Most buyers who approach a custom rug manufacturer for the first time have the same fear: they don’t know what they don’t know.
What files do I need to send? How long will this actually take? What happens if the sample is wrong? Can I order just one piece?
At NP Rugs – manufacturing hand-knotted rugs in Nepal since 1991 – we have run this process thousands of times for retail buyers, interior design studios, and hospitality procurement teams across the US, Europe, and Australia. As a result, the clients who came to us five, ten, and thirty years ago are still here.
Here is exactly how a custom order works, from your first message to the rug arriving at your door.
Step 1: Submit Your Initial Brief
The process starts with a conversation – not a purchase order, not a finalized design, not a completed brief form.
Contact us by email, WhatsApp, or through our sourcing consultation page. At this stage, you do not need anything resolved. In particular, what helps:
- The intended use: residential, hospitality, retail, or commercial
- Approximate size or size range
- Any reference images, colour direction, or mood board
- Your target delivery date
- Your location, for freight planning
If you have CAD files and Pantone references ready – excellent. If you have a rough idea and three images saved to your phone – that is also enough to start. We will ask the right questions from there.
Step 2: Free Design Development – Our In-House Team, No Charge
This is where most buyers are surprised.
NP Rugs has an in-house design team. If you come to us with a concept, a mood board, a hand sketch, or a verbal description of what you are envisioning, we develop a full digital prototype rendering of your rug before you commit to anything – at no additional charge.
There is no design fee. You see exactly what you are commissioning before you agree to a single dollar of production.
Alternatively, if you already have a fully resolved design – a CAD file, a repeating pattern with color callouts, specific Pantone or RAL references – we work directly from your files. Formats we accept:
- CAD files (AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator)
- Mood boards with colour direction
- Reference photography or architectural drawings
- Pantone or RAL colour codes
- Hand sketches (we digitise and develop these)
Additionally, at this stage we confirm: pile height direction, construction type, KPSI range, border treatment, and fringe or binding finish. Every detail goes into the production brief so nothing is assumed later.
Step 3: Quote and Specification Confirmation
With a clear design and scope, we provide a detailed written quote covering:
- FOB Nepal price per piece or per square metre
- Strike-off sample cost (quoted individually – more on this in Step 4)
- Estimated production timeline
- Payment terms
In addition, we issue the full technical specification in writing: exact dimensions, KPSI, pile height, material, colour references, and all finishing details. This document is the production brief. Both parties sign off before anything is made.
No minimum order quantity. NP Rugs accepts commissions from a single bespoke piece to large-scale retail programmes. We work with buyers ordering one statement piece for a residential client and buyers running annual programmes of 200+ rugs. The process and the quality standard are identical.
Step 4: Strike-Off Sample
Before full production begins, we make a strike-off sample.
A strike-off is not a swatch or a printed image. Instead, it is a small section of your actual rug, hand-knotted on the loom using your specified materials and colour recipe. Specifically, it shows you:
- Exact colour match against your Pantone or reference
- Pile texture and height at your construction specification
- Design resolution at your specified KPSI
- How the material actually feels
Timeline: 6–8 weeks from design sign-off.
Cost: Quoted individually, based on the complexity of your design and your material specification. These samples are made by hand by skilled weavers – the cost reflects real labour, real materials, and real time. The cost is confirmed in writing before you proceed; there are no surprises when the invoice arrives.
The strike-off is a non-negotiable step in our process – one that protects you from production surprises and protects us from misaligned expectations. For this reason, our clients consistently approve their final rugs with confidence.
Step 5: Sample Approval and Production Deposit
Once you receive and review the strike-off, you have three options:
- Approve as-is – production is scheduled
- Request modifications – color adjustment, pile height tweak, design refinement – we revise and produce a new sample
- Decline – no obligation to proceed to production
If you approve, you confirm the production order and pay the agreed deposit. Your order enters the production schedule from that date.
Step 6: Production
Hand-knotted rugs are made entirely by hand, knot by knot, by skilled weavers working on vertical looms. On a 100-KPSI piece, there are 100 individual knots in every square inch of the finished rug. Notably, there are no machines in this process.
Production timeline: 16–24 weeks, depending on:
- Size – larger pieces require proportionally more weaver time
- KPSI – higher knot density takes significantly longer. A 100-KPSI piece requires far more hours than a 60-KPSI piece at the same dimensions
- Design complexity – intricate geometric or floral repeats require more precision per row
- Material – silk accent weaving is slower than pure wool
For a standard commission – an 8×10ft, 80-KPSI Himalayan wool rug with moderate design complexity – expect 16–18 weeks in production.
