CNC Machining Cost: What to Expect in 2026
A practical breakdown of how CNC shops price parts, what factors drive cost up or down, and how to get better pricing without sacrificing quality. Based on real projects, not theory.
The short version: a simple aluminium bracket, 100×50×10mm, ±0.1mm tolerance, 100 pieces — expect between $8 and $18 per part. The same bracket in stainless, ±0.01mm tolerance, 10 pieces — $35 to $60 per part.
But those ranges are wide, and the difference between the low end and the high end comes down to factors most buyers don't realise they're negotiating. Here's the breakdown.
What You're Actually Paying For
Material (15-25% of total). 6061-T6 aluminium: cheap. Ti 6Al-4V: not cheap. Inconel 718: expensive. If your material cost seems high, ask if the shop is factoring in scrap allowance. A good shop buys near-net stock and minimises waste. A bad shop buys oversize bar stock and charges you for the chips.
Setup (20-35% of total). This is the killer on small runs. Every job needs CAM programming, tooling selection, fixturing, and first article inspection. For a 10-piece run, setup cost dominates. For a 1,000-piece run, it's diluted. This is why per-part price drops so dramatically with quantity.
Cycle time (25-40% of total). Five-axis machining costs more per hour than three-axis because the machine is more expensive to own and maintain. Simple geometry on a 3-axis Haas: ~$75/hr. Complex 5-axis on a DMG MORI: ~$150/hr. If you can design for 3-axis, you save money.
Tolerance (5-15% of total). Going from ±0.1mm to ±0.005mm adds cost — not because the machine can't do it, but because it requires slower feeds, extra inspection passes, and often CMM verification. Every tight tolerance is a potential bottleneck.
Finishing & secondary ops (5-20% of total). Anodize, passivate, plating, marking, assembly — each adds a vendor step, handling, and paperwork.
Quality documentation. CMM reports, material certs, CoCs — each takes time. A full PPAP Level 3 package can add $500-2,000 to the job. If your buyer accepts a simplified cert package, ask for it.
Price Ranges by Part Type (100-piece qty)
| Part Type | Aluminium | Steel | Stainless | Titanium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple bracket, 50×50×10 | $8-14 | $12-20 | $15-25 | $35-55 |
| Shaft, Ø25×150mm | $10-18 | $15-22 | $18-28 | $40-65 |
| Complex housing, 200×150×80 | $30-55 | $45-75 | $55-90 | $100-180 |
| 5-axis impeller, Ø100mm | $80-150 | N/A | $120-200 | $180-350 |
Ranges assume ±0.1mm tolerances, as-machined finish, standard grades. Tight tolerances and special finishes add to the upper end of each range.
How to Get Better Pricing
- Consolidate multiple parts into one order. One setup covers many features.
- Design for standard tool sizes. Avoid custom form tools.
- Only specify tolerances you actually need. Every tight callout costs.
- Use common materials: 6061-T6, 304 SS, 4140. Exotics add lead time and cost.
- Order more at once. Setup cost is the same for 10 as for 100.
- Remove unnecessary surface finish requirements on non-critical faces.
Custom CNC parts cost more per piece than catalogue parts, but you get exactly what you need. That's the trade-off. And if you're comparing quotes between shops, remember: the cheapest quote isn't always the best value. A shop that charges 20% more but delivers on time, with proper documentation, and without rework, is actually cheaper in total cost.
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Where the money actually goes
Material is usually 10–20% of a machined part cost. The rest is machine time, setup, tooling and inspection. A simple aluminium bracket, 100×50×10 mm, ±0.1 mm, quantity 100 — $8 to $18 a piece. Same bracket in stainless at ±0.01 mm, quantity 10 — $35 to $60. The difference is not material; it is the machine time the tolerance buys you and the inspection strategy the drawing demands.
Setup cost is the hidden line item. A part that machines in 12 minutes still carries the setup — programming, fixturing, first-article inspection — divided across the batch. That is why one-off parts are expensive per piece and why quantity 100 of the same part drops the unit price by half.
The tolerance multiplier nobody budgets for
Dropping from ±0.1 mm to ±0.01 mm typically multiplies machining cost by 1.5–2×: slower feeds, more finishing passes, more tool wear, CMM time. Going to ±0.005 mm with grinding adds another step entirely. The cheapest thing a designer can do is hold general tolerances everywhere except the two or three features that actually mate with something.
Surface finish is the same story. Ra 1.6 as-machined is free. Ra 0.8 on a sealing face costs a finishing pass. Anodizing is a batch process with a minimum charge. Plating is worse. Every finish on the drawing is a line item — the design that lists six finishes on a part that runs at Ra 6.3 is paying for requirements nobody benefits from.