AWI Quality Grades Explained: Economy, Custom & Premium

The AWI Architectural Woodwork Standards define three quality grades — Economy, Custom, and Premium — that specify the level of material, construction, and finish for architectural millwork. Choosing the right grade for each application is how architects and general contractors match quality to budget without over- or under-building.

What the AWI standards are

The Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) publishes the Architectural Woodwork Standards — the reference used across North America to specify, build, and inspect millwork. Instead of vague terms like “high quality,” a spec can name a grade, and everyone — designer, GC, and fabricator — knows exactly what’s expected.

The three grades

• Economy — the baseline. Appropriate for budget-driven or back-of-house work where appearance and tolerances are less critical.
• Custom — the most common grade for commercial projects. A well-balanced level of materials, construction, and finish that suits most retail, office, institutional, and hospitality work.
• Premium — the highest grade. The tightest tolerances and finest finishes, specified for flagship, high-visibility, and showcase environments where the millwork is the statement.

How to choose the right grade

Match the grade to the application, not the whole project to one grade. A flagship’s feature wall might be Premium while its stockroom casework is Economy — speccing each element correctly is exactly where an experienced partner controls cost without compromising the parts that matter.

Not sure which grade applies? Use the AWI Grade Selector to work through one element in one area. It weighs what the woodwork is, where it sits, the market, how closely it will be examined and what is driving the decision, then returns a grade with the reasoning and draft Division 06 40 00 language you can edit.

Why speccing the grade matters

• Fair, comparable bids — when the grade is named, every fabricator quotes the same thing.
• Quality matched to budget — no paying Premium prices for back-of-house, no under-building a showcase.
• A clear inspection standard — the finished work can be measured against a defined benchmark.

Building to the grade

DNS Industries builds to defined AWI quality grades and matches the grade to the application and the spec — so the millwork meets the drawing without over-building the budget. It’s part of turning an architect’s design into a buildable, on-spec package (see millwork shop drawings).

Frequently asked questions

What are the AWI quality grades?

Economy, Custom, and Premium — three grades defined by the AWI Architectural Woodwork Standards that specify the level of material, construction, and finish for architectural millwork.

Which AWI grade do I need?

Custom suits most commercial projects; Premium is for flagship and high-visibility work; Economy is for budget or back-of-house applications. Match the grade to the application.

Who defines architectural millwork quality standards?

The Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) publishes the Architectural Woodwork Standards, the reference used across North America to specify and inspect millwork quality.

Speccing a millwork package? See how DNS works with architects & GCs →