What should a machine shop charge per hour?
How to work out your own shop rate from your own bills — depreciation, burdened labor, power, overhead and consumables — and why the number moves when the shop is slow.
9 min read
Guides
The questions that come up in shop owner forums every year and never get a straight answer. Written for the person doing the quoting.
How to quote a machining job so it still makes money when it ships
A method for pricing machined parts: material, setup spread across the real lot, cycle time, overhead and margin — plus the mistakes that quietly eat the profit.
11 min read
Estimating software for machine shops: an honest look at the options
What quoting and estimating software actually exists for small machine shops, what it costs, who it fits — and when a spreadsheet is still the right answer.
10 min read
How to quote CNC machining work — from the shop's side of the counter
A practical method for quoting CNC work: reading the print for cost drivers, estimating cycle and setup, pricing material, and the tolerances that quietly double your time.
12 min read
Setup time vs run time: why the difference decides your price
Setup is charged once per lot, run time once per part. Getting the split wrong is why shops lose big orders and take small ones at a loss.
7 min read