How to Create a Quote for CNC Machining (Complete Method)
From customer drawing to signed PDF: the 6-step method to quote a CNC job without forgetting cost items and without wasting hours.
Step 1 — Analyze the Drawing First
The quote starts from the drawing. Before thinking about prices, extract: overall dimensions (to size the blank), tightest ISO tolerances (they determine machine and number of passes), required surface finishes Ra, threads and critical features (keyways, deep pockets, thin walls).
An IT7 tolerance on a diameter or Ra 0.8 on a surface can double the machining time compared to general tolerances. Underestimating them is the fastest way to lose margin.
Step 2 — Define the Machining Cycle
Break down the part into operations: roughing, drilling, threading, finishing, possible re-setups. For each operation identify the most suitable machine among those available in your shop. A prismatic part goes to milling, a rotational part to turning, a sheet to laser cutting and bending.
This is where most of the cost is decided: doing on a 5-axis in one setup what would require 3 setups on a 3-axis radically changes time and price.
Step 3 — Calculate Material
Blank weight (not finished!) × material price €/kg. Remember the stock allowance: a finished part weighing 2.1 kg may start from a 3.4 kg blank. For expensive materials (stainless, titanium, special alloys) the error on the blank weighs heavily: on Inconel 718 at 60 €/kg, 1 kg difference is 60 € per part.
Step 4 — Estimate Times: Cycle and Setup
Cycle time is calculated from cutting parameters: material cutting speed Vc, feed per tooth fz, depth of cut, volume of material to remove (MRR). Setup time (tooling, zeroing, first-piece inspection) is spread over quantity: 60 minutes of setup weighs 60 €/piece on a batch of 1, but 1.2 €/piece on a batch of 50.
This is why unit price MUST vary with quantity: quoting 1 piece and 100 pieces at the same unit price means losing the large batch or losing money on the single.
Step 5 — Add Up Costs and Apply Margin
Part cost = material + (cycle time × machine rate) + (setup / quantity × rate) + tooling + any external treatments. Apply your commercial margin to the total (typically 20-35%). Show the customer the breakdown: a transparent quote with separate line items is challenged much less than a single number dropped from above.
Step 6 — Deliver a Professional Document
The quote is also marketing: a PDF with logo, list of operations, quantity breaks (1/10/50/100 pcs), validity period and delivery terms conveys reliability. An email with a price written in two lines does not.
With MachinePilot the entire process — from AI drawing analysis to signable PDF — takes just minutes: the AI reads the drawing (STEP, DXF, PDF or photo), proposes the cycle on YOUR machines, calculates costs operation by operation and generates the PDF with quantity discounts already calculated.