A 3D print quote template that adds up

The five lines a quote needs

1. Material. Weight × price per kilogram, with the failure buffer applied — not the spool price.
2. Machine time. Hours × cost per machine hour, which is purchase price divided by rated life plus maintenance.
3. Labour. Minutes × your hourly rate. The line most quotes forget, and the one that decides whether a small order is worth taking.
4. Margin. Applied to the cost, not added as a percentage of the price. Cost ÷ (1 − margin) is the only version that survives arithmetic.
5. Terms. Lead time in days and a deposit. A quote without a date is an invitation to argue about one later.

Fill it in

The sheet below is live. Change a field and the quote updates; with JavaScript off you see the worked default, which is still printable.

What goes in the description line

Name the part, the material and the finish, because that is what the customer will compare against the thing that arrives: "cable management bracket, PETG, 0.2 mm layers, matte" is checkable. "3D printed part" is an argument waiting to happen. If the model came from the customer, say so and say who owns the file afterwards — a quote that does not settle ownership becomes a dispute about reprints.

Quote the quantity you can actually deliver. If a customer asks for forty and your week holds twelve, quote twelve at one price and forty at another with a stated lead time; the print-time numbers are what makes that honest rather than optimistic.

Three terms that avoid the awkward conversation

Validity. Thirty days, in writing. Filament prices move and so does your queue. A quote with no expiry is a fixed-price option the customer holds for free.

What is not included. Shipping, tax, design work and post-processing beyond the stated finish. Each of those is a line you would rather add now than argue about on delivery.

Remedies. If a part arrives damaged, replace it — but say so. A one-line replacement policy costs less than a review, and it makes the deposit conversation easier because the customer can see what happens if something goes wrong.

Payment terms that survive a late payer

A 50% deposit is not distrust; it is the difference between a customer who changes their mind and a job you funded. The balance before dispatch keeps the part as leverage. Fourteen days is enough for a business customer and short enough to matter; 2% a month is a common commercial rate and easy to explain.

Put the revision limit in writing. "One revision included" is the sentence that stops a bracket becoming three brackets and a phone call about a design you did not agree to make.

Lead time is capacity, not optimism

A 100 g part is 4.8 machine hours on the model used here, so a five-day lead time at 4 parts a week is honest for a single printer and a fantasy for a queue of forty. The print-time guide has the numbers per part class; if you are buying a machine to shorten the queue, the printer tiers page prices the hours.

Frequently asked questions