FDM 3D Print Cost Calculator — Rex's Toolbox

Rex says

Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Filament used(g)

Filament price($/kg)

Print time(hrs)

Machine hourly rate (depreciation+power)($/hr)

Post-processing labor(min)

Labor rate($/hr)

Expected failure/scrap rate(%)

Markup(%)

Result

Suggested price

$22.61

Cost incl. failure rate buffer

$14.13

Raw cost (material+machine+labor)

$13.00

Material cost only

$1.87

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How to use this

1Enter filament used (g).
2Enter filament price ($/kg).
3Enter print time (hrs).
4Enter machine hourly rate (depreciation+power) ($/hr).
5Enter post-processing labor (min).
6Enter labor rate ($/hr).
7Enter expected failure/scrap rate (%).
8Enter markup (%).
9Read your suggested price on the right — it updates as you type.
10Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

FDM print cost is more than just filament grams times spool price. Machine depreciation, power draw over long print times, and post-processing labor (support removal, bed leveling checks, failed-print rate) all add up, and shops that price off filament cost alone routinely undercharge, especially on long overnight prints that tie up a printer for 8-15 hours for a part that only uses $2 of material. This calculator adds filament cost, machine-hour cost (depreciation plus power), and labor minutes into one per-print total, then applies your markup. It also factors in an average failure/scrap rate, since FDM printing isn't 100% reliable and successful prints need to absorb the cost of the occasional failed one if you're running unattended overnight batches.

FormulaMaterial Cost = (Grams Used ÷ 1000) × Price per kg. Machine Cost = Print Hours × Machine Hourly Rate. Total = (Material + Machine + Labor) × (1 + Failure Rate) × (1 + Markup).

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

Filament used: 85 g
Filament price: 22 $/kg
Print time: 6.5 hrs
Machine hourly rate (depreciation+power): 1.2 $/hr
Post-processing labor: 8 min
Labor rate: 25 $/hr
Expected failure/scrap rate: 8 %
Markup: 60 %

Results

Suggested price: $22.61
Cost incl. failure rate buffer: $14.13
Raw cost (material+machine+labor): $13.00
Material cost only: $1.87

What each field means

Inputs

Filament used (g): The filament used used in the calculation, measured in g. Starts at 85 g so you have a working example on load.
Filament price ($/kg): The filament price used in the calculation, measured in $/kg. Starts at 22 $/kg so you have a working example on load.
Print time (hrs): The print time used in the calculation, measured in hrs. Starts at 6.5 hrs so you have a working example on load.
Machine hourly rate (depreciation+power) ($/hr): The machine hourly rate (depreciation+power) used in the calculation, measured in $/hr. Starts at 1.2 $/hr so you have a working example on load.
Post-processing labor (min): The post-processing labor used in the calculation, measured in min. Starts at 8 min so you have a working example on load.
Labor rate ($/hr): The labor rate used in the calculation, measured in $/hr. Starts at 25 $/hr so you have a working example on load.
Expected failure/scrap rate (%): The expected failure/scrap rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 8 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–90 %.
Markup (%): The markup used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 60 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500 %.

Results

Suggested price: Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Cost incl. failure rate buffer: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Raw cost (material+machine+labor): Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Material cost only: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

How do I estimate machine hourly rate for a desktop 3D printer?

Take purchase price minus expected resale/salvage, divide by expected lifespan hours (often 3,000-8,000 hours for a well-maintained desktop FDM printer), and add power cost (usually $0.05-0.15/hr for typical 100-250W draw at average electricity rates). Most hobby-grade printers land at $0.50-$2.00/hr all-in.

Why include a failure rate if I plan to babysit the print?

Even attended prints fail occasionally from adhesion issues, filament tangles, or power blips, and unattended overnight or farm printing has meaningfully higher failure rates (5-15% is common). Building it into cost means your successful prints subsidize the failures instead of you eating that loss on every batch.

Should support material be counted separately?

If you're using a single filament for both part and support, it's already captured in total grams used. If you're using dissolvable or different-cost support filament, calculate that portion separately at its own price per kg and add it to material cost.

What markup is typical for 3D printing services?

Hobbyist/marketplace sellers often use 50-100% over cost; professional service bureaus with quality guarantees, finishing, and quick turnaround commonly mark up 150-300% given the labor and quality control involved.

Accuracy and limitations

Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.

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Cite this calculator

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APA

RevenueLab. (2026). 3D Print Cost Calculator (FDM Filament). Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/3d-print-cost-filament

HTML

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/3d-print-cost-filament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3D Print Cost Calculator (FDM Filament) — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>

Markdown

Source: [3D Print Cost Calculator (FDM Filament) — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/3d-print-cost-filament) (2026).