ARCHITECTURAL WOOD VENEER

Architectural Wood Veneer Submittal Template & Checklist

An architectural wood veneer submittal is the document you give the architect to prove the veneer you are proposing matches the project specification — species, cut, grade, matching, backing, core, and compliance. This page is a fillable template and checklist for building one.

Use it as your working list when you prepare a submittal, and adapt it to the CSI section and the AWI grade your project calls out. As a manufacturer, we can back every field with a real answer — the species and cut we slice, the matching we produce, and the compliance documents we confirm before shipment.

Download Submittal Template

What a Veneer Submittal Covers

Product Data Species · Cut · Grade

Shop Drawings Elevations · Grain

Samples Veneer · Panel

Compliance FSC · CARB · CE

Closeout Warranty · O&M

01 — SUBMITTAL CONTENTS

What Goes in a Veneer Submittal?

These are the items a veneer submittal typically covers, grouped so you can check them off as you go. The fillable template turns this list into a single document you can hand to a supplier and, from there, to the architect.

4 core parts

Product data, drawings, samples and compliance

Submittal Part	Purpose	Typical Contents	Specification Note
Product Data	Tells the architect what you are proposing, not just what is available.	Species, cut, grade, characteristics — colour, figure, leaf width and natural character — plus backing, core construction, VOC and emission data, adhesive and finish information, and recycled content.	State the proposed product. A catalogue description is not product data.
Shop Drawings	Show how the veneer will be built and installed.	Dimensions, elevations and profiles; concealed framing and blocking; field-measured dimensions; grain direction; and the matching method noted on the drawing itself.	“Book match, sequence across all doors” removes a whole class of RFIs later.
Samples	The physical proof of grain and colour, and where colour and grain disputes get settled.	Veneer and panel samples showing the full range of grain and colour, labelled by species, grade, cut and finish. Common minimums are 8 × 8 in or 12 × 12 in fabrication samples for finished work, smaller sheet or flitch samples for veneer selection, and larger samples for veneer-faced panels.	Confirm the exact size against your project specification — minimums vary. Submit early and keep a reference set.
Compliance Documentation	Proves the product meets project and regulatory requirements.	FSC / PEFC chain of custody, formaldehyde compliance (TSCA Title VI or CARB ATCM Phase 2), VOC limits, CE and EUDR where required, and moisture content.	Treat it as a checklist, not a fixed set. Verify each item with the supplier before you order.
Closeout Documents	Delivered at the end of the project, after approval rather than with the submittal.	Maintenance data, record drawings, and warranty in the owner’s name.	Follows the same species, grade and matching as the approved submittal.

02 — AWI GRADE

AWI Grade: Premium, Custom, and Economy

The AWI/AWMAC/WI Architectural Woodwork Standards define three quality grades. The grade you cite should match the finish and the project’s expectations. If your project spec does not name a grade, state one anyway — leaving it blank is a common source of rejection, because the architect cannot assess the proposal against an undefined standard.

Quality Grade

Grain Cut

Specified Appearance

AWI Grade	Typical Application	Natural Character Allowed	Typical Finish	When to Specify
Premium	Transparent finishes where the wood grain is the feature	Least — highest quality and consistency	Clear / transparent	Specify when the grain and figure are the design feature
Custom	Standard architectural quality	Moderate	Often opaque or painted	The common default for architectural joinery and casework
Economy	Utility and value work	Most — more natural variation	Painted or utility	Value work where natural variation is acceptable

03 — VENEER CUT & MATCHING

Veneer Cut and Matching: Setting the Grain

Three fields define the appearance more than any others: grade, cut, and matching. The cut sets the grain figure; matching is how the leaves are arranged. State both for each surface — a face and its adjacent panel should be cut consistently or the mismatch shows in the finish.

