Pricing model
What to include in a laser cutting quote
A laser quote should cover more than the sheet of material and the minutes the beam is moving. The safest starting point is a quote floor: the minimum price needed to cover direct cost, setup, machine time, waste, fees and margin.
Worked example
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Material | USD 12 acrylic sheet allocation |
| Waste | 15%, so material becomes USD 13.80 |
| Machine time | 18 minutes at USD 45/hour = USD 13.50 |
| Labor/setup | 30 combined minutes at USD 28/hour = USD 14.00 |
| Consumables | 18 minutes at USD 4/hour = USD 1.20 |
Before margin, that job is already over USD 42. Add a complexity allowance, margin and fees before deciding whether the market price makes sense.
Why fee gross-up matters
If a marketplace or payment processor takes 3%, adding 3% to the price is not quite enough because the fee is charged on the larger final price. The calculator grosses up by dividing the subtotal by 1 - fee rate, so the fee is recovered inside the customer-facing quote.
FAQ
Should I charge by minute?
Minute-based pricing is useful, but incomplete. Small jobs often lose money if setup and design time are not included.
Should waste be included?
Yes. Offcuts, rejected layouts and failed test cuts are real costs even if the final customer only sees the finished part.