Custom CNC Machining Cost | Pricing Factors & Guide

At a Glance

Price modelFixed cost ÷ qty + variable cost per part

Quote basisCAD + drawing (no price list)

Largest driverMachining effort: geometry, cycle time, setups

Secondary driversMaterial, tolerance, finish, inspection, lead time

Quantity effectStrongest between 1 and ~100 pcs

Quote outputItemised lines, not one lump sum

Quick Answer

There is no universal price per CNC part. A custom machined part is priced as a fixed job cost divided by the quantity ordered, plus a variable cost per part. The fixed part — programming, setup and often fixturing — does not change with volume. The variable part — material, machine time, tool consumption, finishing, inspection and packaging — is what the part actually costs to make once the job is running.

That is why a simple aluminium plate and a tight-tolerance stainless housing of the same size can differ by a multiple, and why the same part quoted at 1 piece and at 100 pieces is not quoted at the same unit price. Both effects come from the same equation, not from supplier goodwill.

Cost by Part Profile: Where a Part Sits Before You Get a Quote

Before any supplier quotes, an experienced estimator can already place a part in a cost band by reading the drawing. The band is not a price — it is the profile of manufacturing effort the part will demand. Use it to sanity-check the quotes you receive.

Relative budget positions only. They describe the shape of a quote, not a price level — the number comes from the drawing, quantity and specification.

Part profile	Budget position	What puts it there	Volume where the band moves most
Simple aluminium prototype	Lowest	One setup, prismatic features, standard tooling, general tolerance, no secondary operation	1 → 50 pcs (fixed cost dominates)
Standard metal housing or bracket	Low–medium	Two or three setups, pocket depth, tapped holes, one protective finish	10 → 100 pcs
Tight-tolerance stainless part	Medium–high	Slower cutting on work-hardening alloy, controlled datums, CMM verification on critical features	50 → 500 pcs
Complex multi-face 5-axis component	High	CAM complexity, long cycle time, dedicated workholding, fewer setups but more engineering up front	10 → 100 pcs (fixture amortisation)
Titanium, Inconel or PEEK precision part	Highest	Stock price, low material removal rate, tool wear, scrap risk, tighter process control	100 → 1,000 pcs

How Quantity Changes the Price of a Part

Short answer: quantity changes the price because part of a job is fixed. Programming, setup and often a fixture are paid once, then spread across the order. More parts do not make the machine faster or the material cheaper — they only dilute the fixed block.

The arithmetic below is illustrative: it demonstrates how a quote behaves, not a price and not a market average. It assumes a fixed job cost of $240 (programming, setup, fixture) and a variable cost of $28 per part (material, machining, finishing, inspection).

Unit price vs quantity — the shape every quote follows

Where the curve can flatten earlier or later than expected

Effect	What happens to the curve	Reason
Finishing batch minimum	Flattens early, then drops at a step	Anodising or plating is usually priced per batch with a minimum load, not per piece
Material price break	Step down at a specific quantity	Stock is bought in bars, plates or mill lots; the buy quantity changes the stock price
Fixture investment	Higher fixed block, steeper early curve	A dedicated fixture is justified at volume but raises the fixed cost at low volume
Process change at volume	Discontinuity in the curve	High volume may justify a different process — see process choice
Machine capacity	Lead time grows instead of price falling	Once a machine class or a finishing line is saturated, the constraint becomes scheduling, not unit cost

Which Parts of a Quote Are Fixed — and Which Repeat on Reorder

Buyers usually focus on the unit price. Procurement teams that manage cost over a programme focus instead on which lines are one-time and which recur, because that decides the price of every future order.

What Is Included in a Custom CNC Machining Quote?

Short answer: a professional quote is a list, not a number. Nine line items cover the work between receiving your drawing and delivering a conforming part. Being able to see them is what lets you compare two suppliers honestly — and challenge a line you believe is over-scoped.

