3D Printing Budget Calculator
Estimate the material, electricity, machine-use and total cost of a 3D print, including an allowance for failed prints and waste.
Overview
This 3D printing budget calculator estimates the likely cost of a single print from its slicer weight, waste allowance, filament price, print time, electricity use and an optional hourly machine-use allowance. It can help you plan a project budget or set a starting point for pricing a print.
How it works
The calculator increases the slicer's filament estimate by your selected waste percentage, then converts that amount to kilograms and multiplies it by the filament price. It estimates electricity use by multiplying printer power in kilowatts by print hours, then applies your electricity rate. Finally, it adds any hourly machine-use cost to the material and electricity costs. This produces an estimated direct cost for one completed print.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter the filament weight estimated by your slicer.
- 2Add a waste allowance for supports, purging and likely failures.
- 3Enter your filament price per kilogram.
- 4Add the estimated print time and average printer power draw.
- 5Enter your electricity rate per kWh and any hourly machine-use allowance.
- 6Review the total budget and cost breakdown.
Example Calculation
Model filament weight
100
Waste and failure allowance
10%
Filament price
$25
Estimated print time
8
Average printer power draw
120
Electricity unit rate
$0
Machine-use cost per hour
$1
Estimated total print cost
$10.94
A 100 g model with a 10% waste allowance uses about 110 g of filament. At these settings, the estimated total print budget is 11.94, including 2.75 for material, 0.19 for electricity and 8.00 for machine use.
Frequently asked questions
What costs does a 3D printing budget include?
This calculator includes filament, estimated electricity and an optional hourly machine-use allowance. You can use the machine-use allowance to account for wear, maintenance and depreciation.
How much waste should I allow for a 3D print?
A modest allowance such as 5% to 15% may suit straightforward prints. More complex jobs with supports, colour changes, purging or a higher risk of failure may need a larger allowance.
How do I find my printer's power consumption?
A plug-in energy monitor gives the most useful real-world average. If you do not have one, use a reasonable average wattage rather than the printer's maximum rated power.
Does slicer filament weight include supports?
Usually, if supports are enabled in the slicer before estimating, its material figure includes them. The waste allowance can still cover brims, purging, calibration and unsuccessful attempts.
Should I include labour in the machine-use rate?
The machine-use rate is intended for printer-related overheads. If you need to charge for design, setup, finishing, packing or delivery, calculate those separately and add them to your final price.
Why is my actual print cost different from the estimate?
Actual costs can differ because print duration, material consumption, electricity use and failed-print rates vary with settings, ambient conditions, filament and printer performance.
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Assumptions and warnings
Assumptions
- Filament price is entered per kilogram and is the same for all material used in the print.
- The waste allowance covers extra material such as supports, brims, purging, test pieces and failed prints.
- Printer power draw is treated as a constant average throughout the estimated print time.
- The machine-use rate is an optional allowance and does not represent a specific repair, labour or shipping cost.
- All results are estimates and exclude post-processing, packaging, design time and taxes unless included in your machine-use rate.
Warnings
- This calculator provides cost estimates only; actual material use, power draw and failure rates can vary by printer, material and print settings.