Plywood buying guide
Is your plywood the brand you paid for?
A brand name and an ISI stamp cost a few rupees to print. These checks take two minutes at the shop, before the sheets reach site and long before anyone finds out.
Six checks, explained.
What to look at, what a genuine sheet shows, and what gives a fake away.
The ISI mark
Find the ISI mark on the face. Beside it is the standard and the grade: IS 303 for general-purpose plywood (MR, BWR or BWP grade), IS 710 for marine plywood.
The CM/L number
Open the BIS Care app (free, from BIS) → Verify Licence Details → type the CM/L number → Go.
The brand's QR code
Where the brand prints one, scan it in the brand's own app. For Century, that's the CenturyPromise app.
The face print
Look at the brand name and grade printed on the face.
The edge
Look at a cut edge across the full thickness.
The bill
Ask for a GST invoice before you pay.
Side by side.
| Sign | Genuine | Likely fake |
|---|---|---|
| ISI mark | Sharp, with IS number and CM/L | Smudged, or missing the number |
| BIS Care lookup | Valid licence, right manufacturer | No record, or another company |
| QR scan (where printed) | Product, plant, unique code | Duplicate alert, or won't scan |
| Edge | Tight, even layers | Gaps and overlaps |
| Rate | Close to the market rate | Far below it for the “same” brand |
| Bill | GST invoice naming brand and grade | No bill, or brand left off |
Brand by brand.
What to look for on the three brands we sell.
Extrablack View →
MR
Brand name on the face, ISI mark with IS 303 and a CM/L number. Check the number in BIS Care.
Woodnation View →
BWR
Brand name on the face, ISI mark with IS 303 and a CM/L number, and the dark phenolic glue line on the edge.
Century Sainik 710 View →
BWP
“Century Plyboards (India) Limited” printed on the face, ISI mark with IS 303 and BWP grade, a CM/L number, and a QR code on the sheet. Scan it in the CenturyPromise app.
Why a fake is cheaper.
A fake doesn't save money. It moves the cost to later. This is where the rupees come out.
The glue
Cheaper glue in place of the phenolic glue BWR and BWP need. It looks the same on day one and lets go at the first leak.
The core
Gaps and filler in the inner layers. Screws don't hold and long shelves sag.
The face
A thinner face veneer that shows every flaw once laminate goes on.
The testing
No BIS testing behind the mark. A genuine ISI licence means the factory is tested; a printed copy means nothing.
The bill
No GST, no record, and no one to go back to.
A rate far below the market is the first warning. Branded plywood costs about the same at every honest counter. If one shop is far cheaper for the same brand and grade, check the sheet before you check the rate.
Get today’s plywood ratesMistakes we see every week.
Trusting the stamp alone
Anyone can print “ISI”. The CM/L number is what you can check.
Reading the brand name as the standard
A number in a brand name isn't the IS standard. Read the IS number and grade in the box beside the ISI mark, then check its CM/L number.
Never scanning the code
The QR on Century sheets is there to be scanned. It takes ten seconds.
Buying without a bill
Without a GST invoice there's no proof of what you bought, and no one to go back to.
Choosing on rate alone
The cheapest quote for a famous brand is the one to check hardest.
Checking one sheet out of fifty
Look at a few sheets from the stack, not just the top one.
Questions we get asked.
Is this original?
Check it yourself. Every sheet we sell carries the ISI mark and a CM/L number you can look up in the BIS Care app, and Century Sainik 710 also scans in the CenturyPromise app. Every sale is billed on a GST invoice.
Another shop quoted less for the same brand. Why?
The same name doesn't always mean the same sheet. The cheaper one may be a lower grade, a thinner sheet, or a look-alike. Compare the grade, the thickness, the ISI mark and the bill, not just the rate.
How do I check if the ISI mark is real?
Note the CM/L number printed with the mark. In the free BIS Care app, tap Verify Licence Details, enter the number and tap Go. A real licence shows the manufacturer's name and a valid status. If nothing shows, or it's someone else's name, the mark isn't genuine. You can report it in the same app under "Misuse of ISI Mark".
Do you give a GST bill?
Yes, on every sale, with the brand and grade written on it.
Also see.
Got a sheet you’re unsure about?
Send us a photo of the stamp and the edge on WhatsApp. We'll tell you what to check, and quote you the genuine sheet.