QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does it cost to machine 17-4 PH stainless?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
A small turned 17-4 PH stainless part costs $304.45 for one, $43.90 each at 10, and $20.71 each at 100 pieces. Its slow cutting rate makes machine time and tool planning significant; setup and inspection still dominate the first piece.
See how QuotedPart connects to your workflow with its API, MCP server, autonomous quoting and shop-specific learning.
The 17-4 PH stainless example part
The example part is a 2 inch pin with a 1.25 inch turned diameter, a drilled end hole and a relief groove. 17-4 has a machinability factor of 0.25 in the US catalog, so the same geometry takes longer than 303 or 6061. Work hardening, tool life and interrupted cuts can move the cycle on a real machine.
How the quantity break works
Setup is charged once per lot. That fixed CAM and chuck setup makes a one-piece sample look high, while a hundred-piece run spreads it over the pins. The part price does not magically fall to material cost: stainless still needs turning, deburring and inspection on every piece.
What the material or process changes
The precipitation-hardening condition changes both cutting behavior and downstream work. If the customer wants a grind after aging, include the allowance and a second operation. If certification or traceability is required, quote those documents explicitly rather than assuming they are part of the stock line.
How to turn this into a firm quote
Keep the material grade, condition, hardness target and finish in the assumptions. Recalculate when a buyer changes to 316; the density, bar price and machinability all differ. A transparent table makes that discussion faster than a percentage surcharge.
Questions to settle before release
A 17-4 quote should identify condition before the programmer chooses feeds. Ask whether the customer wants the part aged after machining, and reserve allowance for any grind or passivation. Confirm whether the inspection report needs hardness, material heat number or a CMM map. These details can be more valuable than a small rate change. Put them in the assumptions so the selling price remains explainable when the lot or condition changes.
For this cost to machine 17 4 estimate, use the first production run as a check on this estimate. Capture actual setup minutes, cycle minutes, material weight and outside invoices, then update the shop rate or example part assumption that was wrong. That small feedback loop is more useful than rounding every quote upward. It also gives the next estimator a concrete explanation when the customer asks why a repeat job moved.
For the 17-4 machining route, reserve an allowance if aging or grinding follows the CNC operation. The final release should preserve the drawing revision, stock source and inspection decision with the computed table.
Pricing engine output for the stated Stainless 17-4 PH CNC turning example part
- • Material: Stainless 17-4 PH; 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 | 4.8 | $234.19 | $304.45 | $304.45 | 9 |
| 10 | 123.3 | 4.8 | $33.77 | $43.90 | $439.00 | 9 |
| 100 | 123.3 | 4.8 | $15.93 | $20.71 | $2071.00 | 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.
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.
Related QuotedPart guides
Cost guides
17-4 PH stainless price per pound for a machining quote
The US catalog starts 17-4 PH stainless at $7.30 per pound for a small lot and a lower volume price for full-bar quantities. On the sample turned pin, the
Cost guides
12L14 versus 1018 machining cost for turned parts
Our pricing engine comparison keeps the turned geometry and shop rates fixed while changing only the steel assumption. 12L14 usually wins on cycle time and bar pri
Cost guides
303 versus 304 stainless machining cost for a small turned part
In the same turned-part example part, 303 stainless prices lower than 304 because the catalog gives 303 a higher machinability factor and a lower small-lot bar
Cost guides
4140 pre-hard versus annealed machining cost
Our pricing engine can show the same 4140 part through two material assumptions, but the catalog currently stores a pre-hard grade. In this worked comparison, the