Most hobbyists underprice parts by ignoring waste, power and wear. Here's the professional cost formula.

The formula

Part cost = filament cost + waste + power + machine wear + labor + overhead

  1. Filament: grams per part × $/kg. A 50 g PLA part at $20/kg = $1.00
  2. Waste: add 5–15% for failed prints, supports, purges
  3. Power: ~0.1–0.2 kWh per hour × your rate (≈$0.02–0.06/h)
  4. Wear: nozzle, bed, belts — budget 2–4% of part cost
  5. Labor: setup, removal, post-processing — the biggest hidden cost at scale

Quick example

50 g PETG part, 2 h print, 10% waste: filament $1.30 + waste $0.13 + power $0.10 + wear $0.05 + labor $1.00 = $2.58. Sell at 2–3× for retail margin.

Want to sharpen your numbers? Our transparent per-kg pricing removes the guesswork from the biggest line item.