Hand Carved Wood Signs Commission Page

l   How To Commission a Hand Carved Wood Sign

l   How much is a Custom Hand Carved Sign?

Commissioning A Hand Carved Sign:

Tom will need the following information:

• Your budget for the sign.

• Approximate size of the sign.

• Desired wording for your carved sign.

• Images desired on your carved sign.

• Colors and/or gold leaf.

• Type of wood for your carved sign.

• Mounting method desired.

• Intended use - indoor or outdoor. 

It is important you carefully consider what you desire in a sign
before the quote and design phase begin!
It is also VERY important to check our Custom Carved Sign Pricing before you continue to see if the sign will fit within your budget!

If you already have artwork: please e-mail Tom a picture file (.jpg or .gif) and he will be happy to quote you on the work. 

If you need Tom to create the layout:  We apologize, but no design work will begin until a deposit is paid.  Designing a sign requires time and Tom can not work for free.  (He could, but our creditors prefer we pay our bills...)
A $100.00 design fee is required before ANY work begins:

READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU PROCEED!
Tom will do his best to work with you on your design.  If you like the look of his signs - you will like the final work.  The Design Fee however is NOT refundable.  We get too many people wanting ideas and images with no intent of ordering a sign.  Other people have corresponded through a complex design phase up until the deposit is due and then suddenly vanished into cyberspace.   Some have no idea what a sign will even cost - so please read this whole page before you start!  By paying the design fee upfront - you are confirming your desire to own a custom one of a kind hand carved work of art/sign.  Tom will be happy to work with you and help create the sign you'll be proud to display.

Once you have paid the design fee, please e-mail Tom with the above bulleted information.

Tom will respond with several design options for you to choose from, along with a quote on the sign. 

The design fee provides you with several original design options to choose from.  Chances are, you will want to make some changes to the design - font, placement of artwork, wording, etc.   The fee includes up to five changes to help finalize your design.   Please see what our designs look like! 

If the design is accepted, the design fee is applied to the price of the sign.   If the design is not accepted or you decide not to order the sign - the design fee is payment for the time used in creation of the designs.  (All design artwork remains the property of Crafty Owl.) 

Once the design, quote and estimated completion date are accepted,  a 50% deposit on the sign  is required and carving is started.   The Design Fee is considered a part of the deposit!  If you have any questions, please check our Order page or e-mail Tom. 

In the event of significant changes in design, size or sign specs, the quote may need to be readjusted.   That is why we stress: It is important you carefully consider what you desire in a sign before the quote and design phase begins!   Changes to design and specs can be costly, so plan ahead and the process will be much easier!

How much is a custom hand carved sign?

As a rule of thumb (and Tom still has them as long as his chisel doesn't slip...) you can figure about
$165 per square foot (in pine).   (One sq. ft. minimum on custom signs - not pre-designs)

That means a 12" x 12" or smaller sign would run $165.00
a 12" x 18" sign would be around $250 and an 18" x 24" sign would be around $500.

Several things may affect this rate: the amount of detail in the design, the number of letters, the desired wood (pine, basswood, oak, maple, walnut, cherry, mahogany or red cedar), thickness of material, single or double sided, matching paint colors and 23kt. Genuine Gold Leaf.

If you find this pricing to be within your budget, Tom will be more than happy to work with you in creating a custom hand carved sign.  If you find that price expensive, keep in mind that a genuine hand carved sign requires hours of work including design, preparation of wood, transfer of design, chisel carving, cleaning up cuts, painting and finishing.  Out of your budget?  Perhaps.  Expensive?  I bet you make more an hour!

Visit Our Hand Carved Signs Layout Page to help you get your ideas together!