We understand that cancellations are often the result of difficult circumstances, but income from classes is used to pay staff, maintain our facilities, and order and process materials.  We empathize that circumstances out of your control may arise, but unlike large corporations, we run on tight margins and our cancellation policy protects Hammerstone and ensures that we can continue to offer classes.  If loss of tuition would cause you financial hardship we strongly advocate that you invest in event ticket/trip insurance (see next FAQ question)

IN THE CASE OF STUDENT CANCELLATION:

Course deposits (25% of tuition and materials fees) are non refundable.

Students cancelling up to three weeks before the course start date will forfeit their deposit. All other payments will be refunded.

Students cancelling within three weeks of the course start date will forfeit their deposit. The remainder of their course payments will be held as a credit to be applied to a future course. The credit will expire 1 year after it was issued.

Students forfeit all payments:
– If they cancel within 48 hours of the start of class.
– If they fail to show up for class.
– If they leave class early or stop attending.

Rescheduling:

Students rescheduling up to three weeks before the course start date will be charged a fee of 10% of their course cost (tuition plus materials fees). The remainder of their course payments will be held as a credit to be applied to a future course(s). The credit will expire 1 year after it was issued.

Students rescheduling within three weeks of the course start date will be charged a fee of 25% of their course cost (tuition plus materials fees) The remainder of their course payments will be held as a credit to be applied to a future course(s). The credit will expire 1 year after it was issued.

Processing a Cancellation:

To cancel or reschedule, please email info@hammerstoneschool.com.

If loss of class fees in the event of a cancellation would cause financial hardship, we strongly encourage purchasing ACTIVE Refund.

You may make your registration refundable by purchasing ACTIVE Refund at checkout. ACTIVE Refund is an optional service provided for an additional fee that will refund the full cost of your registration if you cancel any time up to 48 hours before your course start time. ACTIVE Refund is managed and processed entirely by ACTIVE.com, our registration management system.

If you have already signed up for a course and wish to purchase event ticket/trip insurance after the fact, check out this Google search as a starting point.

Hammerstone reserves the right to cancel classes for any reason, including low enrollment. In the event of cancellation by Hammerstone, we will refund all payments, including deposits.

Hammerstone courses are open to all women and gender minorities. Hammerstone welcomes all trans folks including trans men.

Participants under 18 are allowed on a case by case basis with a parent’s permission. Please contact us if you are under 18.

Women and gender minorities have always been underrepresented in trades work. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 3% of carpenters are women. The bias against women working in the trades runs deep; the fear of being told you “hammer like a girl,” thereby reinforcing stereotypes, makes it hard to “hammer like a beginner,”(in other words, practice without fear of making mistakes).

By creating a safe space where women are free from judgmental gaze, whether real or feared, we allow women to learn at their own speed.

With the exception of trans men, regularly scheduled Hammerstone classes are not for men. We recognize that non-binary and trans folx experience face discrimination and hostility in workplaces and educational spaces as well, and Hammerstone classes exist for the advancement of all gender minorities in the trades.

We do welcome men who are interested in learning from our top notch instructors to contact us to schedule a custom workshop for you and a group of friends of any gender. We also are happy to point men to many of the excellent carpentry and woodworking schools that are not women only.

Yestermorrow Design Build School in VT.

Heartwood School in NH

Since 2020, we have offered sliding scale pricing for our courses. Materials costs are not included in the sliding scale. Participants choose a sliding scale amount that they can afford to attend the class. This is an honor system; we don’t require any proof of income or wealth.

Before you choose a sliding scale, please read our more detailed guidance on how sliding scales work and how to choose a payment.

The five categories of the sliding scale are:

Full Support: I consider myself low-income/low-wealth. I cannot access this course without financial support.

Partial Support: I consider myself low-middle income/wealth. Paying full price for this course presents somewhat of a financial hardship.

