Most committees start too late. Here is how long each stage really takes, and how to plan backwards from the date you want to pray on the new carpet.
A mosque carpet project is not a purchase, it is a schedule. Committees usually want the new carpet down before Ramadan, and the ones that get there comfortably are the ones that worked backwards from that date. Here is what each stage takes.
1. Measuring and enquiry — a few days
Send the hall's width parallel to the qibla wall, its depth, the column positions and a few photos. Our measuring guide covers what matters. With that, a first quote comes back within about a day.
2. Choosing design and material — one to three weeks
This is the stage committees underestimate, because it needs a decision rather than a task. Shortlist two or three designs from the model catalogue, ask for samples, and compare them in the hall's own light. Deciding between wool and acrylic at this point rather than later keeps the schedule intact.
3. Design approval — a few days
For a custom pattern, the design is drawn on your hall's layout and sent for approval. Nothing goes on the loom until you sign it off, so a slow approval moves every later date with it.
4. Weaving and finishing — days to two weeks
Stock designs ship quickly. Custom designs need yarn dyed in one batch, weaving, shearing, washing and quality control, which normally takes one to two weeks depending on the area.
5. Freight — one to eight weeks
This varies more than anything else in the project. Road freight to Germany or France takes about a week; sea freight to the USA or Canada takes three to six weeks, and to Australia five to eight.
6. Customs clearance — days
Usually two to five working days if the paperwork is ready. The documents that hold shipments up are country-specific, so check them early; our import guide lists what travels with a shipment.
7. Fitting — one to two days
Clearing the hall, laying underlay, aligning the first row to the qibla and seaming the rolls normally takes a day or two. Our installation guide covers what to check before you sign it off.
A worked backwards plan
For a mosque in North America that wants to pray on new carpet at the start of Ramadan: allow one week for fitting and clearance buffer, five weeks for sea freight, two weeks for weaving, two weeks for approval and sampling, and one week for quoting. That is about eleven weeks, so start roughly three months ahead — and four months if the design is fully custom.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a mosque carpet order take in total?
Between about four weeks for a stock design shipped overland and three months for a custom design shipped by sea to a distant port.
What is the most common cause of delay?
Design approval and, for some countries, import paperwork that was started too late. Both are on the buyer's side of the schedule.
Can production be sped up for a deadline?
Often yes, if the design is a stock pattern and the colours are standard. Tell us the date you need it by and we will plan the route around it.
Planning a project now? Send your measurements and we'll build the schedule around the date you want to pray on it.