About
Learn more about NextFab, our services, and the future of making.
Makerspace
A place with all the tools you need for your creativity and hands-on-learning.
Membership
Our Members
Events
Home » About » FAQs
NextFab is a membership-based makerspace in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We offer technology, tools, space, and resources for makers to develop ideas, products, and businesses, fostering skill development and creative pursuits. We uniquely combine digital and traditional tools for innovative making, problem-solving, and hands-on learning.
We currently have one location in Philadelphia, PA, located at 1800 North American Street, in the Kensington/Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Our facility is ADA compliant, featuring a paved, ramped entrance for easy access, along with a load-in garage. Complimentary on-site parking is available for all members and visitors. Inside, you’ll find gender-neutral restrooms conveniently located near our workshop areas.
Public transportation options include the SEPTA Bus Routes 57 and 3, the Girard Ave. trolley run nearby, and the Berks stop of the Market-Frankford Line is located five blocks east of our location.
Schedule a tour of any of our makerspaces here. For more questions, contact us here.
Yes, we can often arrange tours outside of our regular hours. Please email sales@nextfab.com to schedule. We also offer rolling tours during public events like our monthly Open Houses on Second Thursdays.
Absolutely! We welcome members of all skill levels and backgrounds. Our only membership requirement is for age – you must be at least 10 years old for a junior membership, and at least 18 years old for regular membership.
NextFab offers membership, educational classes and workshops, tools and equipment access, business development programs and residencies, and a maker community to learn alongside.
Interested in becoming part of the team at NextFab? Check out our current openings on our Careers page. Generally, we don’t offer summer internships, but we welcome anyone interested to fill in our General Inquiry form.
NextFab’s Hire a Maker is an online platform that helps you connect with skilled local small businesses and freelancers, all of whom are NextFab members, to bring your product and project ideas to life. By using this service, you get the benefit of working one-on-one with designers and fabricators who possess a wide range of expertise, while simultaneously supporting the local economy. NextFab itself acts as a platform to facilitate these connections, but the specific project details, payment, and quality of work are directly managed between you and the NextFab member you hire.
We welcome members of all skill levels and backgrounds. Our only membership requirement is for age – you must be at least 10 years old for a junior membership, and at least 18 years old for regular membership.
To become a member, sign up online by filling out our Membership Sign-Up Form on our website. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive a welcome email to help guide you through the next steps.
Once you join NextFab, you’ll receive onboarding instructions in your email (be sure to check your Spam folder), including a self-guided virtual new member orientation. This will go over instructions on how to set up your accounts, safely access the tools and equipment in our shops, how to take classes, and get involved in our community. Upon completion, you’ll be able to reserve classes and machines. You will need to schedule a proficiency check, private training, or class to get certified on our equipment and to work in our shops.
Membership may be “paused” for up to two sequential months per calendar year without needing to cancel membership, and without the loss of any member benefits. You may cancel or temporarily pause your membership at any time by contacting member-services@nextfab.com.
If you wish to add any services to your membership, such as storage, Adobe at Home, or 24-hour access in the middle of the month, the changes will take place on the first day of the next billing cycle.
A standard membership is $149 per month on a month-to-month basis, or $134.10 per month if you commit to an annual agreement (10% off). You can also apply for a discounted membership, available for artists, students, recent graduates, senior citizens, educators, veterans, first responders, and members of CEFVA.
A discounted membership at $129/month is available for students (and up to one year post-graduation), educators, active and retired military personnel, seniors, and first responders. You will need to upload a file proving your eligibility (e.g., ID, proof of registration, proof of employment, proof of age, or Geneva Conventions card) during sign-up.
We also offer discounts to artisans and artists to help lower the barrier to entry for creatives. Our only requirement is to provide an online link to your Instagram, online portfolio, or website. For further questions on eligibility, please contact us at info@nextfab.com.
While our members are young at heart, you must be 18 years of age or older to use our shops and be a member. We offer junior memberships for kids ages 10-17, but junior members must be accompanied by a parent or other adult member at all times. For more information on junior memberships, see the Junior Membership Join page.
For an additional $100 per month, the Education Credit Package provides you with 200 credits each month, generally good for 1-2 classes. You can use these credits to pay for classes, workshops, private training sessions, and machine reservations (cannot be used for material purchases). One credit is equivalent to $1, meaning your 200 credits are worth $200 in value, effectively giving you a $100 discount on education and machine time each month. Any credits you don’t use will automatically roll over to the following month, so you won’t lose them, but they are non-refundable and non-transferable.
For $29/month, you gain access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite for home use, including Illustrator, Lightroom, Photoshop, and more. Once you sign up for Adobe at Home, you’ll receive email instructions from our Member Services team to install Adobe on your personal computers.
For $29/month, you receive a business address for shipping and receiving packages, including forklifting for freight delivery, and discounts on purchases from NextFab’s preferred vendor accounts.
For $49/month, members can apply after three months of continuous membership to gain 24-hour access to NextFab’s spaces, tools, and equipment. Approved members need to demonstrate tool proficiency, comply with our safety regulations, and provide a Certificate of General Liability Insurance.
