QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
How do I quote waterjet cutting jobs?
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Waterjet time is cut length divided by cutting speed, plus a pierce for every start and a minute to load. A 6 × 4 in A36 steel plate with four 1/2 in holes has 26.3 in of cut path and 5 pierces. At 1/2 in thick, our pricing engine puts it at $33.76 each for 10 on the waterjet, against $20.16 on the laser. Speed falls steeply with thickness, so the same part at 1 in thick takes 2.0 times as long to cut and costs $59.87 each.
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The cut-time arithmetic
Cut length: the 6 × 4 in outline is 20 in; four 1/2 in holes add 4 × π × 0.5 = 6.28 in; the total is 26.3 in. The engine's waterjet speed for a machine-quality edge in mild steel is about 2.2 in/min at 1 in thick and falls with the thickness to the power 1.15, capped at 60 in/min. At 1/2 in it is 2.2 ÷ 0.5^1.15 = 4.88 in/min, so cutting takes 26.3 ÷ 4.88 = 5.38 minutes.
Each pierce (the hole where the jet starts) takes longer in thick plate: 0.1 min + 0.25 min per inch of thickness, 0.225 min at 1/2 in. Five pierces add 1.13 minutes. One minute for loading, squaring and unloading brings the cycle to 5.38 + 1.13 + 1 = 7.51 minutes, which matches the engine's 7.5. A 20-minute machine setup, deburr and the plate itself complete the cost.
Garnet, the abrasive, is in the machine rate: the catalog's $125 an hour covers it along with the pump, nozzle parts and water. If you track garnet use separately, take it out of the rate and charge it by the hour of cutting.
| Thickness | Cut speed | Waterjet min (part) | 1 piece | 10 each | 50 each |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 in | 10.83 in/min | 4.2 | $75.65 | $21.53 | $16.71 |
| 0.5 in | 4.88 in/min | 7.5 | $87.88 | $33.76 | $28.95 |
| 1 in | 2.20 in/min | 14.7 | $113.98 | $59.87 | $55.06 |
Material and the plate you can't use
The plate costs $5.08 each at 1/2 in on this part, much less than the cutting. Nested parts leave a skeleton, and our pricing engine allows for that with an 80% utilization on the blank. If the skeleton is sellable scrap or can be used for other jobs, say so; if the plate is stainless or titanium, material is a bigger share and nesting matters more.
Add a minimum charge. A 5-minute job still costs a setup, a program and a plate pull. The catalog's minimum line is $65.
When to send it to the laser instead
If the laser can cut the material and thickness, it is usually faster, so the price is lower: in this example the laser part is $20.16 each at 1/2 in against $33.76 on the waterjet. The waterjet earns its place on thick plate, on stainless and aluminum thicker than the laser handles, on heat-sensitive or reflective material, on titanium, composites and stone, and on parts where a heat-affected zone or a hardened edge would be a problem. It also cuts without thermal distortion, which matters for thin parts and tight flatness.
Taper and edge quality are the waterjet's trade-offs: a cut at speed leaves a taper and a rougher edge, and a slower cut for a better edge costs more. Quote the edge quality the print asks for, not the best the machine can do.
The laser rows in the table are from the same engine and the same plate; they assume the laser can cut that thickness, which depends on your machine's power. Check what yours can do.
Waterjet versus laser, price each at 10
- • Part: 6 × 4 in A36 steel plate with four 1/2 in holes, ±0.030 in, five pierces.
- • Waterjet $125/h with a 20-minute setup; laser $175/h with a 15-minute setup; deburr at $55/h.
- • 30% markup; no outside finish.
| Thickness | Waterjet | Laser (if it can cut it) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 in | $21.53 | $14.59 |
| 0.5 in | $33.76 | $20.16 |
| 1 in | $59.87 | $31.32 |
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- Times and prices are from QuotedPart's pricing engine, US starting catalog (abrasive waterjet $125/h with a 20-minute setup, fiber laser $175/h with a 15-minute setup, A36 plate, 30% markup). Waterjet speeds follow the catalog formula, which cites OMAX and Flow cut charts; check your own machine's chart.
Questions
How do I get the cut length?
From the DXF if you have one, or add the outline and the hole circumferences from the drawing. Check any slots and internal cutouts.
Is garnet a separate charge?
Only if you want it to be. It is in the machine rate here; shops with a lot of abrasive-heavy work sometimes charge it by cutting hour.
Price one of your own parts
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