CNC Machining Cost Calculator
A planning-stage estimator for machined parts. Set the basics below and get an indicative per-part range in seconds — no email gate, no download. When the drawing is ready, send it for a real, itemised quote.
Your Part
Rough numbers are fine — this is for budgeting, not for the shop floor.
Indicative Cost
Per-part, planning estimate. Not a quote.
Estimated from current shop rates. Shipping, tariffs and special tooling are excluded.
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How the Estimate Is Built
The calculator splits cost the same way a real quote is built — into machine time, setup, material and finish. Knowing the split is more useful than the headline number, because it tells you where to push if the budget is tight. What we don't publish is the shop's internal rates: the lines show your part's composition, not our rate card.
- Machine time scales with part size and complexity, and carries a tolerance penalty (tighter bands mean slower, more careful passes). It already includes the fixturing, tool-change and allowance time a real cycle carries.
- Setup & programming is amortised across the batch. It dominates at low quantity and nearly disappears across a run — this is the single biggest lever on prototype cost, which is why the per-part price steps down as quantity climbs.
- Material reflects both stock price and how much the grade fights the cutter, plus the stock lost as chips (steel and aluminium waste less than stainless and titanium). Titanium and PEEK sit at the top; aluminium at the bottom.
- Finish is mostly subcontracted (anodising, coating, plating) and adds a roughly fixed per-part charge.
For the full arithmetic behind these lines, see how CNC machining cost is calculated, and for the design-side levers read twelve ways to cut machining cost.
What This Calculator Can't See
Real geometry
Two parts the same size can differ 10x in cycle time. Deep pockets, thin walls, long reaches and awkward angles only show up in the CAD file.
Fixturing
An odd shape may need a custom fixture or a 5-axis setup. That changes both setup cost and how many faces you get in one hold.
Inspection
Tight tolerances on critical features mean CMM time and a documented report — cheap to ignore in a budget, expensive to skip in production.
Special tooling
Unusual threads, internal splines or very small diameters can need dedicated tooling that the estimator can't know about.
The range above is deliberately wide. If your number looks high, the fastest fixes are almost always fewer setups and a looser tolerance where the function allows — covered in our CNC machining design guide.
Cost Calculator Questions
How accurate is this CNC cost calculator?
Why does quantity change the price so much?
Does ordering more always get cheaper per part?
Why is titanium so much more expensive than aluminium?
How is CNC machining cost calculated?
Why do two shops quote the same part differently?
How can I reduce my CNC machining cost?
What tolerance is included without extra cost?
Cite this page
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From estimate to real number
Send the drawing and we'll quote it itemised — material, machining, setup, inspection and finishing as separate lines. If something in the design is driving cost without adding function, we'll flag it in the quote.
Related: CNC machining in China — sourcing from a vetted Shenzhen supplier