Custom Office Furniture: Process, Timeline & Cost

What counts as custom at Arc Grove

Custom office furniture means the piece is built to your specification rather than pulled from stock. At Arc Grove, that spans four dimensions of choice. You can change the size, so a desk or table fits your room instead of forcing the room to fit the furniture. You can choose the finish from over 150 options, with Pantone color matching available on request. You can add built-in features such as power, lighting, locks, and cable management. And you can add branding, including logo work that is etched, inlaid, laser cut, or painted into the piece.

Any one of these makes a piece custom. Most projects combine several. For a whole floor rather than a single piece, see the office fit-out furniture guide. A conference table might keep a standard finish but stretch to an unusual length and carry an inlaid logo. An executive desk might stay a common size but add integrated power and a locking drawer. The point is that custom is not a single tier you buy into. It is a set of decisions you make, each one tied to how the finished piece looks, works, and fits.

This guide walks through exactly what happens when you order custom, how long each stage takes, and what moves the price. It is written to answer the questions people actually ask before they commit.

The process, step by step

Every custom project moves through the same four stages. You stay in control at each one, and nothing goes into production until you have signed off.

1. Design brief

You tell us what you need. That includes the type of piece, the space it goes into, the dimensions you are working with, the finish you are drawn to, and any features or branding you want built in. If you are not sure of an exact size, we work from the room and the use. This is also where finish samples come in, so you are choosing color and texture from a physical swatch rather than a screen.

2. CAD drawings

We turn the brief into technical CAD drawings, usually within 2 to 3 business days, and often the same day. These drawings show the piece to scale with its real dimensions, finish, and features. You review them and approve before anything is built. If something is off, you ask for a revision and we redraw. Production does not begin until the drawings are what you want. This is the stage that protects you, because it removes the guesswork before any material is cut.

3. Production

Once you approve the drawings, the piece goes into production. This typically runs 4 to 8 weeks depending on what you have specified. During this window you can receive progress photos, so you are not waiting in the dark. The build follows the approved drawings exactly, which is why the approval stage matters so much.

4. Delivery

When the piece is finished, it ships. Standard delivery is freight. White-glove delivery, which includes inside placement and assembly, is available as a quoted add-on. Most custom projects land within 2 to 3 months start to finish, from the first brief to the piece standing in your space.

Timeline in detail

The 2 to 3 month range covers most projects. A few things can extend it, and it helps to know them going in so the timeline holds no surprises.

Outlier dimensions can add an engineering review. If you ask for a size well outside the usual range, we check that the piece will be structurally sound before we commit to the drawings. Most outlier requests clear this review, but it adds a step. The typical size range runs from a 63-inch executive desk to a 236-inch conference table, and requests inside that band rarely need extra review.

Finish and sample rounds can also add time, though this is time you control. If you want to see two or three finishes in hand before deciding, that is a smart move on a large piece, and it shifts the schedule by the days it takes to review samples. Ordering samples early, during the brief stage, keeps this from stacking onto the back end.

Revisions to the CAD drawings sit between you and the start of production. Each round is quick, but the clock on production only starts when you approve. If you know your requirements clearly at the brief stage, you tend to approve faster and start production sooner.

For contrast, standard non-custom pieces do not carry any of this. Stocked and standard items run 10 to 20 business days from order to shipment, because there is no design and approval loop and no from-scratch build. That gap between roughly two to four weeks for standard and two to three months for custom is the trade you are making: custom buys you exact fit, finish, and features, and the timeline reflects the work behind that.

What drives cost

Custom pricing is not a fixed markup. It reflects the specific decisions you make, so understanding the drivers lets you steer the number. We quote each project rather than list a single price, and the quote moves with these factors.

• Size. Larger pieces use more material and take more labor to build and finish. A longer conference table or a deeper desk costs more than a compact one in the same line, simply because there is more of it.
• Materials. The core material and construction of the piece set a baseline. Heavier, more substantial builds cost more than lighter ones.
• Finish class. Finishes are not all equal in cost to apply. A straightforward finish sits at one end, and more involved finishes, including a matched Pantone color, sit higher because of the work to achieve them.
• Built-in features. Power, lighting, locks, and cable management each add components and labor. A desk with integrated power and a locking drawer carries more than the same desk with none of that. Features are where cost tends to accumulate, because each one is real hardware installed into the piece.
• Logo and branding work. Logo work varies by method. Etched, inlaid, laser cut, and painted branding each involve different processes, and the complexity of your artwork factors in. This is bespoke work, and it is priced as such.

