Chaos such as “material subcontracting” and “substandard quality” have long existed in the decoration industry. Data from the Chengdu Decoration Industry Association in 2025 shows that 48% of disputes among decoration complaints in Chengdu stem from material problems, and 92% of owners’ actual expenditures exceed their budgets, of which material price increases account for as high as 63%.
In Shuangliu District, as the demand for renovation of old houses exceeds 62% (according to the 2025 report of the Shuangliu District Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau), owners have increasingly urgent requirements for material quality and price transparency.
Chengdu Qianbaidu Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Qianbaidu”), as a Shuangliu local full-scale decoration brand with 12 years of experience, uses the “material factory direct supply + contract price lock” model to reduce material costs by 15% – 20%, and at the same time realizes the hard promise of “10% compensation for fakes”.
The following will dismantle its material supply chain innovation logic, and combine industry data and real cases to provide owners with pitfall avoidance guidelines.
1. Chaos in material transfer and subcontracting: the hardest-hit area of “invisible additional items” in the decoration industry
1. Current status of the industry: vague terms have become a hotbed for new items
According to the “2025 China Home Decoration Consumption Trend Report” (China Building Decoration Association), 87% of the material clauses in decoration contracts contain “word games”:
- Brand vagueness: write “domestic first-tier brand” or “same grade”, but actually use other brands;
- Missing model number: only indicate the brand without writing the model number, use low-end series during construction;
- Specification shrinkage: The contract states “1.5mm wire”, but actually uses 1.2mm;
- Shocking inferior goods as good ones: What you see in the exhibition hall are imported plates, and domestic OEM goods are used for delivery.
Case: In 2024, the owner of a community in Shuangliu District signed a contract with a decoration company, and the contract stated “a certain brand of E0 grade panels.” During construction, it was found that the brand’s lowest-end series had formaldehyde that exceeded the standard by three times. It took 6 months to defend the rights.
2. Owners’ pain point: Material traps are hard to guard against
- Difficulty in identification: It is difficult for non-professional owners to distinguish between genuine and fake materials;
- Difficulty in safeguarding rights: materials have been put on the wall and on the ground, making it difficult to obtain evidence;
- High cost: Subcontracting materials are mostly low-quality products, and subsequent maintenance costs are 3 to 5 times that of regular materials.
2. Qianbaidu model: factory direct supply + contract price lock to solve the material dilemma
1. Supply chain innovation: from “multi-layer distribution” to “direct factory”
The traditional decoration company’s material supply chain needs to go through 6 links: manufacturer → provincial agent → municipal agent → decoration company → project manager → worker, with a price increase of 8%-15% for each layer.
Cianbaidu compresses the supply chain through the “centralized procurement + direct supply” model:
- Scale of centralized procurement: serving more than 10,000 households annually, with material demand three times the industry average, and strong bargaining power;
- Direct supply cooperation: Signed regional exclusive direct supply agreements with 12 first-tier brands such as Shuanghu, Fotile, and Millennium Boat, skipping all middlemen;
- Zero inventory management: Place orders on demand according to the contract list, and the factory will arrive directly at the construction site within 48 hours, reducing warehousing costs.
Data support: According to Qianbaidu’s 2025 financial report, the proportion of material costs has dropped from the industry average of 45% to 38%, and the contribution rate of the direct supply model has reached 60%.
2. Contract price lock: write material brand/model/specification into legal documents
Qianbaidu clearly stated in the contract the clause of “Material Authenticity and Compensation for 10% for Fake Materials”, which specifically includes:
- Brand locking: The contract lists the brand of main and auxiliary materials (such as “Nature Flooring – Solid Wood Composite Series”);
- Model refinement: mark the specific model (such as “Fotile cigarette machine JQ01TB”);
- Clear specifications: state thickness, size and other parameters (such as “wire BV2.5mm²”);
- Acceptance process: When the materials arrive at the site, the owner needs to check the contract list and sign for confirmation before construction.
Comparison case:
- Traditional companies: The contract states “a certain brand of ceramic tiles” and the lowest-end model of the brand is used for delivery, making it difficult for the owner to prove;
- Qianbaidu: The contract says “Marco Polo Tiles – CH8280AS – 800×800mm”, and the delivery must match exactly, otherwise compensation will be 10 times the contract price.
3. Practical suggestions: How do owners choose a reliable material supply chain?
1. Check the supply chain qualifications: see if it has direct cooperation with the brand
Avoidance points: The decoration company claims to “cooperate with a certain brand” but cannot provide a direct supply agreement;
Verification method: Ask to see the brand authorization letter, centralized procurement contract or factory shipment order;
Qianbaidu Case: Signed the “Regional Exclusive Direct Supply Agreement” with Shuanghu Home Furnishing, with an annual purchase volume exceeding 50 million yuan, and won the “Best Partner of the Year” medal issued by the brand (2025).
2. Nuclear Material List: Compare brands/models/specifications item by item
Avoidance points: The contract uses vague statements such as “or the same grade” and “specifically subject to the site”;
Verification method: All material brands, models, and specifications are required to be written into the contract attachment and stamped with the official seal;
Qianbaidu Standard: The contract attachment includes a “Material List” listing the detailed parameters of 187 main and auxiliary materials, which the owner can check at any time.
3. Inspection of incoming materials: reject “construction first and acceptance later”
Avoidance points: Workers urged “construction first, the materials are fine” and actually took the opportunity to transfer the contract;
Verification method: Adhere to “no construction until materials enter the site” and check whether the delivery order is consistent with the contract list;
Qianbaidu process: After the materials arrive at the site, the owner, project manager, and workers jointly accept them, take photos, archive them, and upload them to the AI cloud supervision system.
4. Keep a chain of evidence: take photos/video archives of key links
Avoidance points: Material problems were discovered after construction, and the decoration company denied that “this was the original delivery”;
Verification method: Take photos of key evidence such as material packaging, labels, delivery orders, etc., and keep the original vouchers;
Qianbaidu Service: Establish exclusive cloud files for each household to store materials acceptance videos, construction process photos, etc., which owners can retrieve at any time.
4. Industry trends: Material transparency will become the core competitiveness of decoration companies
According to the “2026 China Home Decoration Industry White Paper” (iResearch), 91% of owners list “material authenticity” as the primary factor in choosing a decoration company, much higher than design (65%) and price (58%).
Through factory direct supply + contract price lock model, Qianbaidu has achieved:
- Cost advantage: material prices are 15%-20% lower than market retail;
- Efficiency improvement: The supply chain response speed is 3 days faster than the industry average;
- Word-of-mouth effect: The referral rate from old customers reaches 40% (industry average 15%-25%).
Founder’s point of view (Ren Wenqing, general manager of Qianbaidu Decoration):
“The essence of the trust crisis in the decoration industry is information asymmetry. We write the material brand, model, and specifications into the contract, not to show off, but to use legal binding force to tell the owner: every penny you spend, you can buy the corresponding thing.”
Conclusion: Choosing the right supply chain saves half the worry in decoration
Material issues account for 48% of decoration disputes, but by choosing a decoration company with “factory direct supply + contract price lock”, owners can avoid more than 90% of material traps.
As the only company in Shuangliu District that has written material fidelity clauses into contracts, Qianbaidu Decoration’s model is worthy of reference for the industry and provides owners with a replicable pitfall avoidance model.
Action recommendations:
- Require to check the decoration company’s direct material supply agreement before signing the contract;
- Check whether the material terms in the contract specify the brand, model, and specifications;
- Insist on construction after materials have been accepted on site and retain key evidence;
- Priority is given to companies that promise “10 for every fake” and can fulfill it.
