Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep worked example

Blast Cost per Square Foot at 110% chargeable yield factor: a worked example

Push chargeable yield factor up to 110% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. a coating contractor or blast shop estimator needs a defensible cost basis for a surface prep quote

The inputs for this scenario

  • Surface prep area: 2,500 sq ft (unchanged)
  • Variable blast cost rate: 2.75 $ / sq ft (unchanged)
  • Chargeable yield factor: 110 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 100)
  • Setup and mobilization cost: 650 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable prep subtotal = surface prep area × variable prep cost × chargeable yield factor) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8,213 $ for total prep cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3.29 $ / sq ft for cost per square foot.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 7,563 $ for variable prep subtotal.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 650 $ for setup/mobilization cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where chargeable yield factor sits at 100% and the headline result is 7,525 $, this scenario comes in 9.14% above the baseline at 8,213 $.
  • It multiplies area by the variable rate and a chargeable yield factor to get the variable subtotal, then adds fixed setup or mobilization to produce total cost and an implied cost per square foot. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total prep cost: 8,213 $ (headline result)
  • Cost per square foot: 3.29 $ / sq ft
  • Variable prep subtotal: 7,563 $
  • Setup/mobilization cost: 650 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Blast Cost per Square Foot calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.