A 3D print bill looks simple until you peel it open. Material grabs the spotlight, but it is rarely half the story. Break your costs into six buckets and watch your margins breathe. Material covers filament or resin by weight—easy to track, easy to optimize. Machine time includes depreciation, electricity, and maintenance per hour; this is where build speed and layer height make or break your price. Labor splits into pre-print setup, in-process monitoring, and post-print cleanup—most shops underestimate the last one by half.
Then come the hidden three. Post-processing—sanding, curing, painting—can swallow 30% of your labor budget. Quality control—dimensional checks, visual inspection, rework—protects your reputation but hits your clock. Overhead—rent, software, admin—spreads across every job whether you print one part or one hundred. Map these six lines on every quote. Your clients see value. Your team sees leaks. And your CFO sees numbers that actually add up.
FAQ
Q: What percentage should material typically represent in a healthy quote?
A: 15% to 25% for service bureaus, up to 40% for high-end engineering resins or metals. If material creeps past 50%, check your machine utilization—you are likely undercharging for time.
Q: How do I allocate overhead fairly between a $50 prototype and a $5,000 production run?
A: Use time-based allocation for small jobs, revenue-based for large ones. A quick phone stand takes two hours; spread overhead by hour. A thousand-unit mold job runs three weeks; spread by dollar value to keep big clients from subsidizing small fry.
Q: Is post-processing always a separate line item?
A: Quote it separately for visibility, but bundle it for speed on repeat orders. First-time clients need to see the work involved. Regulars just want the bottom line. Build both options into your template.
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