3D Printing Cost Formula
Learn how commercial 3D printing production cost, unit cost, quoted price and estimated gross profit are calculated.
A commercial 3D printing quote starts with the full production cost of an order: material including waste, printer time, labor and other fixed costs. The calculator then adds a chosen markup to estimate a pre-tax quote and per-part selling price.
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Quoted Order Price
Where:
Add every included cost for the order, then increase that total by the selected markup percentage.
Variables Explained
| Variable | What It Means | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| quantity - Quantity | Number of identical parts in the order. | number |
| partWeight - Part weight | Finished weight of one part before support and waste allowance. | weight |
| wasteRate - Material waste and support rate | Allowance for supports, purge material, failed-print allowance and expected loss. | percent |
| materialCostPerKg - Material cost per kilogram | Landed material cost per kilogram. | currency |
| printHours - Machine time per part | Estimated printer operating time required for one part. | hours |
| machineRate - Machine hourly rate | Cost assigned to each hour of printer operation. | currency |
| laborHours - Labor hours per order | Total order-level time for setup, finishing, packing and administration. | hours |
| laborRate - Labor hourly rate | Hourly labor cost used for the order. | currency |
| otherCosts - Other fixed order costs | Included fixed costs such as consumables, packaging or outsourced finishing. | currency |
| markup - Markup on cost | Percentage added to total production cost to set the quoted price. | percent |
Step-by-Step Calculation
Calculate material weight with waste
Multiply finished part weight by quantity, add the waste allowance, and convert grams to kilograms.
materialWeightKg = (partWeight * quantity * (1 + wasteRate / 100)) / 1000
Calculate material cost
Multiply total material weight by the material cost per kilogram.
materialCost = materialWeightKg * materialCostPerKg
Calculate machine cost
Multiply machine time per part by quantity and the machine hourly rate.
machineCost = printHours * quantity * machineRate
Calculate labor cost
Apply the labor rate to total labor hours for the order.
laborCost = laborHours * laborRate
Calculate total production cost
Add material, machine, labor and other included order costs.
totalProductionCost = materialCost + machineCost + laborCost + otherCosts
Calculate unit cost and quote
Spread production cost across the order, then add markup to obtain the estimated quote.
unitCost = totalProductionCost / quantity; quotedPrice = totalProductionCost * (1 + markup / 100)
Worked example: 10-part commercial print order
Material weight
(75 * 10 * (1 + 15 / 100)) / 1000
0.8625 kg
Material cost
0.8625 * 25
$21.56
Machine cost
4 * 10 * 8
$320.00
Labor cost
2 * 30
$60.00
Production cost
21.56 + 320.00 + 60.00 + 20.00
$421.56
Quoted order price
421.56 * (1 + 30 / 100)
$548.03
Quoted unit price
548.03 / 10
$54.80 per part
Final Result
Estimated production cost: $421.56. Estimated quote before tax: $548.03, or $54.80 per part. Estimated gross profit: $126.47.
Assumptions
- ✓Every part in the order has the same weight and machine time.
- ✓The waste rate reasonably represents supports, purge material and expected failed-print material.
- ✓Machine and labor rates include whichever operating costs the business chooses to assign to them.
- ✓Markup is applied to total production cost rather than calculated as a target profit margin.
- ✓Taxes, payment fees and delivery are excluded unless added to other fixed order costs.
Limitations
- !Actual material use can differ because of orientation, supports, infill, calibration and failure rates.
- !Machine time estimates may change after slicing, scheduling or changes to print settings.
- !The calculation does not automatically account for capacity constraints, rush work or customer-specific terms.
- !Estimated gross profit only subtracts the costs entered in the calculator and is not net profit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Entering total order print hours when the field asks for machine time per part, which multiplies time twice.
Using finished part weight without a realistic allowance for supports, purge and failed prints.
Treating markup and profit margin as interchangeable percentages.
Forgetting order-level labor for setup, removal, finishing, inspection, packing or administration.
Leaving packaging, outsourced finishing or other fixed costs out of the estimate.
Related Formulas
Frequently Asked Questions
How is 3D printing material cost calculated?
The calculator multiplies part weight by quantity, increases it by the waste rate, converts the result to kilograms, and multiplies by material cost per kilogram.
How is machine cost calculated for a 3D print?
Machine cost equals machine time per part multiplied by quantity and the selected machine hourly rate.
What is included in total production cost?
It includes material cost, machine cost, labor cost and other fixed order costs entered into the calculator.
How do I calculate 3D printing cost per part?
Divide total production cost by the number of parts in the order. This spreads order-level labor and fixed costs across all parts.
Does a 30% markup create a 30% profit margin?
No. Markup is measured against cost, while profit margin is measured against selling price. A 30% markup produces a lower percentage margin.
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