How the same quote redistributes between 1 piece and 100 pieces

Quote line	What it covers	What makes it bigger	What to ask
Programming / CAM	Toolpath strategy, simulation, post-processing, program proving and first-off checks	Simultaneous 5-axis geometry, complex 3D surfaces, many operations, new geometry with no reusable program	Is programming one-time or repeated per order? Are there previous similar parts the program can be adapted from?
Setup	Workholding plan, part orientation, datum establishment, tool setting, first-off measurement	Number of faces or operations, hard-to-clamp geometry, proving a first article	How many setups are quoted? Can the part be redesigned for fewer faces?
Workholding / fixture	Soft jaws, dedicated fixture, vacuum or magnetic plate, dovetail blank, tombstone	Low volume with high complexity, thin walls needing support, repeatable location requirements	Is the fixture billed once? Does it stay with the part for reorders? Can a standard clamp replace it?
Material	Stock grade, form and size, cut-to-size, buy-to-fly allowance, mill certificate	Alloy choice, oversized stock, non-standard sizes, supplier minimum order quantity, certification level	Which grade and stock form? How much material is bought against finished part weight? Is the certificate included?
Machine time	Cycle time multiplied by the machine-class rate, including tool changes and idling	Feature depth, limited tool access, low removal rate, tolerance-driven re-cutting, finish passes	What is the estimated cycle time and on which machine class? Not just the hourly rate.
Tool consumption	Cutters consumed or worn per part, inserts, special-profile cutters	Titanium and Inconel wear, deep pockets needing long small-diameter tools, small internal radii, hard material	Is tooling amortised inside the unit price or shown separately? Does a radius change reduce it?
Secondary operations	Heat treatment, anodising, plating, passivation, polishing, laser marking, grinding	Required specification, masking complexity, the finisher’s batch minimum, per-piece handling	Who performs the finishing? Is the finisher’s minimum batch charge included? Is masking quoted?
Inspection & documentation	In-process checks, dimensional report, CMM inspection, first-article inspection, material certificate, certificate of conformity	Number of toleranced features, GD&T, documentation level, sampling rate, traceability requirements	Which features appear on the report, at what sampling rate, and what documentation is included as standard?
Packaging & freight	Protective packaging, moisture barrier, custom crates, Incoterm, mode of transport	Part weight and volume, fragile or cosmetic surfaces, protective finish, delivery speed	Which Incoterm is quoted? Is packaging included? What changes if the delivery date moves?

Why the Machine Hourly Rate Does Not Tell You the Part Price

Short answer: a machine-hour rate is one multiplier in one line of the quote. The other multiplier — cycle time — moves far more, and the fixed block moves with the process plan. Two shops can quote the same part with different rates and produce the opposite price ranking.

Illustrative arithmetic again — but the mechanism is real and common: a higher-class machine earns its rate back in cycle time, and sometimes also by removing a setup, a fixture or a secondary operation from the fixed block.

What a machine-hour rate actually contains

What a buyer is actually purchasing is a finished part that meets the drawing: a defined cycle time, a controlled process, verified dimensions and the documentation to prove it. An hourly rate is an input to that, not the product.

What Makes a CNC Part Expensive? Cost Drivers, Ranked

Short answer: eight factors decide most quotes. They are listed below in the order they usually decide the outcome — not in the order buyers usually ask about them.

Why Two Parts of the Same Size Cost Very Differently

Short answer: cost follows manufacturing effort, not physical size. Take two parts with an identical envelope of 100 × 60 × 40 mm and the same nominal weight. The quote can differ by a multiple, because almost everything that costs money is different.

Variable	Part A	Part B
Material	6061-T6 aluminium	316L stainless steel
Geometry	One open pocket, four through holes	Two deep narrow cavities, 2 mm walls, an undercut, twelve toleranced characteristics
Tolerance	±0.1 mm general	±0.01 mm on two bores, position tolerance on a hole pattern
Process	3-axis milling, one setup	5-axis milling, contoured surfaces, one datum
Tooling	Three standard end mills	Long small-diameter tools, a special-profile cutter, accelerated wear
Finish	As machined, deburred	Passivation plus a controlled finish on the sealing face
Inspection	Visual and caliper check	CMM dimensional report on the toleranced characteristics
Result	Low effort — low band	High effort — high band

Same envelope, different manufacturing effort

How Design Features Move the Price

The features below are the ones that most often decide a quote. Each row states which direction the cost moves and the mechanism behind it — the mechanism is what you can act on.

