QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much should I charge for first article inspection (FAI / AS9102)?
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There are two separate charges. Every lot needs the shop's own first-piece check, and a part with position or profile tolerances needs a CMM program: on a 4 × 3 × 1 in bracket with four holes at a Ø.005 position to A|B|C, our engine prices 18 minutes of first-article checking plus 42 minutes of CMM programming, $75.00 at a $75/h inspection rate. A formal AS9102 report is paperwork on top: ballooning the drawing, measuring and recording every characteristic, plus forms 1 and 2 with the material and process certs. With the example times on this page, that is about 2.8 hours for a 50-characteristic drawing. Quote it as its own line, once per part number and revision.
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What our pricing engine already prices on every lot
Every machined lot carries an inspection setup: 15 minutes plus half a minute per hole for the first piece, then a light check on each part. When the drawing calls out position, profile, concentricity or symmetry, the routing adds a CMM program: 30 minutes to build the alignment to the datums, set clearance moves and the report and prove it on the first part, plus 2 minutes for each hole measured, up to 20.
On this bracket that is 60 minutes once per lot. Spread over 5 pieces it is $15.00 of cost a part; over 25 pieces, $3.00. The bracket prices at $532.78 for one, $135.51 each at 5 and $62.32 at 25, without a formal report.
| Operation | Work center | Rate | Setup min (lot) | Run min (part) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAM programming, 12 toolpaths | CAM programming | $95/h | 78 | 0.0 |
| Mill, 3 setups | 3-axis VMC | $95/h | 90 | 9.9 |
| Deburr | Deburr / bench | $55/h | 5 | 2.8 |
| Inspect | Inspection | $75/h | 18 | 0.8 |
| CMM program, 6 holes | Inspection | $75/h | 42 | 0.0 |
What an AS9102 report adds
AS9102 asks for three forms: Form 1 (part number accountability), Form 2 (material, special processes and functional testing, with the certs attached) and Form 3 (every design characteristic, its requirement and the measured result). The work scales with the number of characteristics on the drawing: every dimension, note, GD&T callout and spec gets a balloon number and a result.
The table uses example times, not an industry average: 45 minutes for forms 1 and 2, collecting certs and the final review, then half a minute per characteristic to balloon, a minute and a half to measure and half a minute to record it. Time your own next report and put your numbers in instead. At these times a 40-characteristic bracket drawing is about 2.4 hours, $235.63 with markup.
| Characteristics | Forms 1-2, certs, review (min) | Balloon + measure + record (min) | Total hours | Cost | Price at 30% markup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 45 | 63 | 1.8 | $134.38 | $174.69 |
| 50 | 45 | 125 | 2.8 | $212.50 | $276.25 |
| 100 | 45 | 250 | 4.9 | $368.75 | $479.38 |
| 200 | 45 | 500 | 9.1 | $681.25 | $885.63 |
Quote FAI as its own line
Spread into a 5-piece order, a $236 report adds $47.13 to every bracket, and the customer can't see why your price is higher than a shop that left it out. On the repeat order, when no new FAI is needed, the piece price should drop, and it only will if the FAI was a separate line.
- Quote the FAI line once per part number and revision. A delta FAI for a drawing change covers only the changed characteristics.
- Say what's included: the forms, CMM report, ballooned drawing, cert package, and whether the customer's own form or software (Net-Inspect, for example) is required.
- Ask whether the first article is destructive or must be kept. A part that can't ship is one more part in the lot.
- Outside processes need their certs on Form 2. If the anodizer or heat treater charges for certs, that is a cost too.
What makes FAI cost more
The characteristic count drives most of it. Also watch for:
- Many GD&T callouts with tight tolerances: CMM time per part goes up, and each one needs its datum setup checked.
- Features that need special gauges, thread gauges or surface finish testing.
- Customer-specific forms, or a quality engineer on the customer's side who rejects reports on formatting.
- Sampling plans beyond the first piece (AQL or 100% inspection of key characteristics), which are inspection run time, not FAI.
Assumptions
- • Part: fictional 4 × 3 × 1 in 6061-T6 bracket; 4 × Ø.250 holes at position Ø.005 to A|B|C; 2 tapped 1/4-20 side holes; one pocket; ±0.005 in elsewhere.
- • Engine inspection: 15 min + 0.5 min a hole for the first piece per lot; CMM program 30 min + 2 min a hole, up to 20 holes.
- • AS9102 example times: 45 min forms 1-2, certs and review; per characteristic 0.5 min balloon, 1.5 min measure, 0.5 min record.
- • Aluminum 6061-T6: $9.50/lb for a small lot, falling toward $4.50/lb from about ten full bars; removal rate 1 × 6061-T6.
- • Inspection: $75/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • 3-axis VMC: $95/h, 45 min standard setup (US catalog default, editable).
- • CAM programming: $95/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Markup: 30% on cost; $65 minimum line charge. No freight, tax, certs or expedite.
| Characteristics | Forms 1-2, certs, review (min) | Balloon + measure + record (min) | Total hours | Cost | Price at 30% markup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 45 | 63 | 1.8 | $134.38 | $174.69 |
| 50 | 45 | 125 | 2.8 | $212.50 | $276.25 |
| 100 | 45 | 250 | 4.9 | $368.75 | $479.38 |
| 200 | 45 | 500 | 9.1 | $681.25 | $885.63 |
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.
- First-article and CMM programming minutes are computed by QuotedPart's pricing engine from the stated bracket; the AS9102 minutes per characteristic are example values, not measured averages.
Questions
Is first article inspection included in the part price?
Your own first-piece check should be, and our engine includes it in every lot. A formal AS9102 report is a separate deliverable the customer asked for. Quote it as a line item so it doesn't inflate repeat orders.
How many characteristics does a typical drawing have?
Count them: every dimension, note and callout gets a balloon. Simple brackets have a few dozen; a complex housing can have several hundred. The count, not the part size, sets the cost.
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