QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
Why are custom machined parts so expensive?
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Most of what you pay for one custom part is the work of getting ready to make it, not the cutting. Someone has to program the machine, set it up, prove the first part and inspect it, and that takes the same time for one part as for a hundred. Material is bought in minimum pieces, and finishers charge a minimum per batch. A small 3 × 3 in aluminum plate with five holes, black anodized, is priced in our example at $508.73 for one: 56% of that is programming and setup, and 36% is the anodizer's minimum charge. Cutting, deburring and checking the part itself take about 8 minutes. Order 25 and the same plate is $41.51 each; order 100 and it's $27.21.
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The part in this example
It's a fictional 6061-T6 aluminum adapter plate, 3 × 3 × .5 in, with a Ø1.25 center bore and four Ø.266 through holes, ±.005 in general tolerance, black anodized. Nothing about it is difficult: a CNC mill, two setups (one for each side), five holes. That's the point. Even a simple part carries the full cost of getting started, and the prices below are what a small US shop's costs look like at ordinary rates ($95 an hour on the mill, $95 for programming, $55 for deburring, $75 for inspection) with a 30% markup.
Where the money goes on one part
Here is the one-piece price split into what each piece of work costs, with the shop's markup included in each line:
| What it pays for | Price | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Programming the machine, setting it up for both sides, first-part inspection | $282.43 | 56% |
| Black anodize (the finisher's minimum for a batch) | $182.00 | 36% |
| Aluminum (the smallest piece the supplier will cut) | $29.25 | 6% |
| Machine time, deburring and checking the part | $15.05 | 3% |
| Total | $508.73 | 100% |
Why setup is so large
Before the first chip is cut, a programmer turns your drawing into toolpaths, about 53 minutes for this plate. A machinist then clamps the stock, loads and measures the tools, sets the part's position, runs the first part slowly and measures it. On a two-sided part that happens twice. Then someone checks the first part against every dimension on the drawing. In all, about 2.4 hours of skilled time go into getting ready, and the shop is paid for it whether you order one part or a thousand.
Why material and finishing cost more than you'd expect
Metal suppliers sell bar and plate in minimum cut lengths, not a single blank, so the first part pays for a piece of aluminum several times its own weight. Small orders also pay the supplier's small-lot price per pound. Anodizers, platers and heat treaters process parts in batches and charge a minimum for each batch; on one part that minimum is the whole charge. Without the anodize, the same plate would be $326.73 for one.
How the price falls with quantity
The setup, the finisher's minimum and part of the material are fixed costs. Spread over more parts, they shrink:
| Quantity | Price each | Order total | Setup and programming per part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $508.73 | $508.73 | $282.43 |
| 5 | $115.80 | $579.00 | $56.49 |
| 25 | $41.51 | $1,037.75 | $11.30 |
| 100 | $27.21 | $2,721.00 | $2.82 |
| 500 | $18.98 | $9,490.00 | $0.56 |
How to get a lower price on custom parts
- Order the quantity you'll need this year at once, or at least five instead of one. In this example five plates cost 1.14 times as much as one, not five times.
- Ask whether the finish is needed on prototypes. Skip it, or combine your parts into one batch at the finisher.
- Loosen tolerances that don't matter. A ±.005 in tolerance is ordinary; ±.0005 in needs slower cutting, more inspection and sometimes grinding.
- Use stock sizes. A part designed around a standard plate thickness or bar diameter saves material and a setup.
- Send a 3D model with the drawing. It shortens programming and removes guesswork from the quote.
- For repeat orders, say so. A shop that keeps your program can drop the programming charge next time.
For shops: how to use this page
Send this page, or your own version of the table above with your rates, when a customer questions a one-piece price. Show the same quote at 1, 5 and 25 pieces, so the customer can see what the first part pays for and choose a quantity. If you want the breakdown for your own part at your own rates, QuotedPart prices every quantity on one quote and keeps setup, material, machining and finishing as separate lines.
Assumptions behind the example
- • Part: a fictional 6061-T6 aluminum adapter plate, 3 × 3 × .5 in, with a Ø1.25 center bore and four Ø.266 through holes, ±.005 in general tolerance, black anodized.
- • Black anodize: the catalog's $125 lot minimum and $4.25 a piece, plus a 12% invoice fee.
- • Rates and setup minutes: QuotedPart's US starting catalog (3-axis VMC $95/h, CAM programming $95/h, deburr $55/h, inspection $75/h). Every shop replaces these with its own.
- • Markup: the catalog default of 30% on cost, with a $65 minimum per line.
- • The part is fictional and stated on the page. The numbers are what the engine computes from these inputs, not a market average or a supplier quote.
| Quantity | Price each |
|---|---|
| 1 | $508.73 |
| 5 | $115.80 |
| 25 | $41.51 |
| 100 | $27.21 |
| 500 | $18.98 |
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.
- Prices are computed by QuotedPart's pricing engine for the stated fictional plate at the US starting catalog rates with a 30% markup. They show where the money goes, not what any particular shop charges.
Questions
Why is one part almost the same price as five?
Because the setup, programming, minimum material and finishing minimum are paid once per order. The extra four parts only add their machine minutes and material.
Is an online instant quote cheaper?
Sometimes, for simple parts in common materials. Ask for prices from both at the same quantities and compare total landed price, lead time and who you can talk to about tolerances and changes, not just the unit price.
Can I supply my own material?
You can ask. Expect a handling charge, and agree in advance who replaces a blank that gets scrapped. It saves money mainly on expensive alloys.
Price one of your own parts
Drop a PDF drawing or a STEP file. QuotedPart reads the print, measures the model and prices it in seconds, on default shop rates you can change.
Your STEP file or PDF drawingDrop a PDF drawing, a STEP file or both
Free. No account, no email. Priced at our default US rates until you set yours.
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