The first step is "Don't Panic!"

This guide is to help anyone looking to buy their first fursuit or those wanting to know how to make the process easier for themselves. The information here is general and based on personal experience as well as interviews with several prominent builders. Each individual builder is different and this information may not apply to everyone. This is a guide, not a rulebook, take everything with a grain of salt and always remember, if you have specific questions Ask your builder!

Preparation: The first step to getting a fursuit, before you start looking at builders is to prepare and have an idea of what you’re looking for.

1. Have an idea of what you want!
Fursuits are expensive luxury items. You want to satisfied with the end result, which means you should know exactly what you are looking for before you start. What kind of suit are you looking for, what will you be doing with it? A suit for dance contests is going to be different than a suit used to work with kids, or a suit to just go to a con in. Look at all the features you’re interested in, 3D eyes, moving jaws, claws, pads, etc.
Remember fursuits are 3D objects. You may need to adjust your design so it looks better in 3D. The more you know what you want, the more you can comfortably adjust, and create a design you love.

General advice: If you are looking for a suit simply to learn to suit, try finding a nice premade. These are generally referred to as “beater” suits. You can take it out without worry of it breaking and learn all the big mistakes before buying a more elaborate expensive suit.
Having some experience will show you want you need in a suit in terms of vision and performance.

2. Have money.
This may seem obvious, or it may seem cold, but you will not be happy trying to pay off a suit for four years because you do not have a steady job and can only pay 50$ a month, and many makers may not take that commission. If you are interested in a suit save up your money, have a steady method of payment, and have a clear idea of your budget. Keep in mind there are added costs such as shipping.
Fursuits are expensive, be prepared to pay, even if you find a maker on the lower end of the price scale.
Having a solid idea of budget will help you find exactly the right builder for you.

3. Have a clear reference sheet.
A character reference sheet is a image that shows multiple views of the same character to display the visual details of the character. Be sure you have at least three views of the character (front, side, back) which clearly display every color, every marking, every scar, and every essential visible detail of the character. If you have a reference sheet that is out of date and does not account for every detail, spend the money and get a new one.
Builders like having all the information in one place, having to hunt through notes and emails to find that some detail has changed takes time and may be missed due to the work load of the average builder.
It is better to pay for an accurate ref sheet, rather than risk the chance of a detail being missed.
If you are unsure who to hire to draw a ref sheet, talk to the builder you’re interested in. Many builders have favorite artists, and some are even willing to work with you to draw the ref sheet.

4. Do your research.
A lot of issues can be prevented simply by doing research before settling on a builder. Go through galleries or portfolios; make sure the builder you want is consistent. If they are hit and miss, you don’t want to be the miss. Find out which styles you like, and which builders are good at making your particular species. Find out which features are offered by the builders you are interested in.
Most builders have base process listed on their page or site which allows you to see what fits into your budget.
Be sure to look up reviews of builders online. Find previous customers, these people are more usually more than happy to share their experience, good or bad. There’s a ton of resources out there about builders and their work, a little time doing research will go a long way.
The best way to get what you want and avoid a scam is to do your research.

Purchasing your suit: Once you’ve done your research, have made your preparations, and have selected the builders you are interested in, the next step is to start talking to builders and narrowing down your decision.

1.Read the TOS
Read the full TOS of every builder you are interested in. Be sure to know what your rights will be and what their rights are. The TOS is a contract between you and the builder.

2.Fill out commission forms.
Be sure to follow all instructions when filling out quote forms and use proper grammar. The easiest way to annoy a builder is to fail to follow basic instructions, or writing so poorly it is hard to understand what you want. Being clear and concise is the best way to have a good experience with your builder.
Remember, builders are people. Do not copy and paste and order form to five different builders. If you do not respect a builder they may refuse to work with you.

3.Prepare your measurements or duct tape dummy (depending on what the builder wants)
Builders will tell you if they want measurements of a Duct Tape Dummy (DTD). For measurements, be sure these are accurate and up to date. Do not fudge the numbers. If you expect to lose weight give the current measurements and tell your builder it may need to be taken in later. For DTDs you can find tutorials on how to make these items, builders normally have a link. Remember not to suck it in or otherwise slightly change the body. Slight inaccuracies will make it so the suit doesn’t fit.

If you are mailing items be sure to give the builder a heads up and a possible tracking number to be sure the items arrive on time and they can prepare to work on the fursuit right away.

Protip: If you want to make your builder happy, take the time to put your DTD back together before shipping it. It’s a time saver they will love you for, just be sure you do it accurately.

4.Get in contact with your builder, get your quote.
Once you send out your commission form the builder will contact you about it. Work out the remaining nitty gritty details. Remember these are people running a business, try your best to be clear, take your time to spell check. Be polite and professional. You can be friendly but remember that this is a business transaction first and foremost.
This is where you tell your builder of any allergies, if you wear glasses, or other issues relevant to wearing the suit.

5.Make your downpayment
Once all of the prep is taken care of and you’ve got all the details taken care of, send in your downpayment to secure a spot. Most builders require a deposit to buy the materials for the fursuit. This is also how you secure your place in the queue. If you’re unable to pay for the deposit then you should save up and remember that prices change, so don’t start the process without that.