All NextFab facilities are ADA accessible to members and the public, but some workshop areas and equipment may present environmental barriers to members with certain physical disabilities. We aim to accommodate members with access concerns and special needs. Contact us with inquiries.
Anyone, regardless of English comprehension, can join NextFab as a member. Access to equipment in shops depends on our existing competency check. To take classes at NextFab, members must have an independent working verbal and written comprehension of English.
To update your payment information, please contact us at info@nextfab.com, and we will send you a secure link to update your credit card details.
We offer a diverse range of educational programs to cater to various skill levels and interests, from beginners to experienced makers, and individuals to groups. Generally, our classes are geared towards machine learning and certification for our shops, and our certification checks are geared towards experienced makers who have previous knowledge and experience with machines.
Our educational programs and classes primarily focus on training for our makerspace equipment and machines, in alignment with the benefits provided by our memberships.
Yes! For the majority of our classes, private training, and machine learning, you will need to be a member to participate. We offer some programs, such as our Maker Series and workshops, that are publicly accessible throughout the year, but not available on demand, as our classes and private training are.
All of our classes are scheduled at your convenience through our Q-Reserve scheduling system. Here you can view a list of our class offerings and instructors, and they can generally be scheduled within your first week of membership.
We offer classes based on our instructor’s availability and are generally available during our open hours (Saturday – Thursday, 10 am – 8 pm). Members can request classes up to 24 hours prior and must be approved by our instructors. For class/shop availability before joining, please reach out to us, and we can confirm our availability.
Class prices vary by duration: * 1-hour classes: $59 * 2-hour classes: $119 * 3-hour classes: $179 *4-hour classes: $238
To get started after joining, you’ll need to complete our Virtual New Member Orientation, which is emailed to you after completing our Membership signup form. After finishing this orientation, your Q-Reserve account will be set up, which allows you to access our class and instructor calendars. To be able to work on any of the equipment, you’ll need to be certified through a proficiency check or pre-formatted class.
Private Training is a one-on-one session with a NextFab instructor to guide you through learning a new skill, problem-solving a project, or getting in-depth instruction on specific equipment, design software, fabrication, molding and casting, or design for manufacturing. Private training pricing starts at $60/hr and is billed in 15-minute increments, although we generally recommend starting with an hour.
Proficiency checks are one-on-one sessions with a NextFab instructor to demonstrate previous machine, skill, or equipment knowledge of anything in our shops. This previous experience can come from other educational institutions, home skills, or as a previous member of our spaces. You’ll demonstrate your proficiency on a particular tool or machine under the supervision of our instructors, starting with a series of questions to gauge your familiarity, then dive deeper into safe operation and contextual knowledge. Demonstrating proficiency on a single machine usually takes approximately 15 minutes, depending on the machine. Pricing starts at $60/hr and is billed in 15-minute increments.
You can request proficiency checks through the private training and proficiency check form found on our education scheduling system, Q-Reserve. Be sure to provide as much detail as possible, such as the machines or classes you wish to be certified for or the training you wish to complete.
You will typically hear back from the instructors within 48 hours to schedule your session. The actual scheduling depends on the complexity of your request, the specific equipment involved, and the availability of qualified instructors.
Certain classes are only added to the calendar when a member requests them. These are held at a class rate and are open to other participants, unlike private training, which is a dedicated one-on-one or small group session.
These are hands-on workshops designed to introduce the public to our studio and provide direct experience with our staff and community. They are a great way to explore and learn about potential next steps, often including an offer to join NextFab and take classes after completing it.
We aim for a quarterly rotation of content for these one-day workshops. They are typically offered at a lower price point, around $100, and are generally scheduled around holidays and major events.
The Maker Series is a pre-built, immersive membership program designed to help individuals develop a focused skillset in a specific craft or technology. It includes two months of membership, 5-6 classes, and a small group setting, perfect for collaboration and questions.
We typically offer 3-4 Maker Series at the beginning of each quarter, and each Maker Series has 4 seats. We try and accommodate a rotating schedule of different shops and welcome your feedback! If we’re not currently offering one or you’d like to be the first to know when we launch our next series, fill out our Maker Series Interest form.
We offer a comprehensive array of machines and tools across various departments, designed to empower our makers. You’ll find everything from 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines to a full suite of metalworking, woodworking, electronics, and textile equipment. Access is available to members who have taken a proficiency check or class. Check out our equipment list for a full breakdown of all of our equipment.
Yes. Members who would like to reserve machine time may do so online through our Q-Reserve system. The reservation calendar should only be used by those who have obtained unsupervised access to that particular machine. Please note that based on power consumption, operating costs, and maintenance, some machines require hourly reservation fees.
Yes, about 95% of our equipment is included in your membership fee with no additional costs. We do, however, have some equipment that requires an additional fee. Typically, these machines require additional maintenance and care, and can be reserved in 15-minute increments. This premium equipment includes: the small Universal Laser ($15/hour), Large Universal and Trotec Lasers ($25/hour), the ShopBot CNC ($25–$35/hour), the Roland MDX Mill ($20/hour), Large Format Printers, and the Paint Booth ($2/hour).
