Commissioning a fursuit means agreeing on your character, costume pieces, fitting, payment and delivery before the maker builds your order. Studios have different application processes and package names, so begin with the instructions for the maker whose work you want.
This guide helps you compare finished examples, prepare an enquiry, read a quote and check the order when it arrives. If you are looking for art, badges or digital pieces, the furry art commission guide covers that process.
Before you message a single maker, get clear on the build type. This is the decision that shapes your budget, your timeline, and your shortlist of makers.
Coverage and visual style are separate decisions. A mini partial can have the maker's kemono, toony, or other supported style; the package name tells you about its pieces. Our types and styles guide compares coverage, visual appearance, and body shaping with credited maker examples. Amenote Studio's package list is one example that spells out the difference between mini partial, partial, and fullsuit.
There is no "correct" choice. Many fursuiters start with a partial and never upgrade because it does everything they need. Others want the full transformation from day one. Be honest about your budget, your climate, and how much you will actually wear it.
Choose a budget you can meet, then compare the actual packages offered by makers whose work you like. Our guide to how much a fursuit costs uses named studios' published prices and real portfolio examples. Ask what is included, what changes the price and what costs sit outside the quote.
Have a clear idea of your species, color palette, markings, and any signature features before you reach out. A maker can help refine a design, but they cannot read your mind. The clearer your vision, the more accurate the quote and the fewer revisions you will need later.
This is the single most important step, and the one buyers most often rush. A maker is not interchangeable. Their style, fit philosophy, durability, and communication habits vary widely.
Browse fursuit guides for build styles and terminology, and use the makers directory as a starting point to find people whose work you can study. Conventions are also one of the best places to see suits in person and meet makers at their tables. Many makers also keep public galleries and queue trackers on their own sites and social accounts.
The maker and artist directory guide goes deeper on how to vet a creator and read between the lines of a portfolio.
Use the original gallery and studio profile to reach the maker's own information. Compare the close-up and wider views, then ask which features the maker could offer for your character. A collage helps you see several angles; it cannot tell you the wearer's comfort, the current condition or your eventual quote.
Keep the artwork of your character separate from examples of a maker's work. Explain what you like about an example without asking one studio to reproduce another studio's costume.
Studios choose their own intake process. Check the maker's current instructions for openings, applications and any queue information.
Common ways makers handle intake:
Because of this, the timeline often runs backwards from what new buyers expect. You may need to wait months for a maker to open, then wait additional months in the build queue once accepted. If you want a suit for a specific convention, start researching a year ahead. Follow your shortlisted makers so you see openings the moment they post them.
Once a maker accepts your project, you will get a quote. A proper quote is itemized and in writing. It should reflect:
If a quote differs sharply from other offers, ask what accounts for the difference. Check the included work, finished portfolio and payment terms before deciding.
See the original gallery and FurBitten Studios profile. The image is a portfolio example, so do not assume it is the exact design, construction or price of another product on the studio's website. Ask the maker to name the proposed pieces, attachments and features in your quote.
Check the studio's ordering page before choosing email, a contact form or a social message. A quote request and an application for a slot can be different steps. For example, 28 Ghostiez's website distinguishes open quote requests from closed custom commissions.
Kemonokapi's commission instructions
describe an opening-specific quote and application process instead. Read the maker's current instructions rather than sending the same message everywhere.
Prepare the information the maker asks for:
You can write: "I am interested in a head, handpaws and tail for this character. Here is my reference, budget and shipping destination. Could you confirm whether this fits your current intake, which options are included and how I should request a quote?"
Contact the studio through the official route linked on its profile. FurryGuides does not take commission applications or payments on the maker's behalf.
Read the maker's payment and cancellation terms before accepting a slot. Confirm these points before paying:
Keep every receipt and every message. If a dispute ever arises, your paper trail is your protection.
Browse our complete calendar with dates, locations, and details for every upcoming furry convention.
View Full CalendarTwo pieces of material from you make or break the build: your reference sheet and your DTD.
