Can we get samples before placing a bulk order?

Yes. Sample rolls ship by courier so your team can handle the product, check the print and run it on a test deck before you commit. Tell us which series and grammage you want to evaluate and we will arrange the shipment.

Can you print our own brand on the roll?

Yes — private-label printing is a standard part of the programme. Your logo, lap and nailing guides, contact line and safety wording can all be printed in line during production. Print plates and minimum quantities are confirmed per item.

What is the minimum order quantity?

Minimum order is one pallet (56 rolls), on any specification, for both factory-direct and US warehouse shipments. Send us your target roll spec — width, length, grammage and print — and we will confirm the MOQ for that item.

Do you supply test reports with each shipment?

Yes. Test reports are issued per order and travel with the shipping documents. If your market requires third-party testing or a specific standard, raise it at quotation stage so the test plan is agreed before production begins.

Can we audit the factory or send a third-party inspector?

Both are welcome by appointment. Let us know the scope — checklist, standard or customer requirement — and we will have the relevant batch records and production staff available on the day. Remote video walk-throughs can also be arranged.

Which markets do you export to?

We supply distributors, contractors and private-label partners across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, with selected lines held in US and EU warehouse stock. Contact the sales desk to confirm current availability for your destination.

Procurement

How to Evaluate a Roofing Underlayment Supplier

Most underlayment sourcing decisions are made on price per roll and a datasheet that looks plausible. Neither predicts what turns up in the container. This page sets out the checks that do — the ones that separate a supplier you can build a programme on from one that costs you a season.

Tier 1

Documentation: the non-negotiables

A dated data sheet naming the specific standard — “ASTM standards” in general is not a claim. For synthetic sheets, look for D8257; for self-adhered ice barrier, D1970.
A test report that matches the product code you are quoted — not a similar sheet from the same factory.
Test methods and conditioning temperatures stated — a tensile figure is meaningless without them.
A current evaluation report where the destination market requires one, with the report number and expiry date visible.

Fast test ask for the data sheet and test report for a product code you have not been quoted. If the supplier sends the same generic document, the documentation is marketing, not evidence.

Tier 2

Production control and consistency

A single good sample proves nothing about a container. What you are actually buying is the distribution of quality across production runs, and the only way to assess that is to ask how the run is controlled.

Is thickness measured in-line or by spot check, and how often?
Are rolls traceable to a batch or production date?
What happens to off-spec material — is it segregated or reworked into stock?
Can the supplier provide retained samples from a specific shipment after the fact?

Suppliers with genuine process control answer these quickly and specifically. Suppliers without it describe intentions.

Tier 3

Logistics and commercial reality

Question	Why it matters	Good answer looks like
What is the real lead time?	Underlayment is bulky; late shipments stall entire projects	A stated production slot plus transit, with the current position
How is the roll packed?	Crushed cores and torn edges are the most common freight damage	Individual wrap, specified pallet count, stretch wrap, edge protection
What is the MOQ and is it flexible?	Ties up working capital or blocks the programme entirely	A clear tier structure, and honesty about what is not possible
What happens if a roll fails on site?	The claim process is where supplier quality becomes visible	A defined process, not a promise that it will not happen

Red flags

Signals to walk away from

A data sheet with no date and no test method.
Reluctance to put the product code on the quotation.
A price far below the market range with no technical explanation of how it is achieved.
No answer on packing details until you ask a second time.
Samples that are visibly better finished than described production capability.

None of these individually proves a bad supplier. Two or three together usually do, and the cost of finding out is a container.

FAQ

Common questions

How many suppliers should I qualify?

For a distribution programme, two qualified sources per product category is the common target. It protects against a single point of failure without fragmenting volume so far that pricing suffers.

Is factory audit worth it for a first order?

For a container-scale first order, yes — either an in-person audit or a documented third-party inspection. The cost is small relative to the shipment and it is the only way to see process control rather than hear about it.

What is a reasonable sample request?

Ask for a production sample from current stock, not a hand-made sample. Specify that you want the roll as shipped, including the core, wrapping and label, because those are part of what you are buying.

Need the spec sheet behind the claim?

Tell us the product, roll spec and destination. We will send the current data sheet, test reports and a quotation against your actual requirement.

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