Manufacturing tolerance is the acceptable dimensional variance published against a nominal size. Engineered timber typically carries a length tolerance of ±0.5 mm, width ±0.1 mm and thickness ±0.15 mm. Vinyl planks carry tighter dimensional tolerance and looser thickness tolerance.
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Tolerances accumulate. A run of thirty boards each 0.1 mm over nominal width produces a 3 mm cumulative deviation across a floor — visible at the perimeter and constraining if the expansion gap was tightly designed.
Squareness and edge profile tolerance drive joint appearance. Boards outside squareness tolerance produce visible gaps at the short-edge join even when correctly installed. The specification should reference the manufacturer's tolerance sheet rather than a generic industry figure.