Design feature	Cost effect	Mechanism
Tolerance tighter than the function needs	↑	Slower finishing passes, more in-process measurement, more scrap risk, CMM verification
Deep pocket or deep cavity	↑	Longer tools with reduced stiffness, smaller radial engagement, slower cutting, more chatter risk
Thin wall	↑	Cutting parameters must be reduced to control deflection and distortion; support may be needed
Small internal radius	↑	Forces a smaller cutter, which needs more passes at lower feed to remove the same volume
Undercut or reverse-angle feature	↑	Special tooling, an extra operation, or an extra setup to reach the feature
Many faces requiring machining	↑	Additional setups, each with its own datum transfer, clamp time and stack-up risk
Complex 3D contour or blended surface	↑	CAM programming time and machine time both increase; usually needs simultaneous multi-axis
Large material removal from a solid block	↑	Long roughing cycles plus the material bought and turned into chips (buy-to-fly ratio)
Unspecified critical feature	↑	Ambiguity forces the supplier to protect itself — usually by quoting the tighter interpretation or an inspection step
Standard hole and thread sizes only	↓	Standard drills, taps and reamers are on the shelf; no special tooling and no extra setup
Generous internal radii	↓	A larger cutter can be used, with fewer passes and better rigidity
Features on common faces or one datum	↓	Fewer setups, no datum transfer, less handling and less stack-up error
Geometry that suits standard stock	↓	Less material bought, less roughing, less waste — and often a cheaper stock form
Tolerance applied only to critical characteristics	↓	General tolerance everywhere else; process control and inspection effort stay concentrated

How Tolerance and GD&T Affect the Price

Short answer: tolerance is priced per characteristic, not per part. A part with two toleranced features and a part with twenty toleranced features are different jobs, even when they look similar on a drawing.

Relative positions, not price levels. The achievable figure also depends on part size, wall thickness, material and whether the feature is a bore, a face or a distance between features.

Requirement	Relative cost position	Typical application
General tolerance (e.g. ISO 2768-m)	Lowest	Non-functional dimensions, cosmetic and clearance features
±0.05 mm	Low–moderate	Mating faces, general fits, most housings
±0.02 mm	Moderate	Precision fits, bearing seats on smaller geometries
±0.01 mm	Higher	Critical bores, locating features, mating accuracy
±0.005 mm on qualified features	Highest	Selected characteristics only, verified on a CMM under controlled conditions

How Surface Finish and Secondary Operations Affect the Price

Short answer: finishing is a second manufacturing operation, not a cosmetic extra. At low volume the batch minimum and the masking usually cost more than the finish layer itself.

Operation	What it does	Where the cost comes from
Deburring	Removes sharp edges and machining burrs	Hand or robotic time; edge quality specification drives the method
Vibratory or bead-blast finishing	Uniform matte texture, blended tool marks	Batch processing time; masking of protected faces
Brushing / satin grain	Directional cosmetic finish on visible faces	Hand finishing time; consistency across a batch
Anodising (Type II / Type III)	Corrosion and wear protection on aluminium, colour options	Per-batch load with a minimum charge, racking, masking of threads and bores, dimensional growth allowance
Passivation	Removes free iron from stainless surfaces	Batch chemistry; a specification requirement, not usually a large per-part cost
Plating (electroless nickel, zinc, chrome)	Wear, corrosion or conductivity	Per-part handling and racking, thickness control, masking, more controlled dimensional change
Powder coating / painting	Cosmetic and protective coating	Surface prep, masking, cure cycle, cosmetic acceptance criteria
Polishing	Low roughness on specified surfaces	Direct hand or mechanical time per part; hard to scale with volume
Heat treatment	Hardness, stress relief, condition change	Outside process batch minimum; distortion control and post-treatment machining if required
Laser marking / engraving	Part numbers, traceability, branding	Per-part laser time, artwork setup and position tolerance

How Inspection and Documentation Affect the Price

Short answer: inspection scope is a decision the buyer makes, and it is quoted. The governing rule is that the measurement method must match the tolerance being claimed — a caliper cannot verify a ±0.005 mm characteristic.

Level	What is verified	Cost mechanism
Operator in-process check	Dimensions checked during the run against the drawing	Absorbed into machining time; no formal report
Final manual inspection	Nominal dimensions with calipers, micrometers, bore gauges, thread gauges	Per-part or sampled measurement time, recorded on a dimensional report
Surface roughness check	Ra on specified surfaces	Roughness tester time plus potential re-work on rejected surfaces
CMM dimensional report	Toleranced and geometric characteristics against the drawing and datum frame	Programming or recalling the measurement program, part setup, run time, report preparation — per part or per sampling interval
First-article inspection (e.g. AS9102)	Every characteristic on a new part, with a documented form	A one-time engineering and metrology effort on the first part, proportional to the number of characteristics
Material certification	Grade, condition and heat/lot traceability	Mill certificate administration per material lot
Certificate of conformity	Statement that the parts meet the drawing and specification	Documentation and quality sign-off time

How Lead Time Affects the Price

Short answer: a normal schedule uses the shop’s existing sequence. A compressed schedule makes the shop break that sequence, and breaking it costs money in four places.

