QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
What does carbon steel cost per pound for a shop quote?
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Small-lot stock in this catalog is $2.46/lb for 1018, $2.47/lb for A36, and $1.72/lb for 12L14; the 1018 pin quotes at $262.05, $34.40 and $12.25 per part at 1, 10 and 100. Stock weight, turning time and lot setup drive the quote after the raw steel price.
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The 1018 carbon steel example part
The example part is a two-inch pin made from 1.5-inch round bar. It needs one drilled end and a relief groove, which means the shop pays for tool changes and inspection as well as metal. A plate part or a weldment would use a different stock form and process.
How the quantity break works
1018 is a general-purpose baseline. 12L14 often machines faster, while A36 is commonly bought as plate and may need a different cut route. The catalog keeps their machinability and stock prices distinct; that is why a buyer’s grade callout matters before a quote is sent.
What the material or process changes
At low quantities, programming and chuck setup dominate the unit price. As the lot grows, material volume pricing and cycle minutes become more important. Scrap credit, saw kerf, rust protection and certification should be stated rather than assumed.
How to turn this into a firm quote
When a customer says “mild steel,” ask for the actual grade or an approved substitute. Record the stock diameter, condition and source so the next quote can be refreshed when the distributor price changes.
Questions to settle before release
When the print says carbon steel, ask for the grade, condition, form and certification. Verify whether a saw cut, flame cut or remnant is acceptable and whether the buyer expects a rust-prevention treatment. A pound price without stock dimensions cannot predict the blank invoice. Keep those details with the table so a future quote can be refreshed from the same assumptions.
For this carbon steel price per pound estimate, for a firm release, have the programmer and machinist read the assumptions together. They can spot an inaccessible feature, an extra load, a tool change or an inspection step before the number reaches the buyer. Treat the computed table as a shared starting point: the shop’s measured method and the customer’s print decide which edits belong in the final route.
For a carbon-steel request, turn the buyer’s shorthand into a grade and stock-form callout. The final release should preserve the drawing revision, stock source and inspection decision with the computed table.
Pricing engine output for the stated Steel 1018 CNC turning example part
- • Material: Steel 1018; the US catalog stores its small-lot price and machinability factor.
- • Process: CNC turning; setup, machine time, deburring and inspection are generated from the example-part geometry.
- • Markup: 30% default US catalog markup; quantities are 1, 10, 100.
- • Fictional 2 in turned part from 1.5 in bar; one drilled end hole and one groove.
- • No outside finish, tax, freight, or customer-specific rate is included.
- • These are computed examples, not supplier quotes or market averages.
| Qty | Setup min (lot) | Cycle min (part) | Cost / part | Quoted / part | Lot price | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 123.3 | 3.9 | $201.58 | $262.05 | $262.05 | 9 |
| 10 | 123.3 | 3.9 | $26.46 | $34.40 | $344.00 | 9 |
| 100 | 123.3 | 3.9 | $9.42 | $12.25 | $1225.00 | 10 |
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.
- The figures are computed from the stated example part and US catalog assumptions.
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