Step 7: Production Monitoring
You are not silent for 20 weeks waiting for a finished rug to appear.
We provide structured updates throughout production:
- Confirmation when warping and weaving begins
- A mid-production photograph of the piece on the loom
- Notification when weaving is complete and finishing begins – washing, stretching, clipping, final trim
Hospitality and commercial procurement clients who require formal milestone reviews at specified intervals – we accommodate these. Raise it at the briefing stage.
Step 8: Pre-Shipment Inspection and QC Documentation
Before the rug leaves our facility, it goes through final inspection:
- Dimension verification against the confirmed specification
- Colour match against the approved strike-off sample
- Pile height and surface finish check
- Structural integrity – edge binding, fringe if applicable
Additionally, you receive a complete QC documentation package with your shipment:
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Certificate of origin (Form A or self-certification, depending on your import authority)
- GoodWeave certification documentation where applicable – see our GoodWeave certification guide for detail
- Colour reference card matched against production
Step 9: FOB Handover – What Is Included
NP Rugs ships FOB Kathmandu or FOB Kolkata, the most common routing for sea freight to the US West and East Coasts.
FOB price covers: manufacturing, quality inspection, export documentation, and local freight to the port of export.
However, FOB does not include: international freight, marine insurance, US import duties, customs broker fees, or inland delivery to your destination.
Step 10: Freight and Customs – What You Arrange
From the FOB point, the buyer arranges:
- International freight – sea for volume orders, air for samples and urgent single pieces
- Marine insurance
- US customs clearance – we recommend using a licensed customs broker for first-time Nepal imports
- Inland delivery to your warehouse or project site
Typical sea freight transit times:
| Route | Transit Time |
|---|---|
| Nepal → US West Coast (LA/Long Beach) | 28–35 days |
| Nepal → US East Coast (New York/Savannah) | 35–45 days |
Full Timeline: Enquiry to US Warehouse
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Brief submission and design development | 1–3 weeks |
| Strike-off production | 6–8 weeks |
| Sample review, approval, and scheduling | 1–2 weeks |
| Production | 16–24 weeks |
| Finishing and QC | 2–3 weeks |
| Pre-shipment documentation | 1 week |
| Sea freight to US | 4–6 weeks |
| Total | 28–32+ weeks |
As a general rule, plan for the longer end. A 32-week programme means enquiring in Q3 for spring delivery. If you have a hard deadline – a hotel opening, a retail launch window, a client handover – tell us at Step 1 and we plan around it from the start.
What a Real Custom Order Looks Like
To illustrate what this process looks like in practice: a retail buyer in the US came to NP Rugs with an idea. Not a CAD file, not a finalised design – just a concept and some reference images for a set of 15 custom rugs he planned to sell through his own client network.
Here is how it went:
He submitted an enquiry and booked a call. Our design team then developed full digital prototype renderings of his concept at no charge. He reviewed, requested minor adjustments to the color palette, and approved the revised rendering. Next, we produced a strike-off sample – approved immediately on first review. Production and delivery followed on schedule.
That was over five years ago. He is still a client.
This is not unusual at NP Rugs. We have been manufacturing since 1991, and some clients have worked with us for twenty to thirty years. The process – transparent, well-documented, and built around the buyer’s actual workflow – is why those relationships hold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a quote without a finalised design?
Yes. An approximate size, a material preference, and a visual reference are enough to start. A firm quote follows once we have the complete specification confirmed.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
No. NP Rugs accepts commissions from a single bespoke piece to full retail programmes. There is no minimum.
I don’t have design files – just an idea. Can you still help?
Yes. Our in-house design team develops a full digital prototype rendering from your concept, mood board, reference images, or hand sketch. There is no separate design fee for this service.
What happens if I don’t approve the strike-off?
You can request modifications. We revise and produce a new sample. There is no obligation to proceed to production until you are satisfied with the result.
Do you ship directly to the US?
We ship FOB to the port of export. You arrange international freight and US customs clearance from that point. We can refer you to freight forwarders with Nepal experience if needed.
How do I know the final rug will match what I approved?
The approved strike-off sample is the physical reference standard for production. Our QC team matches the finished rug to it at the pre-shipment inspection stage. The colour reference card in your documentation package records this formally.
Start Your Custom Enquiry
The first step is a conversation. Tell us what you have in mind – we will tell you what is possible, what it will cost, and how long it will take. No commitment required at that stage.
Or reach us directly:
- Email: info@nprugs.com
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