How much does a 3D print cost?
There is no single price per part. Almost every quote is built from the same five components, and knowing them tells you whether a bid is fair.
Material used
Charged per gram, including supports and the brim. Standard PLA and PETG are cheapest; ASA, nylon and carbon-filled blends cost several times more.
Print time
The biggest factor on most jobs. Time is driven by height, wall count and infill more than by raw volume, so a tall thin part can cost more than a chunky short one.
Machine and material handling
Enclosed printers, dried filament and heated chambers cost the printer more to run, which is why an ABS or nylon job prices above the same shape in PLA.
Post-processing
Support removal, sanding, gluing multi-part models, drilling, threaded inserts and painting are manual labour. Say up front what finish you expect.
Shipping or pickup
Local pickup removes shipping entirely and shortens the loop if something needs a reprint. Search by area to find a printer near you.
Five ways to pay less
- —Hollow it out or lower the infill if the part is not load bearing.
- —Split large models so they fit smaller, cheaper build volumes.
- —Accept a looser tolerance and layer height where it does not matter.
- —Print several copies in one job — setup cost is shared.
- —Leave the deadline generous so printers can fit it around other jobs.
Why bidding matters
One shop gives you one price. Here, several calibrated printers see the same file and mesh analysis and bid against each other, so you can weigh price against rating, tolerance record and distance instead of taking the first number you get.