Always write dimensions in the same order
In timber work dimensions are written as thickness × width × length, and the order is not arbitrary: thickness sets the planing and calibrating allowance, width determines the ripping line, and length decides whether finger-jointing is needed.
When the order gets mixed up, a 26 × 600 × 3000 mm panel and a 600 × 26 × 3000 mm batten become indistinguishable — and they run through completely different lines. Writing "thickness × width × length (mm)" once in the header removes the risk entirely.
Is the dimension final or rough?
State whether the dimension you give is the net size after planing or the rough size. Planing and calibrating take material off every face; if a net size is required the facility increases the rough size accordingly.
The same applies to length: a list with no cross-cut allowance ends up under target once the ends are trimmed.
State the moisture target
Moisture is behind most of the faults that appear later. Interior furniture, exterior and structural work each have different targets.
If you do not know the value, it is enough to write where the piece will be used — the technical office sets the target from that. See the target moisture guide for detail.
Tick the required operations, in order
Drying, steaming, planing, sanding/calibrating, CNC drilling and milling, impregnation: mark whichever apply. Because toll work is priced on machine hours, the number of operations feeds straight into the price.
The order matters too. Impregnation, for example, always comes after cutting; cutting impregnated material afterwards opens the protective layer.
The more the list carries, the firmer the quote
With the headings below complete, the technical office can price your exact piece rather than an average.
- Species: fir, Scots pine or beech
- Grade class, if known, or the intended use
- Joint type: finger-jointed / solid / glulam
- Piece dimensions and quantity, and whether the size is net or rough
- Required operations and their order, if it matters
- Target moisture or the intended use
- Whether the material is yours (toll) or from facility stock