Quality worked example
Rework Cost with reworked units of 40 units: a worked example in quality
Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop reworked units to 40 units, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate labor, material, and lost-capacity cost from reworked units.
The inputs for this scenario
- Reworked units: 40 units (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
- Rework time per unit: 6 min (held at the documented default)
- Loaded labor rate: 38 $ / hr (held at the documented default)
- Extra material per unit: 1.2 $ (held at the documented default)
- Lost capacity rate: 45 $ / hr (held at the documented default)
Working through the calculation
- The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Rework hours = units × minutes per unit ÷ 60.
- Total rework cost works out to 380 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
- Cost per unit works out to 9.5 $ / unit at these inputs.
- Rework hours works out to 4 hr at these inputs.
- Extra material works out to 48 $ at these inputs.
How this compares with the baseline
- Against the tool's baseline example, where reworked units sits at 80 units and the headline result is 760 $, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 380 $.
- The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to reworked units, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes rework time per unit is uniform; unpredictable, one-off touch-ups and multi-pass rework can vary widely and skew the average.
Results at a glance
- Total rework cost: 380 $ (headline result)
- Cost per unit: 9.5 $ / unit
- Rework hours: 4 hr
- Extra material: 48 $
Run it with your numbers
- To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Rework Cost calculator, set reworked units to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.