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Machining cost estimator
A ballpark price for a milled or turned part: material, setup, machine time and markup, at your quantity and two bigger breaks. It runs the same pricing engine as QuotedPart, with its default US rates.
Ballpark price at 10 pcs
$68.78 each
$687.80 for the lot · about 11 working days
| Where the price goes | Each | Lot |
|---|---|---|
| Material, Aluminum 6061-T6 | $15.88 | $158.77 |
| Setup and CAM programming | $22.30 | $222.96 |
| Machine time and labor | $14.74 | $147.37 |
| Markup, 30% | $15.87 | $158.70 |
| Price | $68.78 | $687.80 |
Quantity breaks
| Quantity | Each | Lot | Setup share each |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $68.78 | $687.80 | |
| 25 | $50.08 | $1,252.00 | |
| 50 | $40.39 | $2,019.50 |
The routing behind it
| Operation | Setup | Run each | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAM programming, 8 toolpaths | 57 min | 0 min | $95/h |
| Mill, 2 setups | 67.5 min | 7.3 min | $95/h |
| Deburr | 5 min | 2.5 min | $55/h |
| Inspect | 17 min | 0.7 min | $75/h |
Ballpark at default US rates. Sign up to use your own rates.
QuotedPart starts every US shop on these rates and formulas; in the trial you change the rates, the markup and the setup and run formulas, and price real parts from the drawing or STEP file. 14 days free, no card.
Guide
How to quote a machining job
A machining quote adds up a few costs and then a markup. The price for a lot of parts is:
(setup and programming + (material + run time) × quantity + outside processing) × (1 + markup)
Setup and run time are hours times your shop rate for that machine.
- 1
Material
Size the stock: the finished size plus a machining allowance, cut from the bar or plate you buy. Weight times your price per pound, plus any cutting or minimum-buy charge.
- 2
Setup and programming
CAM time, plus setup time for each setup (each side the part is machined from). It is paid once per lot, so quote it per lot and divide by the quantity.
- 3
Run time
Cycle time per part on each machine, plus load and unload, deburr and inspection. Hours times the shop rate of that machine or bench.
- 4
Outside processing
Anodize, plating, heat treat: the vendor's lot charge plus a per-part price, and the days it adds to the lead time.
- 5
Markup and minimum
Add your markup to the cost, and keep a minimum charge per line so a one-off part still pays for the paperwork.
Quote quantity breaks up front
Setup is paid once, so the price per part falls as the lot grows. Quote two or three quantities at once (say 10, 25 and 50). The buyer sees what ordering more saves, and you don't requote when the quantity changes.
Worked example
A 4 × 3 × 1 in block of Aluminum 6061-T6, 4 holes and 1 pocket, machined from 2 sides, 10 pieces, at the default US rates (3-axis mill $95/h, 30% markup):
- Material: $15.88 a part, the stock with machining allowance at Aluminum 6061-T6's price per pound.
- Setup and CAM: 147 min once for the lot, $222.96, or $22.30 a part at 10.
- Run time: about 11 min a part on the mill, the bench and inspection, $14.74 a part.
- Cost $52.91 a part, plus 30% markup: $68.78 each.
At 50 pieces the same $222.96 of setup is spread over 5 times as many parts, $4.46 a part, so the price falls to $40.39 each.
In QuotedPart, the material, setups, holes and pockets come from the STEP file and the PDF drawing, and you can open and change every rate, price and time formula above.
Work out each machine's rate with the machine shop hourly rate calculator, split a cycle into roughing, finishing and holes with the CNC machining time calculator, or keep the same arithmetic in the CNC quote template for Excel. No model? See how to quote a machined part from a drawing.
Next to a spreadsheet
Most shops quote in a spreadsheet
In a CNCCookbook survey, spreadsheets led "by a wide margin", followed by the "eyeball guestimate"1. On Practical Machinist: "Excel or Open Office Calc are what most people use"2, and "there is no software in between spreadsheets and the big players like E2 and JobBoss"3.
What a spreadsheet does well
- It's free, and you already have it.
- It's set up with your own rates and the way you think about a job.
- It does exactly what you tell it, with no new tool to learn.
Keep it for what it's good at: QuotedPart exports quotes and orders as CSV and Excel.
What QuotedPart adds
- Reads the PDF drawing: part number, revision, material, finish, tolerances and notes.
- Measures the STEP model: stock size, holes, pockets, setups and turned features.
- Prices every quantity break, with lower run times on bigger lots.
- Sends a quote page with your logo, or a PDF. The buyer picks a quantity and accepts with a PO.
- Shows when the buyer opened the quote, and keeps won and lost quotes with the reason.
- Finds similar parts you quoted before.
- Every estimator prices from the same rates and formulas.
Free, no account
Send us one part. We'll quote it within 24 hours.
A STEP file or PDF print, priced in QuotedPart and sent back to you with the cost breakdown, so you can compare it with what you'd quote.
Price your real part on your own rates
Upload the drawing or STEP file and change any rate or formula. 14 days free, no card.