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Laser engraving pricing guide: laser cutting, engraving and CNC quotes
A quote built on "material plus machine time" leaves out setup, test cuts, scrap, file clean-up, finishing, wear and the admin around every order. These guides show how to put each of those costs into a price, with worked examples in dollars and pounds that you replace with your own numbers.
Start here: the four pricing guides
- How much to charge for laser cutting: the seven costs most laser quotes forget, and the markup-versus-margin trap.
- How much to charge for laser engraving: the lines of an engraving quote, minimum order and a worked price per piece.
- Laser machine hourly rate: depreciation, maintenance, power, consumables and your time, turned into a price per hour and per minute.
- How to quote CNC machining: separate one-off costs (CAM, setup) from per-part costs, then spread them over the quantity.
Compare pricing tools honestly
Several good laser pricing calculators already exist, some of them free. We compare them with Atelier Pilot feature by feature, with dated prices and links to each source:
- Laser pricing spreadsheet (Excel): five options compared
- Atelier Pilot vs LaserProfit (free web calculator)
- Atelier Pilot vs LaserPricer (web calculator, basic use without payment)
- Atelier Pilot vs True Trade Cost (paid spreadsheet)
- Atelier Pilot vs Tidy Margin (paid spreadsheet)
- Atelier Pilot vs Graphiqly (web calculator)
- Atelier Pilot vs BeamQuote (iPhone and iPad app)
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.
The Atelier Pilot quote calculator
Atelier Pilot is an Excel workbook (no macros; built for Microsoft Excel, checked in LibreOffice, Google Sheets not guaranteed) that prices one laser or CNC job from your own costs:
- material including a scrap rate, so you pay for the sheet you use, not the part you sell;
- batch setup (file prep, alignment, test cut), spread over the quantity;
- machine time and finishing time per part, at separate machine and labour rates;
- packaging, other batch costs, marketplace or payment fees (percentage plus a fixed fee per order);
- a target margin worked out on the selling price, plus your sales tax or VAT rate (set it to 0% if it does not apply).
If an input is impossible (quantity of zero, 100% scrap, fees plus margin of 100% or more), the workbook shows no price at all and displays "CHECK INPUTS", so a wrong number never ends up in a quote. A Planned-vs-Actual sheet lets you compare each finished job with its quote and correct the next one.
What it is not: it is not accounting software, not machine control and not a subscription. Results depend on the costs you enter, and no income is promised.
Get the Atelier Pilot quote calculator — €27, one-time
Frequently asked questions
Are these guides free?
Yes. Every guide is free to read, with no sign-up. The worked examples use made-up numbers to show the method; replace them with your own.
Do the guides work in dollars and pounds?
Yes. The method is the same in any currency. Examples use US dollars, with UK notes where VAT or units change the picture.
Do I need the paid calculator to use the method?
No. You can apply every guide with a pen or your own spreadsheet. The Atelier Pilot workbook saves you the arithmetic and blocks impossible inputs.
Does the calculator work in Google Sheets?
It may open, but it is built and tested for Excel and LibreOffice; Google Sheets is not guaranteed.
Is there a subscription?
No. It is a single file, bought once.