QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-11-03
How much does zinc plating cost?
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For this four-by-three-inch steel part, the clear-zinc allowance is $153.00 per part at one, $15.30 at ten and $1.53 at 100 before shop markup. The example's $150 invoice minimum and 2% fee control small lots. Clear, yellow and black selections share that invoice floor even though their process charges differ.
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Three minima are three different rules
The clear-zinc catalog entry has a $50 process lot charge and prices the part's surface at $1.00 per square foot. Yellow and black each use a $110 lot charge, at $1.10 and $1.40 per square foot. The model prices the part's measured surface, then takes the larger of the piece total and process minimum. Next it applies the $150 invoice minimum and finally the 2% fee.
This is a 4 × 3 × 0.5-inch fictional steel part with no special masking, about 0.22 ft² of surface. A part that has not been measured yet pays the per-part price instead: $1.75 clear, $2 yellow or black. The table is coating only. It does not include making the bracket, transport, baking, dimensional inspection or tax.
| Finish | Qty | Vendor lot | Vendor/part | With 30% markup/part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc plate, clear | 1 | $153.00 | $153.00 | $198.90 |
| Zinc plate, clear | 10 | $153.00 | $15.30 | $19.89 |
| Zinc plate, clear | 100 | $153.00 | $1.53 | $1.99 |
| Zinc plate, yellow chromate | 1 | $153.00 | $153.00 | $198.90 |
| Zinc plate, yellow chromate | 10 | $153.00 | $15.30 | $19.89 |
| Zinc plate, yellow chromate | 100 | $153.00 | $1.53 | $1.99 |
| Zinc plate, black | 1 | $153.00 | $153.00 | $198.90 |
| Zinc plate, black | 10 | $153.00 | $15.30 | $19.89 |
| Zinc plate, black | 100 | $153.00 | $1.53 | $1.99 |
A published finisher card is not this catalog
Premier Metal Processing's published line card lists a $95 clear/gold zinc minimum and a $110 black minimum, with a 12% surcharge. The card is dated January 20, 2025 and was checked October 30, 2026. It illustrates that vendors have their own fee structures; it does not verify this example's $150 invoice minimum or 2% fee.
The final column of the computed table adds a separate 30% shop markup. If a vendor quote is available, replace the whole assumed invoice rule with that quote. Do not combine one vendor's low process minimum with another vendor's lower surcharge and present the result as a real purchasing option.
Specification and handling can exceed the nominal plate charge
Ask for the plating specification, thickness, conversion coating, appearance and documentation requirements. Color alone does not define the complete finish. State which holes and threads may receive deposit, how rack contact is handled and whether a cosmetic surface has an acceptance standard. A batch rejected for missing paperwork can be expensive even when the plate itself is inexpensive.
High-strength material or a customer callout can introduce a baking requirement. Identify and quote the required treatment through the approved process rather than assuming the base plating line covers it. The example makes no claim that a zinc selection satisfies an application's corrosion or embrittlement requirements.
Keep like parts and revisions identified when combining lots. A shared invoice minimum only helps if the finisher actually bills those parts together and the shop can maintain the required separation. For repeat work, retain the vendor quote and actual invoice so the next estimate reflects the charge that was paid, including fees and minimums.
Zinc scenario inputs
- • 4 ×3 ×0.5 in steel part, priced by its surface; quantities1/10/100.
- • Catalog assumptions: clear $50 lot/$1.00 per ft², yellow/black $110 lot/$1.10 and $1.40 per ft²; $150 invoice minimum; 2% fee. These are not the linked vendor's complete prices.
- • Vendor/part shown before markup; last column adds30%. No production, freight, baking, masking, testing or tax.
| Finish | Qty | Vendor lot | Vendor/part | With 30% markup/part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc plate, clear | 1 | $153.00 | $153.00 | $198.90 |
| Zinc plate, clear | 10 | $153.00 | $15.30 | $19.89 |
| Zinc plate, clear | 100 | $153.00 | $1.53 | $1.99 |
| Zinc plate, yellow chromate | 1 | $153.00 | $153.00 | $198.90 |
| Zinc plate, yellow chromate | 10 | $153.00 | $15.30 | $19.89 |
| Zinc plate, yellow chromate | 100 | $153.00 | $1.53 | $1.99 |
| Zinc plate, black | 1 | $153.00 | $153.00 | $198.90 |
| Zinc plate, black | 10 | $153.00 | $15.30 | $19.89 |
| Zinc plate, black | 100 | $153.00 | $1.53 | $1.99 |
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.
- Premier's January 20, 2025 line card lists $95 clear/gold zinc, $110 black zinc minima and a 12% surcharge. — source (checked 2026-10-30)
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