Material
Filament or resin consumed, with realistic allowances for supports, purge and waste.
Practical guide · Costing
What does a 3D print cost? Make the estimate transparent.
A fair selling price is not just filament weight. Machine time, setup, finishing, failure risk and shipping may all affect the job. The key is to make your assumptions visible and compare them with completed work.
Common cost components
Machine time
Print time valued at a rate that accounts for electricity, maintenance, depreciation and capacity used.
Labour and setup
Review, preparation, support removal, cleaning, quality checks and packing.
Job risk
Failed prints, reprints and unproductive machine time. Use evidence from your own operation rather than a vague blanket buffer.
A simple hypothetical example
This is only a worked arithmetic example—not a market price and not Polyquote's calculation formula. Replace the rates with your own machine and business costs.
| Material | 42 g × EUR 0.025/g | EUR 1.05 |
|---|---|---|
| Machine time | 3.5 h × EUR 1.20/h | EUR 4.20 |
| Setup and inspection | 0.5 h × EUR 24/h | EUR 12.00 |
| Finishing and packing | chosen flat allowance | EUR 2.00 |
| Subtotal | before risk, margin, tax and shipping | EUR 19.25 |
The calculation logic
Start by adding expected direct costs: material quantity × material rate, machine hours × machine-hour rate, plus setup, inspection, finishing and packing. Then account for business overhead and margin. Handle tax, shipping, minimum order values and any risk allowance according to your business, and explain them clearly in the quote.
The example totals EUR 1.05 + 4.20 + 12.00 + 2.00 = EUR 19.25 before overhead, margin, tax, shipping and risk. It only demonstrates how the line items add up; the rates are not recommendations and vary with material, equipment, utilisation and workflow.
These illustrative inputs are not a recommended market rate. Add your business margin, failed-print policy, taxes and shipping based on your own business model.
Where does an online calculator fit?
A website calculator can structure repeatable inputs and produce an initial cost estimate from model and production data. It cannot know every detail: material availability, surface finish, tolerances, deadline and individual quality checks may require manual adjustment.
Polyquote therefore presents a non-binding cost estimate and lets the provider review a request first. Customer contact details and original CAD are released only after internal approval; the binding offer and contract remain with the business.
Improve your costing model
- Measure material use and actual machine time for representative jobs.
- Separate variable expenses from setup and overhead.
- Compare each estimate with actual effort after the job is complete.
- Update material, energy and machine rates when your costs change.
Next: Polyquote for print services · current pricing and invoicing.