Studio policies

The practical rules for firing with us.

Monsoon Fire is a private home studio. A firing ticket keeps your work and instructions together; we handle the kiln, then email when everything is ready.

Effective and last updated: July 19, 2026 · Version 2026-07-19

Plan your firing Quick answers

The handoff

What you handle, and what we handle.

A standard firing should be simple: send the details, leave the work, and wait for the ready email.

Before dropoff

Make the ticket and get the work here safely.

The online firing ticket is optional. First-time visitors should email the studio for address and access instructions before traveling. If you already have those instructions, leave your name, email, and requested firing with your work, or include your ticket. Bring work that is safe to travel, keep the bottom clean where it meets the shelf, and flag unusual or unknown clay, glaze, repairs, or inclusions.

At the studio

We make the kiln calls.

Studio staff loads and unloads every kiln and makes the final calls on fit, placement, and material compatibility. If your shelf estimate is off, we adjust it to the work that arrives.

After the firing

The ready email is your go-ahead.

Usually 3–7 days from drop-off, with extra time for drying or special schedules. Ask about deadlines before bringing work; a ticket does not reserve a firing date. We email when your work is ready and confirm the final charge. Follow the payment instructions in that ready email. Standard pickup uses the instructed outdoor rack 24/7 and does not require a conversation.

Storage: collect work before the deadline in your ready notice. Need longer? Ask before the deadline. The standard grace period ends 19 days and 6 hours after the ready notice. We normally remind you near days 14, 17½, and 19¼. After the grace period, storage is $1.50 per half shelf per day, capped at 28 billed days. An approved $15 flat extension may add up to four weeks.

Unclaimed work: missing a pickup deadline does not automatically transfer ownership. We use reasonable contact attempts and any notice and disposition process required by law. Work remains on hold unless a lawful, documented process permits another disposition.

How billing works

Estimate now. Pay after firing.

Your estimate is a heads-up, not a bill. Shared bisque/low-fire loads are $15 per half shelf, capped at four half shelves ($60); mid-fire glaze loads are $25 per half shelf, capped at four ($100). A load may use up to eight half shelves for the four-half-shelf price. Specialty schedules and private loads are quoted separately. We issue the final Stripe invoice after firing for the space and service actually used.

Cancel before firing begins and there is no firing charge. If the problem was ours, there is no charge; if already paid, the affected charge is refunded in full or in a documented proportion. Normal firings and clay, glaze, construction, or maker-caused outcomes remain billable.

Kiln risk

Heat and chemistry are never perfectly predictable.

Cracks, warping, glaze movement, and material reactions can happen even when everyone did everything right.

Responsibility is based on the cause and available evidence. Studio fault is handled with no charge or an appropriate refund; other remedies are reviewed case by case. There is no blanket half-shelf compensation cap.

Access + help

Private studio, straightforward handoff.

There are no walk-in studio hours. Once you have the access instructions, standard dropoff and pickup use the designated outdoor rack 24/7 without an appointment. Studio visits and lessons are arranged separately; keep late handoffs quiet. One standing rule: treat the people, private space, and work around you with respect.

If an accessibility need changes the visit, tell us before you travel so we can plan honestly within the space and kiln-safety limits. Read our full Accessibility Statement or email support for an alternative handoff.

Plan your firing Quick answers

Still unsure? Email support@monsoonfire.com.

Keep a copy