A clean reference sheet shows your character from the front and back, with clear flat colors, exact markings, and notes on any features (eye color, claw color, inner-ear color, tongue, special markings). Provide hex codes if you have them. Avoid heavily shaded or "mood" art as your primary reference, because makers need flat color information, not lighting. If you do not have a usable reference, commission one first; it is worth the cost and prevents expensive guesswork.
For full suits and many partials, makers ask for a DTD, a duct tape body double of you. You wear an old shirt and leggings you do not mind destroying, and a friend wraps you snugly in duct tape, then cuts you out and stuffs the shell to recreate your shape. The maker uses this to build a bodysuit that actually fits.
Tips for a good DTD:
Makers reject dummies for predictable reasons, and the top three are all method rather than effort: tape wrapped off the roll instead of laid on in flat strips, which builds a suit smaller than you are; arms taped at your sides instead of held in a T-pose; and coverage that stops short of the wrists, ankles, or neck. Our duct tape dummy guide walks the full method with the supply list, the marking pass, and the rest of the rejection list.
For head-only commissions, makers typically use a head template or detailed head measurements rather than a full DTD.
A real maker uses a contract. It protects you and them. Read it before you sign and before you pay the deposit. A solid fursuit contract covers:
If a maker refuses to provide any written agreement, treat that as a serious warning sign and walk away. The absence of a contract is one of the clearest red flags in the entire process.
A fursuit build is a months-long collaboration. Good buyer behavior keeps it smooth:
Most makers are honest artists. A minority are not, and fursuit deposits are large enough to attract scammers. Watch for these warning signs:
Protect yourself: research thoroughly, keep all records, use buyer protection when offered, insist on a contract, and trust your gut. If a maker only accepts Friends and Family, bank transfer, Zelle, CashApp, crypto, or another low-protection method, do extra vetting before you send money. For an unknown maker, treat that as a stop sign. If a deal feels rushed or too good, slow down. A legitimate maker will not punish you for due diligence.
When your suit is finally ready:
If you collect at a convention, do the inspection somewhere quiet rather than in a crowded hallway, and bring a bag big enough to transport it safely.
Once your suit arrives, the next step for many people is wearing it at a con. Browse upcoming conventions to plan your debut, and look at fursuit-friendly cons for events that cater especially well to suiters with parades, headless lounges, and dedicated fursuit programming.
It depends heavily on the maker and the build. After a maker accepts your project, a partial might take a couple of months in the queue, while a complex full suit can take six months to over a year. Add the wait for the maker to open commissions in the first place, and the realistic planning window is often a year or more from "I want a suit" to "I have a suit." Start early if you are aiming for a specific event.
A partial combines selected costume pieces with clothing. A fullsuit package includes a bodysuit, with other pieces and padding determined by the maker's offer. Check the itemized list before comparing packages.
For most full suits and many partials with a bodysuit, yes: the DTD is how the maker builds something that fits your body. For head-only commissions, makers usually work from a head template or measurements instead. Always follow the specific instructions your maker gives you, since some prefer detailed measurements over a DTD.
Read the particular maker's payment and cancellation terms before paying. Ask which payments are refundable, which are described as non-refundable and what happens if either side cancels. Confirm any point you do not understand through the maker's official contact route.
Vet the maker's finished work (not just concept art), insist on a written contract, use buyer protection when it is available, never pay the full amount up front to an unproven maker, and watch for pressure tactics or prices that seem too good to be true. If a maker only accepts Friends and Family or another low-protection payment method, only proceed when their reputation is well established and you are comfortable accepting the risk. Keep every receipt and message. If anything feels rushed or evasive, slow down and do more research before committing.
Yes. Head-only commissions are common and a popular way to enter fursuiting on a smaller budget. Many people buy a head first, then add handpaws, a tail, feetpaws, or a bodysuit later, often from the same maker to keep the style consistent.
Compare fursuit types and styles, including partials, fullsuits, kemono, and realistic work. Learn what package names mean and what to ask a prospective maker.
How to choose furry artists and makers safely. Spot red flags, set clear expectations, compare pricing from $500 to $8,000+, and protect your commission.
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