3D print bulk order and minimum order quote calculator
Enter what one item costs to make and how long set-up takes to see the price per item at each quantity, and what the minimum order does to small jobs.
Working it out…
How this is worked out
Some of what a batch costs is per item and some is paid once however many you make. The set-up time is paid once, so each extra item carries less of it, and the price per item falls as the order grows. A minimum order sets a floor under the total for small jobs.
Cost of the order = quantity × (cost to make one + hands-on minutes ÷ 60 × hourly rate) + set-up minutes ÷ 60 × hourly rate
Price = cost of the order ÷ (1 − margin)
Order total = the larger of the price and the minimum order
Price each = order total ÷ quantity
Assumptions
- All the figures are examples, not research: cost per item, minutes, hourly rate, margin and minimum order. Replace them with yours.
- Printing more items at once costs the same per item, with no discount from suppliers. If you buy filament cheaper in bulk, lower the cost to make one.
- Prices are before marketplace fees and tax. Set the margin as profit on the price you quote.
- Failed prints are part of the cost to make one. See the failed-print calculator for the allowance.
Questions sellers ask
How do I price a bulk order of 3D prints?
Cost the whole order, not one item: the per-item costs times the quantity plus the set-up once, then divide by one minus your margin. With the example figures, 50 items cost $150.00 to make and set up and are quoted at $5.00 each, $250.00 in all, a 40% margin. One item alone would be $21.33.
Why is the price per item lower for a bigger order?
Because the set-up is paid once. Here it is 30 minutes at $20 an hour, $10.00, which is $10.00 on a single item but $0.20 on each of 50. Offer price breaks at the quantities in the table, and hold the price of one item at the full set-up.
What minimum order should I set?
Set it where a small order still pays for the time it takes to handle. With the example figures a single item comes to $21.33, so a $25 minimum lifts one item to $25.00, while an order of 2 already comes to $26.00. Choose yours from your own costs, since no standard minimum exists for 3D print sellers.
Should I charge extra for rush orders?
Yes if a rush job pushes other work back or means running the printer overnight. Add a percentage to the quote yourself; this tool does not guess one, because there is no published rate for it. Treat it as part of your own policy.