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Laser cutting cost calculator
Machine time × hourly rate, plus material, waste, setup, minimum order and your margin — the exact model laser shops use to price a cut. Get cost per part and batch total instantly.
- Always set a minimum order. A €0.40 keyring costs you the same setup, focus and handling as a €40 job. A €15–€30 minimum stops small jobs from losing money — set it here and watch the batch total floor.
- Waste is real money. You rarely use 100% of a sheet — offcuts around the parts are scrap you still paid for. 10–20% waste is normal; bump it up for awkward round parts that nest badly.
- Setup drops per part on big runs. The €15 setup on one part is €15; across 100 parts it's €0.15 each. Raise the quantity to see where a run becomes worth it for the customer.
- Rate is cost, not profit. Your €/h should already cover the machine, power, consumables and your time. Put the profit in the margin field so you can see both numbers separately.
How laser shops price a cut
Laser cutting is priced by machine time, not per part — the machine cost is the same whether the shape is a simple circle or an intricate pattern of the same length. The model:
(cut length ÷ speed × passes ÷ 3600) × hourly rate + material + setup = cost, then × (1 + margin), floored at your minimum order.
- Hourly rate — small European CO2 shops charge €40–€90/h; industrial fiber services more. This is the machine + operator, not profit.
- Setup fee — €10–€30 to load the file, place material and focus. Charged once per job; here it's added per part so lower it for big runs.
- Material + waste — your sheet cost split across the parts you get from it, plus the offcut you can't use.
- Minimum order — the floor a job can't go below, so a tiny part still covers your handling.
- Margin — your markup on top. Leave at 0 to see raw cost.
For filled engraving the time comes from area, not length — price that with the engraving time calculator, then feed the minutes in here at your hourly rate.
FAQ
How much does laser cutting cost?
Cost is machine time times an hourly rate, plus material and a setup fee. Machine time is cut length divided by speed times passes. Small European CO2 shops charge roughly €40–€90 per machine hour, with a €10–€30 setup fee and a €15–€30 minimum order. This calculator adds it all up per part and for a batch.
What hourly rate should I charge for laser cutting?
Most small CO2 laser shops in Europe charge €40–€90 per machine hour, covering the machine, electricity, consumables and operator. Fiber metal cutting and industrial services charge more. Set your rate to cover your real running cost plus the margin you want, then let the time-based price follow from it.
Why is setup a flat fee?
Every job needs the file loaded, material placed and the laser focused — that time is the same for one part or a hundred. Charging a flat setup fee (or a minimum order) stops small jobs from losing money. Spread over a big run the per-part setup cost drops toward zero, which is why this calculator lets you set quantity.