What a 3D printing estimate is for
People who order printed parts often know the slicer says a few dollars of plastic and expect to pay about that. A quote that shows the part price next to file prep, a first article, finishing and a setup fee explains where the time goes. It also writes down the material, layer height and tolerance, so the parts that ship match what was agreed.
What to put on a 3D printing estimate
- Each part or design, with quantity.
- Process and material, color and layer height.
- File prep or design time if the file needs work.
- Test print before a run.
- Finishing: supports removed, sanded, primed or painted.
- Setup fee, minimum order and any rush.
- Shipping or pickup.
A worked example
A small electronics maker sends a STEP file for an enclosure and wants one test print, then twenty in black PETG.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model check and slicing | 0.5 | hour | Your price |
| Test print, enclosure | 1 | part | Your price |
| Printed part, FDM, black PETG enclosure | 20 | part | Your price |
| Support removal and light sanding | 2 | hour | Your price |
| Setup fee | 1 | each | Your price |
| Shipping, ground | 1 | each | Your price |
The test print is its own line so the run only starts after the customer checks fit. Note that approval on the job.
Line items 3D print shops use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Printed part, FDM | part | Material, color, layer height and infill. |
| Printed part, resin | part | Resin type, cure and support removal. |
| Material, by weight | lb | For large prints billed on material used. |
| Machine time | hour | Print hours from the slicer, at your machine rate. |
| Model repair or file prep | hour | Fixing a broken mesh, scaling or orienting. |
| Design or CAD modeling | hour | When the customer has an idea, not a file. |
| Test print or first article | part | One part to check fit before the run. |
| Support removal, sanding and finishing | hour | Smooth, primed or painted, said plainly. |
| Laser cut or engrave | part | Material, size and engraving area. |
| Plate run | batch | A full build plate of identical parts. |
| Setup fee | each | File check, slicing and machine setup, once per order. |
| Minimum order | each | Brings a single small part up to the shop minimum. |
| Shipping | each | Carrier and speed, or local pickup. |
Terms and deposit language for 3D printing
- Deposit. For runs and custom design work, ask for a deposit before printing starts, since printed parts are made for one customer.
- Payment. Balance due before shipping or at pickup.
- Warranty. You warrant that parts match the approved file and test print within your stated tolerances. Fit in the customer's assembly, load ratings and heat resistance are the customer's to check.
- Parts are printed from the file the customer approves; errors in a supplied file are the customer's.
- Color and surface finish can vary between material batches.
- Tolerances depend on the process and material and are stated on the quote.
How to fill it in
- Put in your business details once; this browser keeps them for every template.
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Change the line items to fit this job and add your prices.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print to PDF, download Word or CSV, or send it from Koira.
Free tools for 3D printing
The same estimate for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpentry, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, deck, drywall, duct cleaning, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, glass, gutter, handyman, holiday lighting, home inspection, hood cleaning, hvac, insulation, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, masonry, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, powder coating, pressure washing, property maintenance, remodeling, restoration, roofing, security system, septic, siding, sign shop, snow removal, solar, tile, tree service, water treatment, waterproofing, welding, window cleaning, window and door.
More for 3D print shops: how 3D print shops run on Koira.
Shane Allen writes Koira's guides for trade business owners. How we check our numbers.