If you want to keep cost down without giving up on custom, two levers do most of the work. Stay close to standard dimensions where you can, since a size that fits a common build costs less than one that pushes into outlier territory. And be deliberate about feature add-ons, adding the ones you will genuinely use and leaving the rest. A piece that is custom in size and finish but restrained on built-in features gives you a distinctive result at a more contained price than one loaded with every option.

Samples

Finish choice is easier to get right in hand than on a screen, so we make samples cheap and low-risk. Finish samples are $5 each, with free shipping, up to 5 per request. The cost is credited toward your purchase, so if you order the piece, the samples effectively cost nothing. Order them early, during the design brief, so your finish is settled before the drawings are done and the timeline stays clean.

Delivery and white-glove

Standard delivery is freight, and it is included in how we quote the project. White-glove delivery is the upgrade for large or heavy pieces and for spaces where you want the piece placed and assembled rather than left at the door.

White-glove delivery, which covers inside placement, debris removal, and assembly, is available as a quoted add-on, subject to availability in your area. We arrange it through vetted local partners, so pricing is quoted per order rather than set to a standard rate. If you want it, we confirm availability for your location and quote it alongside the piece, so you see the full picture before you commit.

Warranty

Custom pieces are covered by Office for Life™, our lifetime warranty. The furniture is built to be used hard for years, and the warranty stands behind that. Buying custom should not mean buying something more fragile than a standard piece. It means the opposite: a piece built to your specification and backed for the long run.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a minimum order to buy custom?

No. There is no minimum. You can commission a single piece. The process is the same whether you are outfitting one office or a full floor.

Can I request revisions to the CAD drawings?

Yes. The drawings exist so you can review and revise before anything is built. If something is not right, you ask for a change and we redraw. Production only begins once you approve the drawings, so revisions cost you nothing but the time to review.

How large or small can a custom piece be?

The typical range runs from a 63-inch executive desk up to a 236-inch conference table. Requests inside that band are routine. Sizes outside it are usually still possible, and most outlier requests clear our engineering review, which simply confirms the piece will be sound before we finalize the drawings.

How long does a custom project take?

Most projects land within 2 to 3 months start to finish. That covers the design brief, CAD drawings in 2 to 3 business days, production in 4 to 8 weeks, and delivery. Outlier dimensions and extra finish rounds can extend it, and clear requirements at the brief stage tend to shorten it.

What if I need something faster?

If your timeline is tight, our quickship pieces are the alternative. These are stocked items that ship in 8 to 14 days. You give up the from-scratch customization, but you get a finished piece in your space in a fraction of the time. For anything requiring a genuinely custom size, finish, or feature, the full custom timeline applies.

Do samples cost money?

Samples are $5 each with free shipping, up to 5 per request. The cost is credited toward your purchase, so ordering the piece effectively refunds the samples. It is the low-risk way to confirm a finish before committing to a full build.

Do you match a specific brand color?

Yes. Beyond the over 150 standard finishes, we offer Pantone color matching on request. This matters for branded environments where the furniture needs to sit inside a defined palette. A matched color is a higher finish class, so it factors into the quote.

Can you build our logo into the piece?

Yes. Logo work can be etched, inlaid, laser cut, or painted into the furniture. We have done branding work including for the U.S. House of Representatives. The method and the complexity of your artwork factor into the quote.

Start your design

Custom office furniture is a set of decisions, not a leap of faith. You brief us, you approve drawings before anything is built, you watch production through progress photos, and the piece arrives backed by Office for Life™. If you know what you want, the process is direct, and the timeline holds.

When you are ready, begin at our customization page to start your design, where you can walk through dimensions, finishes, and features for your piece. If you want to see where custom starts, the four custom collections are a good place to look: custom executive desks, custom conference tables, custom reception desks, and custom shelving. Order a few samples, brief us on your space, and we will send drawings within a few business days.