Laser & CNC pricing guides · free guide

How to quote CNC machining: a simple method for a fair price

Quoting a CNC milled or routed part means separating two things: what you pay once per order (CAM programming, setup, first article) and what you pay for every part (material, cycle time, tool wear, finishing). Mixing the two is the most common reason quotes go wrong, especially on small batches.

Before cutting, check your DXF/SVG with our free Laser File Checker — it runs in your browser and your file never leaves your computer.

The amounts here are worked examples; replace them with your own figures.

1. One-off costs per order

CAM programming

Importing the model, choosing strategies and tools, simulating: this time depends on how complex the part is, not on the quantity. Log the real time spent on your last few programs to get an honest baseline.

Setup

Workholding, zeroing, loading tools, the first part and its inspection. On a one-off part, this line can cost more than the machining itself.

2. Per-part costs

Material

Count the stock you bought (the block, bar or cut sheet), not the volume of the finished part: everything that leaves as chips was paid for.

Cycle time

Start from your CAM estimate, then correct it by the gap you usually see between simulation and reality. Multiply by your machine hourly rate (see our machine hourly rate guide; the method is the same for a CNC).

Tool wear

End mills, inserts, drills: spread their price over the number of parts or hours they last in your material. Hard or abrasive materials wear tools much faster.

Finishing and inspection

Deburring, rework, dimensional checks, cleaning and packing: price them per part.

3. Put the price together

Unit price = (one-off costs ÷ quantity) + per-part costs, then a margin.

That is why a single unit price, whatever the quantity, is almost always wrong.

For the margin, divide instead of multiplying: for a true 30% margin, price = cost ÷ 0.70 (so $27 ÷ 0.70 = $38.57 per part for 10 parts). Adding 30% to the cost only gives about a 23% margin.

Units: keep one system per quote. If the drawing is in inches, buy and price stock in inches; if it is metric, stay in mm. Mixing them is a classic source of scrap.

CNC quote template: checklist before you send it

• CAM programming time logged
• Setup and first article
• Stock bought, not finished volume
• Cycle time corrected by your usual gap
• Tool wear
• Finishing and inspection
• One-off costs divided by the quantity
• Margin worked out by division

Free calculators for a first estimate: job cost calculator and price and margin calculator.

Free calculators

Want a first estimate without a spreadsheet? Our free calculators run in your browser, with no sign-up, in $, £ or €: laser & CNC cost per part, hourly rate, margin & markup and break-even.

An Excel calculator to save time

Atelier Pilot is an Excel workbook for laser and CNC quotes (no macros; built for Microsoft Excel, checked in LibreOffice, Google Sheets not guaranteed). It covers material with scrap, batch setup, machine time, finishing, packaging, selling fees and margin. It is a calculation tool that runs on your numbers: it promises no income and is not accounting software.

Get the Atelier Pilot quote calculator — €27, one-time

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