Relative to insurance is the electrical wiring, when I bought my kiln I thought it to be a preamble to a larger setup. I discovered the insurance required I rewire and install larger breakers just for the little 120v. Being a workshop/garage had something to do with it as the code had changed in Florida. I've found Kansas is much the same. All this as a hobbyist not a business.
Too funny, I went through some issues with insurance and I expected it to be all about the kiln (skutt 14 and also a 120v). Anyways, my home insurance provider couldn't carry me anymore since I was operating as a business, a small one but it didn't matter to them. As far as they were concerned any commercial aspect opend the home to more liability and and if something happened to the house none of my glass stuff would have been covered. Then I went to Allstate getting a quote, everything was great at first... no problems with it being a small home business (they had specific coverage for glassers which I thought was A+) and they had no issues with the kiln either. The killer of the contract was when I was asked if I ship/sell outside of Canada, which I do, and that stopped everything.
Finally I got good coverage from State Farm Insurance for car, home, and a small home business. *sigh* It was actually an ordeal and I was just hours away from not having any insurance since our first provider gave us a deadline of 10 days (don't forget to add a thanksgiving weekend in there just for kicks *lol).
