The homeowner's guide to verifying materials on site
LivZio Editorial
20 February 2026
You paid for Italian marble and brand-name plywood. Here is how to verify that what arrived on site is actually what you contracted for.
Material substitution — delivering a cheaper grade than specified — is one of the most common forms of vendor fraud in interior projects. It is also one of the easiest to miss if you are not looking carefully. This guide walks you through the practical steps to verify key material categories before they are installed and become impossible to replace.
Start with structural materials — plywood and MDF. The BOQ should specify the brand, thickness, and grade: for instance, "18mm Century BWP IS:710 grade." When sheets arrive on site, check the label on each sheet's edge. Legitimate grade-marked plywood shows brand name, thickness, grade certification, and a manufacturing batch code. Sheets without clear labelling are almost certainly lower grade. Count the sheets against the BOQ quantity.
For marble and natural stone, the verification process requires a site visit at the time of delivery. Marble should come with a quarry certificate or origin documentation for premium grades. More practically: hold the slab up to strong light and compare the veining pattern to the sample you approved. Check for visible cracks, pitting, or inconsistency in thickness. Reject any slab that does not match the approved sample in colour, grain, and finish.
Hardware verification is often overlooked because the items are small. But hinges, channel runners, and handles are among the most cost-effective places to substitute. If your BOQ specifies Hettich or Hafele brand hardware, the box should carry those logos and an authentication sticker. Photographing hardware boxes on-site before they are used creates a record that is hard to dispute later.
For modular kitchen components, insist on opening boxes before installation. The brand, series, and finish should match the approval sheet exactly. "Equivalent brand" is not acceptable once you've specified; if you accept it, you've implicitly agreed to the substitution.
Electrical and plumbing materials are harder for laypeople to verify, but basic checks are possible. Branded electrical conduit (Anchor, Legrand, Havells) carries embossed markings. Pipe brand and diameter should be visible on each pipe length. Ask your vendor to retain empty packaging and all material invoices throughout the project — this creates a supplier audit trail that significantly deters substitution.
The golden rule: never let a material be installed until you or a trusted person has verified it against the approved specification. Once marble is laid and grouted, returning it requires demolition. Once plywood is in a cabinet, you cannot check the grade. The ten minutes spent at delivery verification saves weeks of dispute later.