Species, and what each one costs in Mumbai in 2026
The species decides the price, and the price range within a single species is wide because the grade of the log, the figure and the consistency of the bundle all move it. What follows is what our suppliers in Kurla and Vasai quote for full 8 × 4 ft sheets, unpolished.
| Species | Character | Sheet rate (8 × 4 ft) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teak, Indian | Warm gold, straight grain, darkens gracefully with age | ₹3,200 – 7,500 | Pooja units, main doors, traditional schemes |
| Teak, Burma / imported | Tighter grain, more even colour | ₹6,500 – 9,000 | Heritage restoration, high-end panelling |
| Oak, white | Pale, prominent cathedral figure; the current default | ₹2,400 – 4,800 | Wardrobe fronts, TV panelling, bed backs |
| Walnut, American | Chocolate brown, quiet figure, expensive per sq ft | ₹4,500 – 8,500 | Studies, boardroom tables, feature walls |
| Ash | Very pale, straight, takes stain predictably | ₹2,200 – 4,200 | Scandinavian and light schemes |
| Reconstituted (recon) | Engineered from fast-growing timber; perfectly repeatable | ₹1,800 – 3,400 | Long runs where matching matters more than authenticity |
| Smoked oak | Ammonia-darkened; colour goes through the slice | ₹3,800 – 6,200 | Dark timber that must not fade to grey |
A 4 ft wide panel needs a sheet plus wastage. Sequence-matched bundles carry a 10–15% premium and are worth it on anything over 8 ft wide.
Matching: the decision nobody explains before it is too late
Veneer arrives as consecutive slices off one flitch. How the joiner lays those slices decides what the wall looks like, and it is a drawing decision, not a site decision.
| Layup | What it does | Where to use it | Cost effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book match | Alternate leaves flipped, producing a mirrored butterfly at each joint | Bed backs, feature walls, anywhere symmetry reads as deliberate | Base |
| Slip match | Leaves slid in sequence, same face up — grain repeats, no mirror | Long wardrobe runs where a butterfly would look busy | Base |
| Random / plank match | Deliberately unmatched, reads like planked timber | Informal schemes, ceilings, rustic work | −5 to −10% |
| Reverse diamond / sunburst | Cut and rotated into a radial pattern | Table tops, reception desk fronts, single statement panels | +25 to +40% in labour and wastage |
Specify the layup on the elevation drawing with an arrow showing grain direction. If you do not, the default is whatever wastes least sheet, which is rarely what you imagined.
Polishing: the half of the cost that is labour
- Melamine sealer and polish, ₹90–140/sq ft. Fast, low odour, low build. Acceptable inside wardrobes and on low-touch panelling. It dulls in three to four years and is difficult to revive.
- PU sealer with matt PU topcoat, ₹150–220/sq ft. Our default. Two coats of sealer, sanded between, then two topcoats at a controlled sheen. Holds depth, tolerates cleaning, and can be re-coated in situ after seven or eight years.
- Factory pre-polished veneer sheet, ₹3,000–6,500 per sheet. Removes site dust risk entirely; the trade-off is that field joints and cut edges must be touched up by hand and will never be invisible.
How veneer behaves in a Mumbai flat
Timber moves with moisture, and a 0.5 mm slice glued to a stable board is a stress laminate. Between a dry February afternoon and a wet August morning the moisture content of exposed veneer in a Bandra flat can swing by four or five percentage points. Three consequences follow.
- Panels cup if only one face is sealed. Every panel leaves our workshop sealed on the back and all four edges, even where nobody will ever see them. This is the single most common omission in cheap veneer work.
- Site polishing in monsoon traps moisture under the film and produces a milky bloom. We either polish before the rains or run the room closed with a dehumidifier for the duration of the schedule.
- Near the sea, salt deposits on an unwaxed PU surface and etches it slowly. In Worli and Juhu we specify a slightly higher-build topcoat and tell the client to wipe panels with a dry cloth weekly rather than a wet one.
Care and realistic life
- Dust dry. Water on a polished veneer panel is fine occasionally and corrosive as a habit.
- No silicone-based furniture sprays — they build a film that must be stripped before any future re-coat.
- Keep veneer out of direct afternoon sun. Oak yellows, walnut lightens, and neither reverses. A sheer blind on a west-facing window is cheaper than re-veneering.
- Expect 15–20 years of service from PU-polished veneer, with one re-coat at around year eight. That re-coat costs roughly ₹120–180 per sq ft and makes the work look new.
BOQ wording that prevents the usual argument
- “Natural veneer, [species], 0.5 mm minimum slice, from a single sequenced bundle for each elevation; bundle number to be recorded and photographed before cutting.”
- “Layup: book-matched about the vertical centreline of the elevation, grain vertical, as shown on drawing.”
- “All panels to be back-veneered or back-sealed and edge-sealed on all four edges prior to installation.”
- “Finish: two coats PU sealer, sanded, plus two coats matt PU topcoat at 20–30 sheen. Sample panel 2 × 2 ft approved before bulk application.”
Specification summary
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Slice thickness | 0.5 mm natural (0.4 mm acceptable on recon) |
| Substrate | 18 mm BWP ply for shutters; 18 mm MDF where the face must be perfectly flat |
| Layup | Book or slip match, stated on drawing |
| Finish | PU sealer × 2 + matt PU topcoat × 2 |
| Sealing | Six faces of every panel |
| Finished rate | ₹480 – 1,400 per sq ft of elevation, ex-GST |
| Re-coat interval | 7–9 years in Mumbai |
| Avoid | Wet areas, west-facing unshaded walls, mixing bundles on one run |
Frequently asked questions
How is veneer different from laminate in practice?+
Laminate is a printed sheet that arrives finished; veneer is real timber that arrives raw and is polished on site. Laminate is cheaper, more consistent and unrepairable. Veneer costs two to four times more, varies panel to panel, and can be sanded and re-coated a decade later. The full comparison is on our laminate versus veneer page.
Is reconstituted veneer fake?+
No — it is real timber, sliced, dyed, re-glued into a block and re-sliced so the figure repeats exactly. It is the honest answer when you need thirty feet of identical grain. What it will not do is develop the depth and colour shift of a natural log, and in strong daylight the repeat is visible.
Can veneer be used in a kitchen?+
On tall units and away from the sink and hob, yes, and it looks superb. On base unit shutters under a working sink, no. We routinely build a kitchen with veneer talls and a matte laminate or acrylic base run in a matched tone — it costs less and it survives.
Why does my veneer look patchy after polishing?+
Usually uneven sanding before the sealer, or a sealer coat applied over damp timber. Veneer is half a millimetre thick, so a sanding pass that is slightly heavy in one place cuts into the slice and takes stain differently. It is a workmanship fault, not a material fault, and a sample panel approved in advance is the protection.
Does veneer need re-polishing, and what does that cost?+
PU-polished veneer wants a light scuff and a fresh topcoat at roughly year eight, at ₹120–180 per sq ft in Mumbai. It is a two-day job per room, done in situ, and it restores the surface completely. That re-coatability is the main practical argument for veneer over any printed finish.