CNC quantity break calculator.
Price each quantity as its own lot: the full setup divided by that quantity, plus run time and material, then your margin. In the example below one piece comes to $371.88 and 100 pieces to $47.03 each. Replace its numbers with yours; nothing leaves your browser.
Your numbers, every break at once.
The method from our quantity break guide, one part at a time.
Price per piece, at a 20% margin
- 1 pc
- $371.88
- 5 pcs
- $109.38
- 10 pcs
- $76.56
- 25 pcs
- $56.88
- 50 pcs
- $50.31
- 100 pcs
- $47.03
- One-time charges, billed once
- $250.00
Setup is 88% of the price at 1 piece and 7% at 100 pieces. Below 8 pieces, each piece’s share of setup costs more than its own run time, material and outside processing.
| Quantity | Setup per piece | Run time and material per piece | Unit price | Extended price | Setup share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pc | $328.13 | $43.75 | $371.88 | $371.88 | 88% |
| 5 pcs | $65.63 | $43.75 | $109.38 | $546.90 | 60% |
| 10 pcs | $32.81 | $43.75 | $76.56 | $765.60 | 43% |
| 25 pcs | $13.13 | $43.75 | $56.88 | $1,422.00 | 23% |
| 50 pcs | $6.56 | $43.75 | $50.31 | $2,515.50 | 13% |
| 100 pcs | $3.28 | $43.75 | $47.03 | $4,703.00 | 7% |
| One-time chargesBilled once, whatever the quantity | $250.00 |
How the calculation works
Setup cost = setup hours × shop rate, the same for every quantity. Cost per piece = cycle minutes ÷ 60 × shop rate + material and outside processing. Unit price = (setup cost ÷ quantity + cost per piece) ÷ (1 − margin), rounded to the cent; extended price = unit price × quantity. One-time charges are billed once at the amount entered or, if you spread them, divided by each quantity and added to its unit price. Outside-processing lot minimums and scrap are not included; the quantity break guide shows how to add them. Use one currency throughout, CAD or USD; the arithmetic is the same. The starting figures are an example, not survey data.
Reading the result.
The unit price is what goes on the quote
Each break is priced as if it were the only order you get, so any one of them can be ordered on its own without losing money.
Setup share shows where the price comes from
In the example, setup is 88% of the price at 1 piece and 7% at 100, where run time and material decide the price.
One-time charges stay on their own line
Unless you spread them, tooling, fixtures and NRE are billed once and never change a unit price. Spread them, and every break carries all of them.
Common mistakes.
Scaling one break from another
Borrowing the 100-piece setup share for 10 pieces prices them at $47.03 instead of $76.56 in the example, and loses money on every 10-piece order.
Taking setup once across all breaks
Each break is a separate order that may be the only one you get. Every break has to carry a full setup.
Treating markup as margin
Adding 20% to cost gives a margin of about 16.7%, not 20%. Enter the margin you want as a share of the price.
Questions about quantity breaks.
The method in full: pricing 1, 10 and 100 pieces
How do you price quantity breaks for CNC parts?
Treat each break as its own lot. Divide setup, programming and fixtures by that quantity, add the per-piece material and run time, then apply your margin. Don’t scale one break from another.
Why is one piece so much more expensive than ten?
Because one piece carries the whole setup by itself. Ten pieces share it, so each carries a tenth. The run time and material per piece stay the same.
Should setup be its own line on the quote?
Either works, as long as every order pays for its setup. A separate line is honest and survives a change in quantity; spreading setup is simpler for buyers who compare unit prices.
What if the PO comes in at a quantity I didn’t quote?
Re-price it at the quantity ordered rather than using the nearest break, and say on the quote that prices hold only at the quantities quoted.
Price breaks on a real RFQ.
QuoteSooner prices each quantity side by side from your own rates. Free plan, 5 RFQs a month, no card.