How Material Choice Affects the Price

Short answer: material cost has five layers, and only the first one is the price per kilogram. A cheap alloy that machines slowly can produce a more expensive part than an expensive alloy that cuts cleanly.

Qualitative comparison only. Grade and stock form are confirmed per order. Grades and stock forms stocked in-house are listed on the CNC machining materials and capabilities page.

Material	Machinability	Stock price	Where the cost comes from
Aluminium 6061-T6	High	Low	Fast cutting and low tool wear — the cost-effective default for housings, brackets and plates
Aluminium 7075-T6	Good	Higher than 6061	Higher strength properties and a higher stock price; still efficient to machine
Stainless 304 / 316L	Lower than aluminium	Moderate	Work-hardening behaviour, slower feeds and greater tool wear
Brass	High	Moderate	Excellent cutting behaviour; cost sits mostly in the material
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V	Demanding	High	Stock price plus low removal rates, heat concentration at the edge and tool wear — see Ti-6Al-4V machining
Inconel and nickel alloys	Demanding	High	Tool wear, low cutting speeds and a narrow process window
Engineering plastics (PEEK, POM, PA)	Grade-dependent	Low to premium	Material price varies widely by grade; stress relief and thermal control matter

Material-specific cost behaviour is covered in more depth on the alloy pages, for example 7075-T6 aluminium machining and the Grade 5 titanium page.

Does 5-Axis CNC Machining Cost More?

Short answer: the machine class generally carries a higher rate, but the total part cost depends on whether the extra axis removes other cost — setups, fixtures, repositioning, secondary operations, scrap and handling.

Where it does not pay: simple prismatic parts with all features on one or two faces, single-face work, and volumes where a dedicated fixture on a 3-axis machine or a turning centre already produces the part efficiently. For those jobs a 5-axis rate is simply a higher rate.

Choose the process by total manufacturing effort, not by the hourly rate. The same logic is developed further in 5-axis vs 3-axis machining.

Process	Typical use	Cost logic
3-axis milling	Prismatic parts, plates, brackets, housings	Lowest machine class; cost is driven by the number of setups and the pocket depth
4-axis / 3+2 indexed	Multi-side features on a single part	Removes repositioning between faces; a middle step between 3-axis and simultaneous 5-axis
Simultaneous 5-axis	Contoured surfaces, multi-face features, deep angled features	Higher rate, but can remove setups, special tooling and secondary operations on suitable parts
CNC turning	Shafts, bushings, round and rotationally symmetric parts	Efficient for rotational geometry; usually the lowest-cost route for round work
Mill-turn	Complex rotational parts with milled features	Combines operations in one platform; avoids a second setup and re-datum
Swiss-type turning	Small, slender, high-precision parts	Efficient for the right geometry at volume; poor fit for large parts
EDM / wire EDM	Sharp internal corners, hardened material, fine profiles	A secondary or special process; slow per part but removes operations milling cannot reach

How Much Does CNC Machining Cost in China?

Short answer: the question has no single number, for the same reason it has none anywhere else — but the cost structure is different, and that is what a buyer can actually evaluate. Rather than accepting or rejecting a country-level claim, price the stack below and check each element.

Cost element	What it consists of	What a buyer should check
Manufacturing	Machine time, labour, tooling, programming, setup and fixture	Cycle time estimate, machine class, how many setups, whether the fixture is billed once
Material	Grade, stock form, buy quantity, certification	Which grade and stock form, whether the mill certificate is included, how much is bought against finished weight
Finishing	Anodising, plating, passivation, coating, heat treatment	In-house or subcontracted, batch minimum, masking, dimensional allowances
Inspection	In-process checks, CMM report, first-article inspection, certificates	Which characteristics, sampling rate, documentation level
Packaging	Protection, moisture barrier, crates, labelling	Whether packaging is included and whether it protects a finished surface
Freight	Mode, weight and volume, transit time	Which Incoterm, and what the cost is to your door rather than to the port
Duty and taxes	Import duty, VAT or sales tax, clearance and brokerage	The applicable rate for the HS code and origin, and who handles clearance
Risk	Rework, replacement, expediting, production downtime	How non-conformance is handled, and what a replacement batch costs in time

China is often cost-competitive on the manufacturing element for structural reasons rather than a single rate difference: a deep local supply chain for stock, tooling, fasteners and finishing vendors; a high density of machining capacity that keeps utilisation high; and factories that integrate several processes under one quality system, which removes hand-offs between suppliers.

