QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does a laser-cut part cost at 1, 10 and 100 pieces?
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A simple laser-cut part costs $73 to $108 for one piece and $5.90 to $11.06 each at 100, at US small-shop rates and a 30% markup. Our engine prices a 6 × 6 in, 1/4 in A36 base plate with four bolt holes at $73.10 for one, $16.55 each at 10 and $10.89 at 100. A 10 × 6 in 16 ga stainless cover is $73.28, $16.72 and $11.06, and an 11 ga steel bracket with one bend $107.58, $15.15 and $5.90. The one-piece price is mostly the laser and bench setup; the bend adds a brake setup of its own.
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The three parts
The cover is a 10 × 6 in panel in 16 ga (0.060 in) 304 stainless with six #10 clearance holes and a 3 × 1.5 in window. The bracket is an 11 ga (0.120 in) cold-rolled steel angle, a 6 × 3 in blank bent 90° into a 4 in leg and a 2 in flange, with four 11/32 in holes. The base plate is 6 × 6 in, 1/4 in A36, with four 9/16 in bolt holes, the kind that gets welded to a post.
All three are cut on a fiber laser at $175 an hour with a 15 minute setup and deburred on the bench. The bracket adds a press brake setup of 23 minutes and 12 seconds per bend.
| Part | Laser min per part | 1 pc | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | Lot of 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cover plate, 16 ga 304 stainless, 10 × 6 in, 6 holes and a window | 1.0 | $73.28 | $16.72 | $11.06 | $1,106.00 |
| Angle bracket, 11 ga CRS, 4 × 3 in leg + 2 in flange, one bend | 0.7 | $107.58 | $15.15 | $5.90 | $590.00 |
| Base plate, 1/4 in A36, 6 × 6 in, 4 bolt holes | 1.2 | $73.10 | $16.55 | $10.89 | $1,089.00 |
Why one piece costs so much more than ten
Cutting the base plate takes 1.2 minutes. Loading the program, the sheet and checking the first part take longer than that, and that setup is the same for one part or a hundred. For one base plate, setup is $48.33 of the $56.23 cost. At 10 it is $4.83 a part, at 100 it is $0.48.
The bracket shows how a second operation compounds it: two setups (laser and brake) cost $79.00 for one bracket, against $0.80 of steel. A tiny part sits right on the $65 line minimum: a 2 × 2 in 14 ga tab with two holes is $65.60 for one and $9.05 each for ten.
Where the base plate's price goes
Material is the stable line: $3.75 of A36 per base plate, the part's share of a nested sheet. Cut time at the laser's hourly rate and bench deburring make up the machine and labor column. No outside process, no galvanizing, no paint.
| Quantity | Material each | Setup + programming each | Machine + labor each | Outside services each | Cost each | Price each (30% markup) | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.75 | $48.33 | $4.15 | $0.00 | $56.23 | $73.10 | 6 |
| 10 | $3.75 | $4.83 | $4.15 | $0.00 | $12.73 | $16.55 | 6 |
| 100 | $3.75 | $0.48 | $4.15 | $0.00 | $8.38 | $10.89 | 6 |
What moves a laser quote
These are the inputs to check on a real RFQ:
- Pierces and cut length. Every hole is a pierce plus its own perimeter. A perforated part with 200 small holes takes many times longer than its outline suggests.
- Thickness. Cut speed drops as plate gets thicker; 1/4 in steel cuts several times slower than 16 ga.
- Material. 304 sheet costs 3.4 times as much as CRS per pound in this catalog; aluminum is light but more expensive per pound.
- Bends, hardware and finish. Each bend setup, PEM insertion and powder coat lot charge is a separate line that dwarfs the cut time on small lots.
- Nesting. A part priced alone carries its share of the sheet; a customer ordering several parts on the same gauge can be nested together, which lowers material and setup per part.
Engine assumptions
- • Parts: fictional; dimensions as listed; edges as cut; bench deburr; no hardware or finish.
- • Laser speed: 137.8 in/min in mild steel up to 14 ga, slower when thicker; 0.03 min a pierce; 0.3 min to load a part.
- • Brake: 20 min setup + 3 min a bend; 0.2 min a bend per part.
- • Stainless 304 sheet: $3.20/lb for a small lot; removal rate 0.75 × 6061-T6.
- • CRS sheet (1008/1010): $0.95/lb for a small lot; removal rate 1 × 6061-T6.
- • Steel A36 plate: $1.10/lb for a small lot; removal rate 1 × 6061-T6.
- • Fiber laser: $175/h, 15 min standard setup (US catalog default, editable).
- • Press brake: $80/h, 20 min standard setup (US catalog default, editable).
- • Deburr / bench: $55/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Markup: 30% on cost; $65 minimum line charge. No freight, tax, certs or expedite.
| Part | Laser min per part | 1 pc | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | Lot of 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cover plate, 16 ga 304 stainless, 10 × 6 in, 6 holes and a window | 1.0 | $73.28 | $16.72 | $11.06 | $1,106.00 |
| Angle bracket, 11 ga CRS, 4 × 3 in leg + 2 in flange, one bend | 0.7 | $107.58 | $15.15 | $5.90 | $590.00 |
| Base plate, 1/4 in A36, 6 × 6 in, 4 bolt holes | 1.2 | $73.10 | $16.55 | $10.89 | $1,089.00 |
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, cut minutes and the cost split are computed by QuotedPart's pricing engine from the stated parts and US catalog defaults.
Questions
What is a fair minimum charge for a laser-cut part?
Our catalog starts at a $65 line minimum, which covers the laser and bench setup on a small part. Below that you're cutting at a loss. Many online cutting services have lower minimums because they nest thousands of customers' parts on one sheet; a job shop can't.
Should I charge per inch or per minute?
Per minute of machine time is more accurate, because pierces, thickness and material all change the speed. A per-inch rate works only within one material and thickness.
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