Sourcing guide
Private Label Faucets and Showers: How OEM Supply Works
Many distributors reach a point where selling another company’s brand is no longer enough. A private-label range – faucets, showers and vanities sold under the distributor’s own brand – gives control over pricing, protects against competitors selling the same product, and builds a name that customers come back to. It also brings responsibilities that a reseller does not carry, from trademark registration to warranty and spare parts.
This guide explains the levels of private-label and OEM supply, what each one involves, and what to agree with the manufacturer before the first order.
Levels of private label
| Level | What changes | Effort and minimums |
|---|---|---|
| Brand on the product | Your logo laser-marked or printed on existing models | Low; usually small additional MOQ |
| Brand on the packaging | Your cartons, labels, instructions and barcodes | Moderate; printed cartons have their own minimums |
| Custom finish or details | Exclusive colours, handles or small design changes on existing bodies | Higher MOQ; sampling time increases |
| Exclusive design (OEM/ODM) | New bodies or ranges developed for you | Tooling cost, highest MOQ and longest development |
Most distributors start with the first two levels on a selection of existing models and move further once volumes justify it. The MOQ, sampling and lead time guide explains how these choices affect quantities and timing.
Logo options on faucets
- Laser marking after finishing – clean, permanent and flexible; suitable for small quantities.
- Engraving or casting into the body or handle – very durable, but needs tooling and higher volumes.
- Printed or pad-printed logos – used on some components and accessories; check durability against cleaning products.
- Logo on the aerator, handle cap or cover plate – discreet options that keep the main body unchanged.
Send your logo as a vector file, with size and position agreed on a drawing and confirmed on a pre-production sample.
Packaging and documents
- colour boxes or plain export cartons with your labels;
- installation instructions and care guides in the languages of your market, under your brand;
- barcodes registered to your company;
- warranty cards and contact details for your customer service, not the factory’s;
- carton marks and export packing as described in the export packaging guide.
Trademark and intellectual property
- Register your trademark in the countries where you sell, before investing in packaging. Registration is territorial: a mark registered in one country does not protect it in another.
- Agree who owns custom designs and tooling when you pay for development. Put it in writing, including whether the factory may sell the same design to others.
- Exclusivity for a model, finish or territory can be negotiated, usually linked to minimum annual volumes.
- Confidentiality agreements protect drawings and pricing shared during development.
Certification under your brand
Certificates are normally issued for the manufacturer’s product. When the same product is sold under another brand, many certification schemes require the private-label brand and model numbers to be added to the listing, or a separate listing, before the product can be sold as certified. Check this early, because it affects cost and time. The certification by market reference covers the main schemes, and the lead-free brass guide explains lead requirements.
A certificate in the factory’s name does not automatically cover your brand. Ask how your brand and model numbers will appear on the certification listing before ordering branded packaging.
Warranty and spare parts
When a product carries your brand, your customers will come to you with problems. Plan for it:
- agree the warranty the manufacturer gives you, and the warranty you give your customers;
- order spare cartridges, aerators, hoses and handles with each shipment;
- keep approved samples and specifications for every model, so that repeat orders match – see the pre-shipment inspection checklist;
- record cartridge and component models, as explained in the faucet cartridge guide, so that replacements fit years later.
Building a private-label range
- Start with a focused range: core basin, kitchen and shower models in the finishes your market buys most.
- Add coloured finishes and vanities once the core range sells.
- Keep model numbering and documentation consistent across the range.
- Review sales and returns each season before adding new models.
What to agree before the first order
- models, finishes and logo method, confirmed on pre-production samples;
- packaging, instructions and barcodes;
- ownership of designs and tooling, and any exclusivity;
- certification route under your brand;
- warranty terms and spare parts;
- MOQ, price, lead time and inspection plan.
The faucet RFQ guide shows how to put this into a request. DACHENG supplies faucets, shower systems and stainless steel vanities with finish, logo and packaging agreed model by model; describe your brand plans when you send an inquiry.