Wood to Spec sends completed orders by UK-mainland courier or postal dispatch. Fitting, installation and local delivery are not offered. Every enquiry still needs a destination postcode, packed-size, weight and protection review before dispatch can be accepted.
Location and coverage
Wood to Spec operates from Hertfordshire. The final quotation confirms whether the destination postcode falls within the available UK-mainland service and identifies any carrier exclusion or surcharge before approval.
“UK mainland” should not be treated as a promise that every UK postcode has the same carrier choice, charge or transit expectation. Islands, Highlands, remote postcodes and carrier-specific zones can be treated differently. The actual postcode is therefore more useful than a broad region when asking for a quote.
From workshop to customer
- Part geometry, material and quantity are reviewed.
- The included production and preparation stages are agreed.
- Packed dimensions, weight and protection are estimated or tested.
- A suitable current courier or postal service is checked for the postcode.
- The quotation records the applicable dispatch assumptions and exclusions.
- Tracking or compensation is described only as the selected carrier currently provides it.
An initial response is normally sent within 1–2 working days, but this is an initial-response target rather than a production or dispatch promise. Production timing and the expected dispatch point are confirmed separately in the quotation.
Quote the real dispatch context
Provide the destination postcode and say whether the address is residential or business where relevant to the carrier. If the order has a deadline, state the date and what happens after the parts arrive. That allows production timing and carrier time to be considered separately.
Wood to Spec’s service boundary does not include local delivery, carrying, fitting, installation or removal of packaging on site. For a seller ordering blanks, the workshop-to-seller parcel is separate from the seller’s later customer fulfilment. Each stage needs its own suitable pack, carrier choice and damage evidence.
The protected parcel controls the carrier band
A bare wooden part may appear to fit a convenient parcel format and then exceed it once edge guards, surface protection, void fill and a closed outer container are added. The packed dimensions are the dimensions of the fully closed parcel at its widest points—not the nominal box size or the CNC drawing.
Protection can also add enough weight to change a service option. Large flat parts may need stiffness against bending as well as corner and face protection. Small detailed parts may need separation so routed edges do not rub against each other. These requirements should be considered during design, especially where a seller wants a product to remain within a target shipping band.
Use the shipping and packaging guides to plan around the complete pack rather than the wooden outline alone.
Packing responsibilities
The quotation states which stages Wood to Spec supplies. Machining-only, part separation, preparation or packing are included only when expressly agreed. Assembly, finishing and retail packaging are not automatic.
For a CNC order, workshop packing is intended to protect the agreed parts for their journey to the customer. A product seller’s branded retail pack, marketplace label, gift presentation, fulfilment workflow and storage system are separate responsibilities unless a quotation expressly says otherwise. Wood to Spec should not be assumed to provide retail fulfilment, stockholding or assembly.
If a parcel arrives damaged
Contact Wood to Spec promptly using the details in the dispatch message. Keep the product and all packaging until the issue has been reviewed. Useful evidence normally includes:
- the outer parcel before it is discarded;
- the carrier label and tracking reference;
- internal protection and the position of the parts;
- close photographs of the damage;
- photographs showing the wider part for context;
- the quantity affected.
Do not repair, finish or dispose of the affected part before receiving a response if doing so would remove evidence. Any remedy depends on the quotation, service terms and evidence for that particular shipment; dispatch tracking is not a guarantee of a damage-free or time-certain outcome.
Problems to prevent before dispatch
Assuming local collection is available
The workshop location does not create a collection or local-delivery service. Use the published enquiry route and allow the quotation to confirm dispatch.
Designing around an old carrier limit
Carrier size bands, surcharges, tracking and compensation can change. Use current official information when choosing a packaging target and recheck it before the design or retail price is fixed.
Measuring only the CNC part
Measure the closed, protected parcel. A few millimetres of protection on each side can change both the external dimensions and the service available.
Treating tracking as a delivery guarantee
Tracking reports carrier events; it does not remove the need for realistic timing, adequate protection or evidence when something goes wrong.
Information that helps with a dispatch review
- Destination postcode.
- Part dimensions, quantity and approximate material.
- Expected finished or unfinished condition at dispatch.
- Fragile edges, visible faces or engraved details.
- Any preferred maximum packed size or weight.
- Whether the order will be repacked and sent to another customer.
- A real deadline and the reason for it.
- Any packaging already designed or purchased.
The UK shipping-size guide explains how current carrier bands affect early product design without turning a dated price into a permanent promise.