How long does it take?
About 6 to 10 weeks door to door for stock lines, and about 12 to 16 weeks for custom joinery from drawing sign-off. That is why the time to price the fit-out is just after approval, not at lock-up.
The short answer
Order at approval and the fit-out lands before your builder needs it. Order at lock-up and you are waiting on a ship.
The proof, step by step
Sea transit is from published carrier schedules and changes. Every other line is our planning estimate until enough Elje jobs have run to publish real numbers. Shared-container freight takes longer than your own container because it waits to be consolidated and unpacked.
| Step | Typical time (our estimate, except sea freight) |
|---|---|
| Samples to your door | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Shop drawings and sign-off, custom joinery | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Production, custom joinery | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Inspection and loading | about 1 week |
| Sea freight, Shekou to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane | about 13 to 18 days port to port |
| Customs, biosecurity and delivery to site | about 1 week if the paperwork is right |
What slows it down
- Chinese New Year. In 2027 it falls on 6 February and factories close for two to four weeks around it. Orders placed in December queue behind everyone else's.
- Drawings that change after sign-off.
- Missing paperwork at the border: no ISPM 15 stamp on timber packaging, no packing declaration, or a product the officers want to test for asbestos.
- Brown marmorated stink bug season. Sea cargo shipped from China between 1 September and 30 April faces random inspection, and goods made in a higher-risk country, such as Italian tiles shipped through China, need treatment.
What Elje does about it
- The Project Plan carries a timeline to site, worked back from the date your builder needs each item.
- The forwarder and customs broker are booked in the plan, so the cargo report and import declaration are lodged on time.
- We flag the Chinese New Year cut-off on every plan.
Questions
Can it come by air?
Small things can, at a cost. Cabinetry, stone and tiles go by sea.
When is the Chinese New Year cut-off for 2027?
Plan for production to be finished and inspected by mid January 2027. Official holiday dates are usually announced in November.