You can bring in your own hand tools if you would like. However, you will need to obtain permission from an instructor to bring in power tools or anything unusual. If you are looking for a particular tool that we do not have, let us know what tool you want to bring in – we may decide to purchase it for the studio.
Members have access to all of the tools at NextFab, provided that they have completed the proper prerequisite classes or demonstrated proficiency. For more information, please reach out to us at info@nextfab.com.
We offer four types of spaces at NextFab: *Private workspaces and studios to work on individual projects. * Warehouse space and flexible workspaces to hold larger projects and work from. *Dedicated jewelry benches for jewelers looking for a dedicated, lockable space for their jewelry practice. *Storage space ranges in size to hold materials and projects.
To check out pricing and space information, visit us here.
Yes, you will have the option to gain 24/7 access to your space by providing a COI (Certificate of Insurance). Your access to NextFab’s equipment and workshops is limited to NextFab’s regular business hours.
Yes. In addition to locker storage, we offer larger storage areas for keeping your works in progress, tools, and materials for a fee. You can rent a storage space on a monthly basis. The fee varies depending on size and any special requirements. For pricing and more details, please contact us at info@nextfab.com.
Yes, we offer a variety of corporate engagement and group activities from small groups to larger corporate groups. These include team-building workshops and activations of our event space.
Please fill out our Group Events interest form, and we will work with you to plan and customize an activity based on your specific needs and goals.
Yes! NextFab is happy to host schools and youth organizations for engaging visits. We offer a variety of options, including tours of our facilities, hands-on demonstrations of different technologies, and tailored workshops designed to introduce students to making, design, and various fabrication techniques. Contact us to discuss your group’s size, age range, and specific interests, so we can customize a memorable experience for your students. Please note, we do have age restrictions for certain activities.
Costs can vary depending on the type of visit (tour, demonstration, workshop), the duration, and the number of participants. We offer various packages and can provide a detailed quote once we understand your group’s needs.
NextFab is always open to exploring meaningful partnerships that align with our mission of fostering innovation, education, and entrepreneurship within the community. If you have a specific project, event, or collaboration idea, please reach out to our Programming department with a brief proposal or description.
NextFab does not currently offer traditional franchising opportunities.
We appreciate the generosity of those looking to support NextFab. We may be interested in receiving donations of specific equipment or materials, provided they meet our operational needs, safety standards, and are in good working condition. To inquire about a potential donation, please provide details (item type, condition, photos if possible) to info@nextfab.com. Please understand that due to space and utility considerations, we cannot accept all donation offers. We’d also recommend donating items to the Resource Exchange, who are our neighbors in the building.
For monthly or annual membership payments without a contract, cancellations will be processed for the upcoming billing period if requested prior to the next billing date. Refunds will not be issued for any part of the current billing period.
If you cancel a machine, space, or room reservation we will refund the reservation fee (if any) as credit to your account. If you need to cancel a class or private training session, we require at least 24 hours notice to process a refund as credit. If a reservation is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice your fee will be forfeited and no refund will be issued.
Our full privacy and security policies are below.
NextFab is committed to transparency regarding the data we collect about you, how it is used and with whom it is shared. This Privacy Policy applies when you use our Online Services (described below).
Introduction
NextFab Studio, LLC (“NextFab” or “we” or “us”) provides various services (“Services”) including online (“Online Services”) and also in-person at our facilities (“In-person Services”). Our Services may be used by persons who have executed a NextFab Membership Agreement (“Members”) as well as by persons who have not (“Nonmembers”, and together with Members, “Users”). Nonmembers generally have access to fewer of our Services. Our Online Services are intended to help you stay informed about our Services, to use our Services, to communicate with other Members and with NextFab employees (“Staff”), to find and share knowledge, and to discover opportunities to conduct business. Our Privacy Policy applies to any Member or Nonmember who makes use of our Online Services. Content and data on some of our Services is viewable to Nonmembers.
Services
This Privacy Policy, including the Cookie Policy, which is incorporated by reference into this Privacy Policy, applies to nextfab.com including, but not limited to the Forum, the Library, the Jobs Board, and the Account Info Dashboard, but excluding services that state that they are offered under a different privacy policy.
Changes
Changes to the Privacy Policy apply to your use of our Online Services after the “Last Modified” date above. NextFab can modify this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time, and if we make material changes to it, we will provide notice through our Online Services, or by other means, to provide you the opportunity to review the changes before they become effective. If you object to any changes, your choice is to stop using the Online Services. You acknowledge that your continued use of our Online Services after we publish or send a notice about our changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy, which means that the collection, use, and sharing of your personal data is subject to the updated Privacy Policy.
We use your data to provide, support, personalize and develop our Services. How we use your personal data will depend on which Services you use, how you use those Services and the choices you make in your settings. We use the data that we have about you to provide and personalize, possibly including with the help of automated systems and inferences we make, our Services (including ads) so that they can be more relevant and useful to you and others.
We use your data to authorize access to our Services.
It is your choice whether to invite someone to our Services, or to contact another member.