CUT TYPES 4 cuts

Plain, quarter, rift
and rotary

PS Plain-sliced

QC Quarter-cut

RI Rift-cut

RO Rotary-cut

Matching Method	How It Works	Best For	Specification Note
Book Match	Mirrors every other leaf	Symmetrical, mirrored grain	Standard for balanced architectural faces
Slip Match	Keeps the same face up	Straighter, more uniform look	Where a calmer face is wanted
Sequence Match	Keeps leaves in their original order	Continuous grain across panels	Specify for walls and sets of doors, and note it on the shop drawings
Balance Match	Centres the pattern on the panel	Balanced composition per panel	Useful for individual feature panels

04 — BACKING & CORE

Specifying Backing and Core

Backing and core are separate from the face, and they are where the submittal documents how the panel is actually built. The backing you specify should match how the panel will be pressed and finished, and the submittal should name the core and thickness so the architect can verify construction against a recognised benchmark.

Component	Option	What It Does	Specification Note
Backing	Raw / unbacked	Lets you control the construction yourself	For shops that press their own lay-ups
Backing	Paper-backed	More stable and easier to laminate	General decorative face work
Backing	Fleece-backed	Flexible, wraps curved and profiled surfaces	Curved and wrapped panels
Backing	Phenolic-backed	High dimensional stability under pressing	High-pressure laminate backer
Core	Plywood	Good screw-holding, moderate weight	Reference HPVA HP-1 for veneer-faced panels
Core	MDF	Flat and uniform, good for veneering	Reference ANSI A208.2
Core	Particle board	Economical and flat	Interior dry applications
Core	OSB	Structural and economical	Structural and utility panels

Backing Should Match How the Panel Is Pressed

Wood veneer is available raw (unbacked), paper-backed, fleece-backed, or phenolic-backed. Backed veneer is more stable and easier to laminate, while raw veneer lets you control the construction yourself. The backing you specify should match how the panel will be pressed and finished.

Name the Core and the Panel Standard

Veneer panels are pressed onto plywood, MDF, particle board, or OSB, and each core behaves differently for flatness, weight, and moisture. Name the core and thickness, and reference the applicable panel standard — HPVA HP-1 for veneer-faced panels, ANSI A208.2 for MDF — so the architect can verify construction against a recognized benchmark.

05 — WORKED EXAMPLE

A Worked Example: How the Fields Come Together

Every Word Removes a Future Question

To see how the fields come together, here is what a complete, unambiguous veneer spec line looks like in a submittal. Each phrase removes a question the architect would otherwise have to ask.

When a submittal is written to this level, the architect can approve it in one pass — and we can quote and produce it without back-and-forth.

SPECIFICATION EXAMPLE White oak, quarter-cut, AWI Premium grade, book-matched, sequence-matched across all door fronts, single flitch, 3 mm veneer on MDF core, paper-backed, clear finish, FSC chain of custody, TSCA Title VI compliant.

“Quarter-cut” Sets the Grain

The cut sets the grain figure. Plain-sliced shows cathedral grain; quarter-cut and rift-cut show straighter, more uniform lines and match well in slip form; rotary-cut produces a broad, bold pattern.

“Book-matched” Sets the Face

Matching is how the leaves are arranged. Book match mirrors every other leaf; slip match keeps the same face up for a straighter look. State the method for each surface.

“Sequence-matched” Sets Continuity

Sequence matching keeps leaves in their original order for continuous grain across panels. If the grain must run continuously across a wall or a set of doors, say so — and note it on the shop drawings.

“Single Flitch” and Compliance Set the Rest

“Single flitch” sets the source, “3 mm on MDF core” sets the construction, and the compliance clauses set the documentation. These are production instructions we execute to order, not a standard default.

06 — COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTATION

Compliance Documentation for Your Submittal

This is the part that increasingly decides whether a submittal is approved, especially on commercial and institutional projects. The specific documents depend on the project, so confirm what is required and treat this as a checklist, not a fixed set.

