Buying clay split bricks for a wall covering requires more than a price per square metre. The order must connect approved units to measured elevations, bonds, joints, corners, openings, wastage, batches, packing, delivery sequence and long-term spares. That traceability protects both design intent and site productivity.
Freeze the product and wall scope
Request a current code and drawing showing length, height, actual thickness, edge, rear profile, tolerances and unit mass. Confirm body, finish, fired range, intended wall system and available special pieces. Treat WS998 as an archive image reference unless the supplier confirms that it remains a current code.
Define what the quotation includes: field units, corners, returns, trims, samples, packing, documentation, inspection, freight or other services. Keep the tile supply boundary distinct from substrate, attachment, joints, membranes, insulation, access and installation unless those items are expressly included.
Build quantity from coordinated elevations
Measure net clad areas from current drawings and subtract openings according to the project’s agreed method. Then calculate modules using verified unit dimensions and the design joint width. Schedule each facade zone, level, orientation or phase so procurement can follow installation rather than a single undifferentiated total.
Add a documented allowance for cuts, breakage, selection, testing and complexity. The appropriate basis depends on bond, corners, openings, curves and packaging; it should not be copied from another project. Separate ordered quantity from net area and preserve the calculation revision used for commercial approval.
Cross-check the takeoff by unit count in representative bays and reconcile it with area-based coverage. Confirm whether supplier coverage figures include a stated joint. Record assumptions for partial cartons and minimum pack quantities so rounding does not create hidden shortages across several zones.
Schedule corners, returns and other specials
External corners
Choose purpose-made units, bonded returns, expressed profiles or another approved architectural detail.
Openings
Resolve jambs, heads, sills, drips and cut limits around every typical window and door condition.
Movement and interfaces
Coordinate joints, terminations, adjacent claddings, bases, parapets and penetrations on elevations.
Replacement stock
Reserve labelled field units and specials in quantities related to risk and future access.
Give each special a drawing reference and unique schedule line. Confirm handed pieces, colours, quantities and packing. A field-unit area takeoff will not reveal missing corners or returns, and late fabrication from flat units can compromise appearance and programme.
Prototype critical conditions before releasing the full quantity. A corner or sill that works in elevation may conflict with substrate depth, movement, drainage or installer access in section. Feed the approved prototype dimensions and any revised counts back into the procurement schedule.
Approve samples, range and batch allocation
Review several current units rather than one archive photograph. Build a representative mock-up with the proposed bond, joint colour, corners, openings and adjacent materials. Label the accepted fired range, texture, dimensions and edge character, and record how cartons or pallets should be blended.
Ask how production lots are identified and whether phased orders can be made under one approved basis. Allocate batches to elevations deliberately and keep labelled control samples. If later phases cannot be produced together, agree a new comparison and approval process before release.
Complete submittals before purchase release
Map each project requirement to a current drawing, report, classification, sample or trial. Depending on the wall and jurisdiction, criteria may address dimensions, absorption, freeze–thaw, attachment, wind, impact or fire. Reports should identify the exact specimen, finish, method, result and scope.
Verify certificate issuer, holder, standard, validity and activity scope. The archived incomplete reference and generic performance words are not a substitute for exact-product or wall-system evidence. Record approved revisions and open actions so a commercial order cannot get ahead of technical acceptance.
Plan packing, delivery and site receipt
Confirm units per carton, cartons per pallet, pallet dimensions and weights, labelling, separation and weather protection. Plan vehicle access, lifting, storage and delivery sequence by facade zone. Identify who carries transport risk, inspects before release and documents damage or shortages at receipt.
On site, keep lots and special pieces identifiable. Store materials dry and protected, quarantine damage and compare received units with control samples before broad installation. Record pallet and batch references so a concern can be traced without stopping unrelated areas.
Align shipment lots with realistic installation capacity and secure storage. Delivering everything early can increase handling and damage, while excessive fragmentation can separate batches and complicate inspection. Document buffer stock and replacement lead assumptions without presenting an archived delivery time as current.
Order spares and close the handover record
Agree spare quantities for field units, colours, corners and unusual pieces before the production run closes. Pack and label spares for long-term storage, and document their location. Future production may not match the original fired range, so an intentional spare strategy has more value than a vague surplus.
Release one schedule linking product code, drawings, approved range, wall zones, quantities, specials, evidence, packing, delivery and spares. Use the current exterior wall tile range and wall-cladding gallery for early options, subject to current verification.