The DO NOTS: A list of things you absolutely should not do when trying to commission a suit.

DO NOT beg or demand a discount.
You are not entitled to a fursuit. It is no one’s responsibility to ensure you have a luxury item. If you are unable to afford a builder’s prices save up or look elsewhere. If something bad has happened in your life that does not change the need to pay. Builder’s select their prices based on labor time and material cost, most do not see large profits. If you believe a builder is overcharging then simply use another builder. The fact of the matter is no one owes you anything and if you feel the need to squeeze the cheapest price out of the commission then you need to save up till you can afford these luxury items.
If you are looking for possible discounts, builder’s will have discounts shown somewhere on their page, often for interesting species, artistic liberty, or in stock materials.

DO NOT lead the builder on or waste their time.
If you are looking for a basic quote check the commission page first, base prices are almost always available. If you are looking for an in depth quote for research, that’s fine, tell your builder straight up you’re looking for price ranges. Do not get an in depth quote and go through the entire process only to back out at the last moment. Do not send in multiple quote requests of different characters in the same month. Do not expect the builder to stop everything they are doing to talk to you at any part of the day. These people run a business and often deal with multiple customers at a time, as well as their own normal lives outside of work. They do not always have time to IM for two hours, or talk on the phone for an hour, particularly if you are not prepared to commit to purchasing a suit.

DO NOT use chatspeak
Once again be sure you are communicating clearly. Using chatspeak or otherwise garbled text is the fastest way to turn you into a difficult customer. Taking time to spellcheck and be sure your messages are professional and understandable will make your interactions easier and will guarantee a better product.

DO NOT ask your builder to copy someone else, or another suit.
If you want a suit in a particular style, go to the builder that makes that style. Builders spend years learning and developing their own style, not only is it insulting to ask them to copy someone else, but you’ll receive a less amazing product, simply because that is not what they are good at. Sometimes other suits can help as a reference, if you like the eyes or nose of a suit, mention it to your builder. This is particularly helpful if you use suits they have made in the past.

DO NOT micromanage.
It’s good to have a clear idea of what you want and to select your builder based on that, but don’t start laying out a point by point construction plan. Builders take years to learn the best way to make their suits and demanding they use new techniques on a single suit means it eats up a lot of their time, and may not come out exactly as you want simply due to lack of experience. If you absolutely must have things done a certain way, talk to the builder, but be ready to compromise.

DO NOT harass or badger the builder.
Fursuits take time to create. Builders often have multiple projects occurring at the same time, as well as needing time to contact customers, collect materials, and be sure they have basic necessities to live. As a general rule it is best to check in at least once a month to show you are still available if needed. Once your project has been started check in once a week AT MOST. Sending too many messages may make the builder stressed, feeling pressed to give updates. All builders are different in how often they want people contacting them, but most seem to agree once a week is more than enough. If you’re concerned work out an update schedule if you can, or check to see if the builder provides updates on twitter.

If a builder falls past their quoted completion date (if one was given) speak with the builder and compromise from there. If they have not passed that due date, give them time to work and be professional. Always remember you are not the only customer.


Delivery and Care: Once your suit is complete these are the final steps in the commissioning process.

1.Shipping.
Work out shipping with your builder, be sure to get a tracking number if possible so you know where the suit is and when it will arrive.

2.Check for damages.
The first thing you should when you open the suit is to check for damages and try it on. Make sure the suit fits and there are no problems with it. If you find damages take pictures right away to document the damage.
Remember delivery services and USPS have damage claim services. If there is damage contact your builder but be prepared to use the damage claims if damage was the fault of the delivery service.

If you do find damage, do not wear the item out. Do not risk further damage and the warrantee by wearing a damaged item. In the end it’s worth it to get the repairs first, even if it takes longer.

If there are any issues contact your builder first. Don’t go right to the internet to complain! Most issues can be fixed easily with just a little patience.

3.Learn proper suit care.
Some builders will include a suit care guide, you can also contact your builder for information. Your builder knows the materials they work with and what chemicals could be used. Be careful what you hear online or at cons, there’s great advice out there, but there’s also a lot of misinformation. Not every suit is the same.
As a general rule, avoid chemicals with a lot of additives or fragrances.

4.Thank your builder!
This is a service, and while it is a business transaction, builders work hard to make your character come to life. Make sure to thank your builder at the end, if you really like what they’ve done a tip is always appreciated. This is a good way to end a nice transaction, and a great way to set up a friendly relationship if you’re interested in commissioning the builder again.

5.Enjoy!
Go out and enjoy the suit. Go to cons, have fun with friends. For more info on performance and basics check out this other guide: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8789179/

Research Resources:
Artist Beware-http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/
Will give you positive or negative experiences while working with artists or builders

Fursuit reviews- FursuitMakerReviews
Reviews of fursuit commissions by customers.



Thank you to all the builders that sent in feedback.
To anyone with advice please send feedback, this is a working document to help make commissioning easier on everyone.

Original picture from