The lead time is how long it will take from when a client places their order until we have finished creating their piece. Depending on the time of year and what projects we have in the pipeline, our lead time is usually 10-14 weeks however can go out to 18 weeks leading up to Christmas.
How do you work out lead time?
Our lead time is basically a queue. Once we have received a deposit from a client, this then secures their spot at the end of the queue. Once we send off your deposit invoice, we pencil your spot in the queue however if your deposit hasn't been received a week following the due date, then we may move you back if other clients who had been penciled in after you have paid their deposit.
Lead time is an estimate only
Our lead time is just a guide rather than being exact. The date we give you is an estimated date of completion rather than guaranteed. Many things can happen that can put us behind in our production schedule such as illness, unscheduled staff holidays and projects taking a lot longer than originally estimated. With our usual portfolio designs such as vanities and dining tables, we have made them so many times that we know how long they will take to build. For one off custom pieces and large inbuilt projects however, we can only guess how long they will take to make which can throw out out production schedule.
Planning ahead for renovations and new builds
As we so often have clients who need their furniture or vanities for a new build or renovation, the timing is challenging as there are often delays in their build and our lead time can change quickly. For these kinds of situations, we can pencil your pieces into our schedule at a later date than the end on the queue which can then be moved depending on the progress of your build. This way we can guarantee that we can have your piece ready when you need it and avoid the possibilities of damage in storage. One of our customer service staff will contact you regularly to update the dates that you need the piece and then alter our schedule as required. We have had a couple of clients that have been on our schedule for over a year before they where ready to receive their pieces!
How long does it take to made a piece of custom furniture?
There is a large range of production times depending on the complexity of a piece. A dining table usually takes around 18 hours or so to construct and something like a Bellbrae buffet can take 35 hours to make! These hours are usually spread over 1-2 weeks as time is needed for the glue to set or the finish to cure before the next step in the production can happen. We run our workshop so that each piece of furniture is made by a single furniture maker. We do this as firstly it is much more rewarding for our team members to look at the final piece and know they created it. Secondly, it is way more interesting for our staff to be doing lots of different tasks in their work day. Sanding for 7.5 hours really gets old very quickly! There is of course many times when other members of the team contribute to the production of a piece such as lifting and maneuvering or when a round table discussion is needed to resolve a challenge.
To find out more about our ordering and design process, please follow the link!