Machining Price vs Total Landed Cost

Short answer: a unit price is a line, not a total. The number that affects your programme is what a conforming part costs delivered, including everything you paid to have it available for assembly.

Cost that competes with a cheaper quote	How it appears
Rework or replacement batch	Second production run, second freight charge, second inspection, and the schedule lost while it happens
Receiving inspection	Your own inspection effort because the documentation does not let you accept the batch on paper
Engineering time	Drawing clarifications, non-conformance reports and corrective-action follow-up
Expedited freight	Air freight on the replacement batch, plus expedited handling and clearance
Production disruption	Line downtime, rescheduling, or short-shipping to a customer

Why Do Two Suppliers Quote Different Prices?

Short answer: usually because the two quotes are not for the same thing. Price differences come from scope and assumptions far more often than from efficiency.

Illustrative comparison to show the method, not a real quotation set. The index compares the three unit prices with each other only.

Scope item	Supplier A	Supplier B	Supplier C
Unit price index (lowest = 100)	100	128	165
Material grade stated	—	✓	✓
Mill certificate included	—	✓	✓
Setup count stated	—	✓	✓
Fixture billed once, stated	?	✓	✓
Surface finish included	?	✓	✓
CMM report	—	—	✓
Packaging included	?	✓	✓
Freight	Excluded	Included	Included
Quoted lead time	5 working days	12 working days	10 working days

Read the table as a buyer: A is cheapest and states the least, so its price cannot yet be compared with the others; C is the most expensive and is the only one that includes CMM verification. The honest comparison is A’s price after you have forced it to state the same scope as B and C — not A’s price as written.

How to Compare CNC Quotes on an Equal Basis

Short answer: standardise the request, then compare. Two quotes built from different inputs produce a price difference that means nothing.

How to Reduce CNC Cost Without Compromising Function

Short answer: the recoverable cost is in the specification, not in the supplier’s margin. Seven areas carry almost all of it.

Design

• Use standard internal radii that match an available cutter instead of a nominal small radius.
• Remove pockets and cavities that add cycle time without adding function.
• Avoid walls thinner than the function needs; thin walls force reduced cutting parameters.
• Keep as many features as possible on the faces that a single setup can reach.

Specification

• Tolerance only the characteristics that function requires; use a general tolerance for the rest.
• Mark reference-only dimensions so they are not priced as controlled features.
• State the finish on the surfaces that need it, with the acceptance method.

Material

• Choose the alloy the application requires, then check whether one grade lower meets the same requirement.
• Match the stock form to the part: near-net stock reduces both the material bought and the roughing cycle.
• Confirm the condition you need (as-supplied, heat-treated, stress-relieved) instead of assuming it.

Process

• Use 3-axis where the geometry allows it; use multi-axis where it removes setups.
• Reduce the number of setups before negotiating the rate.
• Remove secondary operations by designing the feature so the primary process can produce it.

Quantity

• Request several quantity breaks on the same drawing and read the real curve.
• Validate at low volume, then order at the break where the fixed cost is no longer material.
• Consolidate similar parts so one setup and one fixture serve a family.

Finish

• Specify the finish the application needs rather than the best available one.
• Finish the visible or functional surfaces only; mask the rest.
• Check the finisher’s batch minimum before choosing a finish at low volume.

Inspection

• Inspect the critical characteristics, not every dimension.
• Use sampling at volume where the process is proven, instead of 100% inspection.
• Match the method to the tolerance: a CMM is not needed to confirm a general tolerance.

Which Cost-Cutting Changes Are Safe — and Which Are Not

Not every saving is free. The table below separates engineering changes that are normally reviewable from those that move function, safety or compliance risk onto your product.

Cost-reduction change	Usually reviewable?	Risk
Relax tolerance on non-functional dimensions	Yes	Low, provided the function is genuinely unaffected and interfaces stay controlled
Increase non-functional internal radii	Yes	Low; check it does not reduce a section that carries load
Use standard tooling and standard hole sizes	Yes	Low; confirm the mating part accepts the standard size
Increase the order quantity	Yes	Commercial, not technical; inventory and obsolescence risk sit with you
Remove a cosmetic finish from hidden surfaces	Yes	Low if the surface is not exposed to corrosion, wear or cleaning
Consolidate similar parts into one setup and fixture	Yes	Low; requires the parts to share datums and material
Change the material grade	Review	Functional: strength, corrosion, temperature, weight and coating compatibility all change together
Reduce the inspection scope	Review	Quality: less evidence per batch, and defects surface later at a higher cost
Reduce wall thickness	Review	Structural: stiffness, fatigue behaviour and distortion in machining can all change
Remove a tolerance from a functional characteristic	No	Function and fit may fail in assembly or in service
Substitute a grade with different properties	No	May break interchangeability, strength or regulatory compliance (for example medical or pressure applications)
Remove a surface treatment required by the environment or a standard	No	Corrosion, wear or compliance failure that appears after the parts are in service

Is CNC the Most Cost-Effective Process for Your Volume?

