How do you calculate post-processing quote cost?

Multiply finishing volume by the service rate and by the billable capture percentage to get captured value, then add the setup charge. With 28 units at $16, 100% capture, plus $90 setup, the cost is $538.

What is billable finishing capture?

It's the share of finishing effort you can actually invoice. At 100% you bill everything; drop it to 80% when ~20% of finishing time is touch-up or rework you can't pass on.

Why include a separate finishing setup charge?

Setup — masking, fixturing, mixing dye, programming a CNC step — is fixed regardless of part count. The $90 setup charge in the example ensures small jobs still cover their prep cost.

Should finishing rate be per part or per hour?

Either, as long as the volume field matches. Use per-part for repeatable processes like dyeing and per-hour for variable manual work like hand-finishing or machining.

How does the captured value differ from the total cost?

Captured value ($448 here) is the variable finishing you bill; total post-processing cost ($538) adds the fixed $90 setup on top. The setup is what makes small batches viable.

What's a typical billable capture rate?

Mature finishing departments capture 85-95% on standardized processes. Lower than that usually points to unbilled rework or scope creep you should price into the rate or the quote.

Additive Manufacturing Service Bureau Quoting calculator

Post-Processing Quote Cost Calculator

Post-processing — bead blasting, dyeing, vapor smoothing, machining, and inspection — is where AM bureaus either recover their finishing investment or give it away. This calculator builds the finishing line of a quote from a volume of parts or hours, a service rate, the share of that work you actually capture on the invoice, and a fixed setup charge. The billable capture factor is the honest part most quotes skip: not every minute of finishing makes it onto the bill, and pretending otherwise overstates margin. The result is the post-processing dollar figure that feeds straight into your quote and margin math.

What this calculator does

Estimate quoted post-processing cost from finishing hours or parts, service rate, billable capture, and setup charge.
an estimator needs to price finishing work as a visible line item in a 3D printing quote
It computes total post-processing quote cost by capturing finishing value (volume times rate times billable capture) and adding a fixed setup charge.

Formula used

Captured finishing value = finishing parts or hours × finishing service rate × billable capture
Post-processing quote cost = captured finishing value + finishing setup charge

Inputs explained

Finishing parts or hours:
Finishing service rate:
Billable finishing capture:
Finishing setup charge:

How to use the result

Use it when adding the finishing line to an AM quote, especially for cosmetic or functional post-processes billed separately from printing.
It assumes one blended rate; if a job mixes dyeing, machining, and inspection at very different rates, run them separately and sum the results.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for plastic resins and materials stands at 319.371 (BLS, May 2026), up 19.5% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. prime lending rate is 6.75% (Federal Reserve via FRED, 2026-07-02). Payback and financing math should start from today's rate, not a remembered one.

Common questions

How do you calculate post-processing quote cost? Multiply finishing volume by the service rate and by the billable capture percentage to get captured value, then add the setup charge. With 28 units at $16, 100% capture, plus $90 setup, the cost is $538.
What is billable finishing capture? It's the share of finishing effort you can actually invoice. At 100% you bill everything; drop it to 80% when ~20% of finishing time is touch-up or rework you can't pass on.
Why include a separate finishing setup charge? Setup — masking, fixturing, mixing dye, programming a CNC step — is fixed regardless of part count. The $90 setup charge in the example ensures small jobs still cover their prep cost.
Should finishing rate be per part or per hour? Either, as long as the volume field matches. Use per-part for repeatable processes like dyeing and per-hour for variable manual work like hand-finishing or machining.
How does the captured value differ from the total cost? Captured value ($448 here) is the variable finishing you bill; total post-processing cost ($538) adds the fixed $90 setup on top. The setup is what makes small batches viable.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.