Logistics

Receiving and Inspecting Bathroom Fixtures on Site

The delivery of imported bathroom fixtures is the last point at which transit damage and shortages can be attributed to the right party. Once crates are opened without a record, damage becomes a dispute and shortages become a site problem. This guide sets out a receiving process for a developer or contractor: what to check before unloading, what to open first, and how to record and route what is found.

Published September 23, 2026Last updated September 23, 2026

The short answer

Quick Reference

Point 01: Check the container seal number and the crate count against the packing list before anything is unloaded.
Point 02: Photograph the container, the load and each crate before and during unpacking.
Point 03: Unpack glass and tops first; they are the items most likely to be damaged and the slowest to replace.
Point 04: Compare units to the golden sample and the approved drawing, not to expectation.
Point 05: Record shortages and damage on the delivery note within the carrier's and insurer's notification windows; route transit damage to cargo insurance and defects to the warranty process.

Workers and a forklift loading packed bathroom vanity cartons into a shipping container

Start here

The Delivery Is Evidence Until It Is Signed For

A receiving process has two purposes. The first is to establish, with evidence, what arrived and in what condition, because cargo insurance and the supplier's warranty both depend on a record made at delivery rather than a complaint made later. The second is to get the fixtures into storage without adding damage of the site's own. Both are served by one discipline: count, photograph, open the fragile items first, compare to the reference, and write it down before signing.

Establish what arrived and its condition, with evidence, at the moment of delivery
Move fixtures into storage without adding site damage
Count, photograph, open, compare, record, then sign

Before Unloading

A worker measuring a packed carton with a tape measure in the warehouse

Start with the container. Check that the seal number matches the shipping documents and that the seal is intact; photograph it before it is cut. Open the doors and photograph the load as it sits, from the door end, before anything moves. Shifted crates, wet cardboard or a re-stacked load are recorded now, because they are impossible to prove later. Then count the crates and cartons against the packing list, by label, and note any label that does not correspond to a packing list line. Only then does unloading begin.

During unloading, look at each crate as it comes off: crushed corners, punctures, broken bands, a crate that has clearly been dropped. Photograph anything that looks wrong with its label visible, and set damaged crates aside for opening first. If the packing list is sorted by room type, stage the crates the same way.

Seal number and condition, photographed before cutting
Load photographed from the door before anything moves
Crate count against the packing list by label
External damage photographed with the label visible; damaged crates opened first

Unpacking and Checking

A worker holding a tape measure across a packed carton

Open glass and tops first. Glass and tops are the items most likely to have suffered in transit and the slowest to replace. Unpack them on a clean, padded surface, photograph each piece as it comes out of its packaging, and check edges, corners and drilled holes. Then vanities, then bathtubs, then hardware kits and accessories. Keep the hardware kit with its unit; a kit separated at receiving is a kit missing at installation.

Check each item against two references: the golden sample or its photographs for finish, color and detail, and the approved drawing for dimensions, drain and tap positions, handing and hardware. A unit that matches the drawing but not what someone expected is correct; a unit that matches expectation but not the drawing is a question for the supplier.

Glass and tops first, on a padded surface, photographed piece by piece
Then vanities, bathtubs, hardware kits and accessories
Compare to the golden sample for finish and to the approved drawing for dimensions
Hardware kits stay with their units; re-wrap and label after inspection

Recording and Routing

Everything found is written on the delivery note before it is signed, or on a receiving report the driver countersigns: shortages by packing list line, damage by crate and by item, with photograph references. Notify the carrier and the insurer in writing within their notification windows, which the policy and the carriage terms state; a claim raised after the window is usually refused regardless of the evidence. Notify the supplier with the same report.

Then route each finding. Transit damage, evidenced by the packaging and the photographs, is a cargo insurance claim. A defect present when the item left the factory, a finish flaw under intact packaging or a dimension that does not match the approved drawing, is a warranty matter with the supplier. Shortages are checked against the packing list and the schedule first, because an item listed as short is sometimes in a crate labeled for another room type. Damaged items are segregated and kept until the claim is settled; the units that pass go into storage under the conditions described in the guide to site storage and protection before installation.

Findings on the delivery note or a countersigned receiving report, with photograph references
Carrier and insurer notified within their windows; supplier notified with the same report
Transit damage to cargo insurance; factory defects to the warranty process
Damaged items segregated and kept until the claim is settled

Common questions

Receiving Questions

Answers to the checks buyers most often make before using this guide for a project or sourcing decision.

What if the site cannot unpack everything on the day of delivery?

Do the container and crate checks on the day, sign for the count and external condition, note that internal inspection follows, and open glass and tops as soon as possible.

Who should be present at receiving?

Someone who can count and photograph, and someone who knows the approved drawings and the golden sample; on a small project that can be one person.

What if the seal number does not match?

Photograph it, do not cut it until the carrier has been informed, and record the discrepancy on the delivery note. The insurer will ask about it.

How do we tell transit damage from a factory defect?

By the packaging. Damage with matching damage to the crate or wrapping happened in transit; a flaw under intact packaging was there at packing. Photograph the packaging together with the item.

Can the supplier's photographs at packing be used?

Yes, and they should be requested before shipment. Factory loading photographs paired with site receiving photographs are the clearest evidence of when damage occurred.

What does WNS Global provide to support receiving?

A packing list sorted by the project's schedule, per-unit labels, loading photographs, the approved drawings and the golden sample photographs, so the site has its references before the container arrives.

Solid surface bathtubs prepared and protected for export shipment

In short

Count, Photograph, Open the Fragile Items First

Check the seal and the count before unloading, photograph everything before it moves, open glass and tops first, compare units to the golden sample and the approved drawing, and write down what is found before signing. Transit damage goes to the insurer, defects go to the supplier, and both depend on a record made on the day.

Seal, count and photographs before unloading
Glass and tops opened and checked first
Compared to the golden sample and the approved drawing
Findings recorded on the delivery note and routed to insurance or warranty

Verification sources

Official Sources and Further Reading

Inspection scope, lot definition, acceptance criteria and document requirements must be agreed for the particular order. A general guide cannot replace the named standard, approved sample or written inspection plan.

Preparing a site to receive a shipment?

Talk to WNS Global

Tell us the delivery arrangement and the site's receiving capacity, and we will confirm the packing list format, labeling and loading photographs so that the count on the day is straightforward.