Short answer: CNC wins where precision, low-to-medium volume and material properties matter. Tooling-based processes win at volume, once the tooling investment is spread across enough parts.

Situation	Process to evaluate	Reasoning
1 to a few hundred complex metal parts	CNC machining	No tooling investment, geometry freedom, material properties retained from solid stock
Plastic prototypes and low-volume plastic parts	CNC or 3D printing	Both avoid mould cost; the choice turns on surface finish, mechanical properties and how many parts are needed
High-volume plastic parts	Injection moulding	Adds mould investment but reduces piece cost; the break-even sits where the tooling cost is recovered by the piece-cost saving
High-volume metal parts	Die casting or forging, then machining	Tooling-driven piece cost; near-net form also cuts machining time for critical features
Repeated flat and formed parts	Sheet metal, stamping	Fast per piece at volume; tolerances and material thickness limits decide suitability
Extremely complex internal geometry	Additive manufacturing or EDM	Reaches features that no cutter can enter; compare against the cost of redesigning the feature for milling
Large or simple rotational parts	CNC turning	Efficient use of machine time for round geometry

The comparison is not CNC against “cheaper” processes; it is the total cost of the process plan, including tooling, secondary operations, lead time and quality risk. More on that comparison is available in the CNC and additive manufacturing guide.

Worked Cost Structures: Four Part Profiles

These four profiles show how a quote is constructed for different part types. They describe cost structure and what drives it. Goldcattle does not publish a price list for custom parts, because the price is a function of your drawing, quantity and specification — the structure is what transfers between projects.

Before You Accept a CNC Quote: 12 Items to Check

Run this list against any quotation before releasing the order. Each item is a place where the price can move after you commit, or where two quotes quietly stop being comparable.

• Material grade and condition stated
• Stock form and buy-to-fly assumption stated
• Quantity and any price-break logic defined
• Number of setups stated
• Fixture and tooling billed once or per order — stated
• Critical characteristics identified, and general tolerance for the rest
• Surface finish extent and acceptance method defined
• Heat treatment or coating requirement and process specified
• Inspection level, sampling rate and report format defined
• Documentation list agreed (material certificate, certificate of conformity, first-article inspection)
• Packaging requirement and Incoterm stated
• Lead time in working days, with its start point, and price validity stated

Direct Answers to the Questions Buyers Actually Ask

Short, self-contained answers — written so they can be quoted directly.

What to Send for an Accurate Quote

The more complete the package, the less the quote can move later. The first six items are the minimum for a firm price; the rest reduce risk and shorten the review.

Item	Why it changes the price
3D CAD model (STEP, IGES or native)	Geometry and machinability analysis, CAM programming, stock selection
2D drawing with dimensions and GD&T	Defines which characteristics are controlled and how they will be verified
Material grade and condition	Stock price, machinability, cutting strategy and certification
Quantity, plus expected annual volume	Fixed-cost allocation and process planning for repeat production
Critical tolerances and datum requirements	Sets finishing strategy, setups and inspection method
Surface finish specification and extent	Adds a secondary operation with its own batch minimum and masking
Heat treatment or coating requirements	Outside process, dimensional allowances and distortion control
Inspection and documentation requirements	Defines report scope, sampling and whether first-article inspection is needed
Application, service environment and interfaces	Lets the supplier question an over- or under-specified requirement before quoting
Target delivery date and delivery terms	Determines scheduling and any expediting cost

Goldcattle reviews the drawing, proposes design-for-manufacture changes where they reduce cost without affecting function, and returns an itemised, project-specific quotation. Files are handled under NDA on request.

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Founded in 1998, Xiamen Goldcattle Plastic & Metal Products Co., Ltd. is the custom manufacturer behind this content. Technical review is by the Goldcattle CNC engineering team. This page describes standard costing practice for custom machined parts; the governing document for any order is the drawing, specification and agreed quotation. Confirm the material grade, tolerance, finishing and inspection scope per project.