photographs before installation | Replacement only |
The trap is the sample. A sample is not a shortcut past the queue, so a sample requested in week one and approved in week five has still spent 30 days of production time. Order samples for the finishes you are least sure about, not for the model you have already specified a hundred times.
What are the payment and minimum order terms?
Trade pricing is not a discount code, it is a set of terms attached to an account. The commercial terms below are the published position; the values that vary by account are on your approved terms, not on a web page.
| Term | Standard position | Confirm on your quotation |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order | Trade pricing applies from the minimum order value in your approved terms; below it, orders are invoiced at list price | The value on your account |
| Custom and made-to-order | Quoted individually, no minimum order value | Drawing scope and tolerances |
| Deposit | 50% to begin production | Extended terms in writing for established accounts |
| Balance | Before dispatch | – |
| Duties, taxes, freight | Excluded unless the quotation says otherwise | DDP where available |
| Quotation validity | 30 days | – |
| Price revision | 30 days’ notice; confirmed orders are not affected | – |
| Warranty | 5 years on structural metalwork and finish, 2 years on electrical components | The warranty statement attached to your order |
| Transit breakage | Glass, alabaster and crystal replaced at no charge when reported within 7 days with photographs | – |
| Returns | Unused standard sizes within 30 days; custom sizes and finishes are non-returnable | – |
Budget the freight separately from the fixture price, not as a percentage of it. A 40 in. alabaster chandelier and a 40 in. steel frame can price within a few hundred dollars of each other and still crate at very different volumetric weights.
How do you check quality before the crate is closed?
Ask for four things, and ask for them before dispatch rather than after delivery:
- Finished units, lit and unlit, front and side, with the finish reference in frame.
- Crated boxes with the shipping label visible next to a tape measure, so the crate is documented as built.
- Crate markings: project name, floor or phase, and box 3 of 12 rather than a bare pallet.
- A packing list with box count, gross weight and dimensions per crate, matching the freight quote.
This is not bureaucracy. On a 611 lb fixture, a damage claim without pre-shipment photographs turns into a conversation about who dropped it, and the answer is usually unprovable from either side. Photographs taken while the crate is still open resolve that in one email.
What should be in the handover pack?
The handover pack is assembled at delivery, not at the end of the project, because suppliers get slower to respond once an order is closed.
| Document | Who asks for it later | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Certification file | Electrical inspector, or the authority having jurisdiction | Request the file and confirm the safety standard and voltage marked on the product label match the approved specification for the destination market |
| Installation instructions | Installing electrician | Canopy and fixing load rating against the published fixture weight |
| Approved drawing, latest revision | Architect’s record set | Revision letter matches what was delivered |
| Finish reference | Owner, for touch-ups and later phases | A physical chip, or a daylight photograph with a colour card |
| Spare parts list | Facilities team, 12 months later | Part numbers for glass, crystal and sockets, not just descriptions |
| Warranty statement | Owner at practical completion | Term, start date and the claim route |
The certification row is the one that stalls a final inspection. Ask for the file on the product you are actually buying, at the voltage you are actually specifying, and check it against the requirements of the project’s jurisdiction rather than assuming a catalogue claim covers your job.
What does a procurement failure actually cost?
Every gate above is cheaper than the failure it prevents. The table is the argument to take to a client who wants to skip the sample to save a week.
| Failure | Cheapest prevention | Cost when it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Finish mismatch across a 40-unit order | One sample unit, credited back against the order | Refinish or re-ship all 40 fixtures, plus a second freight leg |
| Specification changed after cutting | A signed drawing | A dead production slot and 30-45 days lost on the schedule |
| No pre-shipment photographs | Twenty photographs and one packing list | A 611 lb crate you cannot claim against |
| Everything shipped at once | Release schedule by floor or phase | Months of storage, plus damage from a live construction corridor |
| Damage reported on day 30 | A site instruction to photograph on delivery | Replacement at list price instead of free |
Frequently asked questions about lighting procurement
How much deposit is standard on a lighting order?
50% to begin production and the balance before dispatch. Extended terms are available in writing for established accounts, and custom or made-to-order slots are reserved once the deposit clears, not once the purchase order is emailed.
Can the specification be changed after the purchase order is placed?
Only before production begins, and only in writing. A custom frame cannot be altered once it is cut, because the production slot is reserved for your order and the material has been consumed. Changes made before production may still affect price and lead time.
Is there a minimum order quantity for custom fixtures?
No. Custom and made-to-order projects are quoted individually and are not subject to a minimum order value. Trade pricing on catalogue models applies from the minimum order value shown in your approved terms, and orders below that value are invoiced at list price.
How long do I have to report transit damage?
7 days from delivery, with photographs of the crate and the fixture taken before installation. Glass, alabaster and crystal components broken in transit are replaced at no charge on that basis, and replacement shipments go out on the next available dispatch.
Read the full trade programme terms for the contractual wording, or apply for a trade account to get tiered pricing, spec sheets, CAD blocks and IES photometric files. The chandelier range is the best place to judge scale, and a large piece such as the 84 inch, 72-light Teralven chandelier shows why the drawing gate exists. All prices and lead times are as published on the site at the time of writing and are subject to change.