Compare Two Pottery Firing Quotes on the Same Batch

Before comparing two firing prices, make sure both studios have agreed to accept the same work and provide the same firing service. A cheaper service that cannot take your pieces is not an available alternative.

Put the batch in one table

List a piece label, count, measured dimensions and any quoted exception. For each studio, save the rate, units, billable-dimension minimum, fixed fees, batch minimum, covered firings and the date the quote was checked. Keep currencies consistent. Do not convert a weight tariff into volume without the actual measured weight.

Compare complete charges

Apply each studio’s stated rules in the stated order. A batch minimum is a floor, not an extra fee, unless the studio explicitly says otherwise. Add your own estimated travel cost separately so it is not confused with the studio’s invoice. Treat a membership fee as incremental only if taking this option would actually require buying it.

For example, an $80 firing quote plus $20 of travel and a $95 quote plus $4 of travel are nearly tied at $100 and $99. Availability and turnaround may matter more than that dollar.

Reconcile after collection

Save the final invoice total beside the estimate and record why it differed. Update the profile only after confirming the rule. Kiln Fire already handles sophisticated studio fee workflows; a new billing platform would duplicate substantial existing work.

FireQuote instead proposes a local customer-side comparison of a few real quotes. It remains an unvalidated concept and does not supply studio prices, availability or operational advice.