Calculators · Updated 2026-10-30

Sheet metal cost calculator from blank through finishing

Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.

Estimate sheet metal cost by purchasing the required sheets, adding laser and press-brake time, then hardware and finish. Divide the marked-up lot cost by the ordered quantity to get a selling price per part.

See how QuotedPart connects to your workflow with its API, MCP server, autonomous quoting and shop-specific learning.

Sheet metal: blank to finished part

Laser and brake time use US catalog formulas/rates. The illustrated material is a 0.063 inch blank at factor 1. Whole-sheet purchase cost belongs to this lot; change the allocation if usable remnants are credited. No true-shape nesting, bend allowance or cut-quality prediction.

Whole sheets charged to this lot; single-orientation rectangular nesting
Cost driverResult
Parts/sheet77
Blank area utilization80.21%
Sheets purchased1
Material/lot$180.00
Laser min/part0.68
Setup/lot$86.42
Laser run/lot$49.75
Bend run/lot$26.67
Hardware/lot$50.00
Finish/lot$212.50
Total cost/lot$605.33
Selling price/part$31.48

Price the flat blank and purchased sheets

Start from the developed blank dimensions, not the bent envelope. This tool compares a rectangular grid in both orientations, subtracting edge trim and keeping the entered spacing between blanks. It charges the full sheets required for this order. A useful remnant may justify a credit, but pretending every square inch is sold elsewhere understates the cash required for a short lot. The nesting result is an estimate for rectangles; irregular outlines, grain direction and common-line cutting require a real nest.

Inspect each operation’s assumptions

The laser minutes come from the US catalog formula: cut length divided by its material/thickness speed approximation, plus 0.03 minute per pierce and 0.3 minute handling. The brake uses 20 setup minutes plus 3 minutes per bend and 0.2 run minute per bend, at the catalog work-center rates. These are editable estimating defaults, not machine performance specifications. The calculator displays material, setup, laser, bend, hardware and finish separately so you can replace any weak assumption with a proven routing.

Keep purchased work and physical limits visible

The finish example is $125 per lot plus $3.50 per part, independent of actual rack capacity or coating area. The hardware input must include insertion labor if you intend it to represent installed hardware. Welding, deburr, inspection, packaging, freight and tax are excluded from this compact model. Add them before issuing a firm quote. Check bend access, minimum flange length, tool changes and cosmetic requirements against the actual drawing; this calculator does not unfold a part or prove it can be formed. Keep a copy of the flat pattern revision with the estimate so a later geometry change prompts a fresh nest and routing review.

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.

  • All dollar amounts and operating inputs on this page are editable examples, not market averages or supplier offers.

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 drawing

Free. No account, no email. Priced at our default US rates until you set yours.