Additive Manufacturing Service Bureau Quoting worked example

Service Bureau Margin with customer quote price of 2,100 $: a worked example

This worked example runs the service bureau margin numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: customer quote price of 2,100 $ instead of the typical 4,200 $. Calculate gross margin on an additive manufacturing quote from customer price, estimated job cost, and margin reference price.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Customer quote price: 2,100 $ (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 4,200)
  • Estimated job cost: 2,850 $ (held at the documented default)
  • Gross margin price basis: 4,200 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Margin dollars = customer quote price - estimated job cost.
  • Service bureau gross margin works out to -17.86 % at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Margin dollars works out to -750 $ at these inputs.
  • Customer quote price works out to 2,100 $ at these inputs.
  • Estimated job cost works out to 2,850 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where customer quote price sits at 4,200 $ and the headline result is 32.14 %, this scenario comes in 156% below the baseline at -17.86 %.
  • Use it during quoting to confirm each order clears your floor margin before you send the price, and again at job close-out to compare quoted versus realized margin. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Service bureau gross margin: -17.86 % (headline result)
  • Margin dollars: -750 $
  • Customer quote price: 2,100 $
  • Estimated job cost: 2,850 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Service Bureau Margin calculator, set customer quote price to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.