Full Price: I consider myself middle income/wealth. Paying this price may be a sacrifice, but I can find the resources to do so. This is the full cost of running a Hammerstone course including paying our teachers a fair wage, covering insurance, maintaining our tools and facilities, managing administration, and supporting our family.

Partial Contributor: I consider myself upper-middle income/wealth. I have the resources to pay full price plus a little more to help subsidize access for those who cannot.

Full Contributor: I have the resources and desire to ensure that these classes remain accessible to people of all income/wealth levels for the long term.

You may pay in full, or you may pay a non-refundable deposit of 25% of tuition plus materials fee. The remainder of your payment will be divided into three installments which will be automatically deducted from your card on file 9 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 weeks prior to your course start date. If you register after one of those cutoff dates, your payment will be divided into the remaining payments accordingly. If you register within 3 weeks of the course start date, you must pay in full.

Registrations will be accepted for all courses with available space until the day before the course starts.

You may access your Active.com account to pay balances using this link.

Teaching costs of all of our courses are similar, however, some of our courses have an elaborate take-home portion, and in others, you will be working on a communal project. Materials fees cover the actual materials purchased, as well as any processing time required to prepare them for class.

Materials fees are included with tuition costs when calculating the 25% non-refundable deposit.

To promote accessibility, Hammerstone sometimes collaborates with outside organizations to offer scholarships. Read more about our currrent scholarship offerings on our Scholarship Opportunities page..

Hammerstone: Carpentry for Women is a safety-conscious organization and safety instruction is part of every course. We carry builder’s liability insurance and workshop insurance in case of accidents.

Carpentry is an inherently dangerous activity and it is impossible to eliminate the risks that accompany the use of certain tools, equipment, and materials. By participating in Hammerstone School’s activities you assume responsibility for the inherent risks involved. We expect every student to participate in the safety training that is part of their class. It is also each individual’s responsibility to make sure they understand safe practices and the risks involved before using any tool, machine, or material.

You will be asked to sign a liability waiver upon registering for class indicating that you understand your responsibility in this regard.

Students are responsible for their own lunches for full day classes. You may bring your own lunch, or buy a lunch from Hammerstone.

Purchased lunches are hearty and nutritious to support your energy during a long day. They usually contain a sandwhich or grain bowl, dessert and/or chips. Water is always avaiable.

We can accommodate the following dietary restrictions, but cannot guarantee that lunches were prepared in a facility free from contamination.

• Vegetarian

• Vegan

• Gluten free

• Dairy free

• Any combination thereof

Hammerstone courses are designed to be accessible to students with no previous experience, and therefore, most classes have no prerequisite.

For some of our tiny house courses we highly encourage the prerequisite of our 2-Day Basic Carpentry Skills course or an approved equivalent so that we can dive into construction on the first day of class. Prerequisite information is listed on every course page. A 2-Day Basic Carpentry Skills workshop is offered immediately prior to each course with a prerequisite.

Applicants with prior experience which they feel exempts them from this requirement should contact Hammerstone directly.

Hammerstone students are required to bring their own hand-tools. Our classes are meant to set you on a life path of enjoying carpentry, and the tools required for our classes are a bare minimum of what you might need to continue at home. A full list and description of required tools can be found of the course syllabus for each class.

We encourage students to look in their garages, borrow from friends, or purchase used tools before buying new. If assembling tools is a financial burden, please let us know and we will assist you.

Yes! Our registration management system, ACTIVE.com, maintains waitlists when courses fill. If a waitlist spot opens for you, you will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to claim that spot.

We encourage those on the waitlist to register for their second choice session to ensure enrollment in a course. If a spot opens off the waitlist, you will be transferred into your first choice class free of charge.

By attending and participating in a Hammerstone class or event, you are agreeing to be photographed or recorded. Visual media obtained by Hammerstone and affiliates can be used for digital and print marketing.

Students may ask photographers to not take their picture during class and we do our best to honor those requests, however, we cannot guarantee that you will not be in photos.

We take a group picture at the end of each class and send it to course participants along with contact information. This allows students to remain in touch.