01 FSC / PEFC Chain of custody

02 Formaldehyde TSCA Title VI

03 CE & EUDR EU destinations

04 VOC Finish & adhesive

05 Moisture 6–12% typical

CERTIFICATION FSC / PEFC Chain of custody

FSC / PEFC Chain of Custody

For projects requiring certified timber. Specify the claim in the submittal and we confirm what we can supply for the species and shipment in question.

EMISSIONS Formaldehyde TSCA / CARB

Formaldehyde Compliance

TSCA Title VI or CARB ATCM Phase 2 compliance, with NAF, NAUF, or ULEF labels where specified. Confirm the label the project requires rather than assuming the default.

EU MARKET CE & EUDR European destinations

CE Marking and EUDR

For European destinations and EU Deforestation Regulation compliance. State the destination in the submittal so the correct documentation set is confirmed before the order is placed.

AIR QUALITY VOC Finish and adhesive limits

VOC Limits

Finish and adhesive limits — for example, SCAQMD Rule 1113 — where the project requires them. VOC requirements sit with the finish schedule as much as with the veneer itself.

MATERIAL STATE Moisture Content target

Moisture Content

Kiln-dried, typically in the 6–12% range. Confirm the target for your specification, since the acceptable range depends on the destination climate and the service conditions.

07 — NEXT STEP

Get the Template, Samples, and a Quote

A submittal is only as strong as the supplier behind it. We are the manufacturer — three factories, buyers in more than 30 countries, and veneer, panels, and matching edge banding produced in-house — so the species, grade, and compliance you document are things we actually make and confirm, not a catalogue promise.

Fillable Template Download

Checklist, grade and compliance tables in one editable document.

Veneer Samples Request

Verify grain and colour against the specified species, cut and grade.

Project Pricing Quote

Put numbers behind the specification, backed by a supplyable panel.

Compliance Check Confirm

Send the FSC, CARB, CE or EUDR documentation you need; we verify first.

Panel Construction Build

Walk through species, cut, core and dimensions in order.

Matching Chart Compare

Map each matching method to the surface and look it serves.

RULE 01

We Are the Manufacturer

Three factories, buyers in more than 30 countries, and veneer, panels and matching edge banding produced in-house — so what you document in the submittal is what we actually make.

Factories 3

Countries 30+

RULE 02

Compliance Confirmed Before You Order

Certification depends on the product and the shipment, and we confirm exactly what we can supply before you order. That is the point of the submittal — to document compliance, not to promise it and sort it out later.

FSC Chain of custody

CARB TSCA Title VI

A wood veneer submittal is the document an architect reviews to confirm that the proposed veneer matches the project specification. It covers product data, shop drawings, samples, and compliance documentation, all tied to the specified species, cut, grade, and matching.

Product data (species, cut, grade, backing, core), shop drawings, physical samples, and compliance documents such as FSC chain of custody, formaldehyde and VOC reports, and moisture content. Closeout documents like warranty and maintenance data follow at the end of the project.

Premium grade is specified for transparent finishes where the wood grain is the feature and carries the highest quality and consistency. Custom grade is standard architectural quality, commonly used for opaque or painted work. Both are defined in the AWI/AWMAC/WI Architectural Woodwork Standards.

State the cut — plain-sliced, quarter-cut, rift-cut, or rotary-cut — and the matching method — book, slip, sequence, or balance — for each surface. For continuous grain across panels, specify sequence matching and a single flitch, and note it on the shop drawings.

It depends on the project. Common requirements are FSC/PEFC chain of custody, formaldehyde compliance (TSCA Title VI or CARB), VOC limits, CE/EUDR for European work, and a moisture-content target. Confirm the list against your specification and verify each item with the supplier before ordering.

Common minimums are 8 × 8 inch or 12 × 12 inch fabrication samples for finished work, smaller sheet or flitch samples for veneer selection, and larger samples for veneer-faced panels. Minimums vary by project, so confirm the required size and label each sample by species, grade, cut, and finish.

Get in touch