FIREFIGHTER OWNED 🔥 HATS SHIP FREE

Lead Time

Behind the Scenes: Lead Times & Order Processing

Thanks for stopping by! At Elite Fire Apparel, we believe in keeping our customers informed. We’re committed to transparency, quality, and timely service—and we never sacrifice one for the other. Below you’ll find current production timelines for our embroidered hat orders, including both standard design orders and custom embroidery projects using customer-supplied artwork.


Daily Standard Design Embroidery Production Progress

Updated Monday–Friday (excluding holidays and shop closures listed at the bottom of this page)

Small Embroidery Orders (<12 pieces)

As of Thurs. 4/1/26
We’ve shipped orders of this size placed through:
3/24/26

Large Embroidery Orders (12+ pieces)

As of Thurs. 4/1/26
We’ve shipped qualifying orders of this size placed through:
3/24/26

Current Standard Design Estimated Lead Times to Ship Out

Small Embroidery Orders (<12 pieces)

(up to) 7–10 business days
Business days are Monday–Friday and exclude holidays or shop closures (listed below).

Large Embroidery Orders (12+ pieces)

Lead times vary
Lead times vary due to current order volume at any give time.
Refer to the progress updates above for general timing, or contact us for a more specific estimate.

Large Orders (12+ pieces, no quantity discount)

May require additional production time
Large orders with multiple designs and smaller quantities of each require additional production time.
These orders do not qualify for quantity discounts. Please contact us if you need a lead time estimate before ordering.

Custom Embroidery Orders (Customer-Supplied Artwork)

Estimated Lead Time for Custom Embroidery Orders

Most custom orders (customer-supplied artwork) ship in approximately 2–3 weeks

Lead times for custom embroidery orders using customer-supplied artwork can vary depending on our current custom order volume at any given time.

Production timing may also be affected by factors such as special order thread colors, special order hat models, artwork quality, and whether the design requires more time-intensive design setup or digitizing.

Because every custom project is different, we provide lead time estimates on a case-by-case basis whenever possible to help ensure accuracy.

If you need a more specific estimate before ordering, please contact us with your artwork, preferred hat style, and quantity.

What Happens After You Order

1) Order Confirmation
You’ll receive an Order Confirmation email.
Please add orders@elitefireapparel.com 
to your safe sender list.
2) Questions (If Needed)
We’ll contact you by email if we have questions.
3) Production Queue
No in-production updates are sent.
Your order stays “Awaiting Fulfillment” until it ships.
4) Shipping Notification
You’ll receive a Shipping Notification email with tracking once your shipping label is printed.

Holiday & Shop Closures – 2026

These closures are excluded from business-day lead times.

Jan 1
2026
New Year's Day
Limited / No production
Closure
Apr 20–24
2026
Spring Break
Limited / No production
Closure
May 25
2026
Memorial Day
Limited / No production
Closure
Jun 1–5
2026
Family Vacation
Limited / No production (family-owned business)
Closure
Jul 3
2026
Independence Day (Observed)
Limited / No production
Closure
Sep 7
2026
Labor Day
Limited / No production
Closure
Nov 26–27
2026
Thanksgiving
Limited / No production
Closure
Dec 24 – Jan 1
2026–2027
Christmas & New Year Holiday
Limited / No production
Closure