Thermal Spray, Hardfacing & Wear Coatings calculator

Masking Cost Calculator

Price masking labor and consumables from observed application time and batch setup. Enter worker minutes, loaded labor rate and batch masking materials.

What this calculator does

  • Price masking labor and consumables from observed application time and batch setup.

Formula used

  • Worker hours = (Parts × Worker minutes per part + Setup worker minutes) ÷ 60
  • Labor cost = Worker hours × Loaded hourly rate
  • Masking total = Labor cost + Batch materials
  • Cost per part = Masking total ÷ Parts

Inputs explained

  • Parts to Mask: Parts requiring the same masking method and coverage.
  • Masking Labor per Part: Observed application and removal labor for one part.
  • Batch Setup Labor: One-time labor to prepare masks, templates and workholding.
  • Loaded Labor Rate: Hourly wage plus the labor burden used in costing.
  • Batch Masking Materials: Tape, plugs and allocated reusable-mask expense for this batch.

How to use the result

  • Best suited to reusable mask comparisons, manual taping estimates.
  • Elapsed crew duration and mask suitability are not determined by cost arithmetic.

Current U.S. benchmarks

  • Industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Jul 2026), up 4.7% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.
  • The producer price index for industrial chemicals stands at 336.006 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 13.3% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
  • The U.S. has 14,543 chemical manufacturing establishments employing about 911,245 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

  • Should removal time be included? Yes. Include stripping tape, cleaning residue and handling reusable masks if they are charged to this operation.
  • Do two workers halve labor cost? Not if total worker minutes stay the same. They may shorten elapsed time while using the same labor hours.
  • How should reusable metal masks be charged? Enter the allocation assigned to this batch, plus replacement or repair costs that belong to this job.
  • Does cheaper tape reduce the overall cost? Only if it meets the required protection and removal performance. Failed masking can create rework beyond this estimate.

Last reviewed 2026-10-12.