When evaluating outdoor furniture for a commercial project, a common and crucial question arises: What's the cost difference between your standard catalog items and a custom OEM project? The answer isn't a simple percentage but a breakdown of fundamental manufacturing and design factors.

Standard catalog items benefit from established production runs. The molds, tooling, and manufacturing processes are optimized, with material采购 (procurement) done in bulk for ongoing production. This efficiency translates to a lower per-unit cost. You are paying for a proven design with predictable lead times.

A custom OEM project, however, involves significant upfront investment. The largest cost driver is often the creation of new molds and tooling, especially for cast aluminum or intricate plastic components. This is a fixed cost amortized over your order quantity. A second major factor is material specification. If your design requires a special alloy, a unique fabric grade, or a proprietary composite, material costs will rise accordingly. Furthermore, engineering and prototyping add non-recurring expenses (NREs) that are absent from catalog purchases.

Ultimately, the per-piece cost difference hinges on your project's volume. For a small batch, the custom unit cost can be multiples higher than a catalog item. For a large, recurring order (e.g., 1000+ units), the upfront costs spread thin, and the per-unit price may become competitive, offering the value of a unique, purpose-built product. The decision balances your budget, timeline, and the specific design requirements that standard pieces cannot fulfill.