Composite Decking Sample Policy: Costs, Lead Times, and How to Verify Before You Order

Most composite decking suppliers will send a sample at no charge — the board itself is rarely the cost. What varies is who pays the courier, whether any fee is credited back against a bulk order, and how long it takes to arrive. This guide covers the sample models you will actually encounter, what a “free” sample really costs you, and — the part most buyers skip — what to check once the sample is in your hands.

1. Why sample policies differ at all

A sample policy looks arbitrary from the outside. It is not. It reflects three cost facts that apply to almost every outdoor decking supplier:

1. The board is cheap; the freight is not. A cut section of decking costs the supplier very little to produce. But decking is long and relatively heavy, so an international express parcel on an oversized item can easily cost more than the board itself. This single fact explains most “free sample” policies.
2. Someone has to pick, cut, pack and document it. Labour and packing materials are real costs, even when the material itself is a by-product of a production run.
3. Not every sample request converts. Suppliers receive many enquiries that never become orders. Asking the buyer to cover the courier — or to pay a refundable fee — is a way to filter for buyers with a live project. It is a commercial decision, not a judgement on you.

Understanding this changes what you should expect. A supplier who charges for a custom-colour sample is not being difficult; they are covering a genuine set-up cost. A supplier who asks you to cover freight on a free sample is following the most common practice in the industry, not trying to squeeze you.

2. Four sample models you will encounter

Most composite decking suppliers use one of these. Ask which one applies before you request, so there are no surprises.

One more option worth knowing, because it saves time and money when you are still shortlisting: instead of a physical sample, ask the supplier to produce the sample and send detailed photographs or video of it, including the cross-section and a measurement against a ruler. Several suppliers offer this. It will not replace a physical sample for final approval, but it is a fast way to narrow a long list before you pay courier fees on five different suppliers.

3. What a “free” sample actually costs you

Even when nobody invoices you, a sample is not free. Budget for these:

• Courier charges. Ask for the parcel dimensions and weight before agreeing, and check the cost against your own carrier account — often your negotiated business rate is lower than the supplier’s.
• Import formalities. Some countries apply duty or VAT even to samples. Ask the supplier to mark the commercial invoice clearly as a sample with no commercial value, and confirm the treatment with your customs broker — rules vary by destination.
• Elapsed time. Sample preparation plus transit, then your own evaluation. This sits on the critical path of your project; a two-week delay in approving a sample is a two-week delay in the container.
• Your evaluation time. A sample that sits on a desk has cost you money and told you nothing. §4 is how to make it earn its keep.

4. What to check when the sample arrives

This is the section most buyers skip, and it is the reason a sample is worth requesting in the first place. Colour is the least useful thing to judge from a sample — screens and showroom lighting distort it, and the colour will shift during early weathering anyway. What a sample can genuinely tell you is whether the product is well made.

1. Cut it and look at the cross-section. This is the single most informative check. You are looking for uniform wall thickness, a consistent internal structure, and no obvious voids or thin spots. On hollow profiles, uneven wall thickness is one of the most common quality issues and it is invisible from the outside.
2. Measure it. Use calipers on width and thickness, a tape on length, and compare against the supplier’s stated specification. Measure at both ends and in the middle — taper is a real defect.
3. Weigh it. Convert to weight per metre and write it down. This is the most honest indicator of material density and consistency, and it becomes your benchmark for checking future shipments from the same supplier.
4. Confirm the cap structure. Is it co-extruded, and which faces does the cap cover? This matters more on dark colours than any other specification — see the guide to black composite decking colour change for why the cap configuration drives long-term colour stability.
5. Keep it sealed as your colour reference. Store the sample away from light and record its batch or lot number. It becomes the reference for any colour-difference (ΔE) measurement or colour-stability claim later. A sample without a recorded lot number has almost no value as a reference.
6. Test-fit the accessories. Clips, hidden fasteners and end caps are frequently overlooked at sample stage and then become a problem on site. Order or request the matching clip with the sample and fit them together.
7. Look at the packaging. How the sample was protected tells you something about how a container will be packed. Note the corner protection, wrapping and whether the profile ends were reinforced.

5. What to ask when you request a sample

Send this list with your enquiry. It takes one email and prevents most misunderstandings:

• Is the sample from current production or from old stock? (You want current production.)
• Will it be a cut section long enough to evaluate, or a short chip? Ask for a length that shows the profile properly.
• Can you send two or three pieces from the same batch?
• Which profile and colour exactly — and is that colour a stock item or made to order?
• What is the cap configuration on this profile?
• What are the parcel dimensions and weight, and who pays the courier? Can I use my own account?
• Will the commercial invoice be marked as a sample with no commercial value?
• If there is a sample fee, is it credited against a bulk order, and at what order value?
• Will you retain a sealed sample from the same lot on your side? (This matters for §7.)

6. Sample lead time

Sample turnaround has two parts: preparation and transit. Preparation depends on whether the profile and colour are in stock — stock items are typically quick, while a made-to-order colour requires a production slot. Transit depends entirely on the service you choose.

The mistake to avoid is treating sampling as something that happens in parallel with everything else. It does not. Sample approval gates the production slot, so sample delay is order delay. For the full breakdown of where time goes between enquiry and container, see the composite decking lead time guide.

7. From sample to bulk: keeping them consistent

The most common dispute in this category is not “the sample was bad” — it is “the container does not match the sample.” That dispute is almost always preventable at sample stage.

• Record the lot number and production date of the sample you approved, in writing.
• State in the contract or proforma invoice that the approved sample is the reference for colour, profile and dimensions. Vague wording is what causes arguments later.
• Both parties retain a sealed sample from the same lot — you keep one, the supplier keeps one. If a question arises, there is a physical reference on both sides.
• For multi-product orders, confirm the lot rules. If you are combining decking with wall panels or other profiles, ask how lots are allocated across product lines — the mixed container guide covers how this works when several product categories share one shipment.
• For colour, agree how it will be measured. The retained sample is the reference; any comparison should be a measured colour difference against it, not a side-by-side opinion in different lighting.

8. Five mistakes that waste a sample

1. Judging only by colour — and usually in the wrong lighting. Colour is the least reliable thing a sample tells you.
2. Requesting a single piece — you learn nothing about batch consistency.
3. Not recording weight and dimensions — you lose the benchmark that makes future shipments verifiable.
4. Not getting the lot number — an unlabelled sample cannot serve as a contractual reference.
5. Assuming bulk will match sample without saying so in writing — if it is not in the contract, it is not enforceable.

Frequently asked questions

If you are shortlisting suppliers for a container order and want to compare specifications, send us the profile, colour, quantity and destination you need. We can confirm which sample model applies, provide the available specifications and loading information, and tell you what documentation we can supply for your project — start with the RFQ generator.