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Forging Job Quote Cost Breakdown Worksheet

This worksheet organizes a forging quote the way a job actually flows, from bar stock through saw, heat, forge, trim and finishing. Each row computes setup and run cost from your hours and rates, so you can see where the money is before you pick a margin.

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Operation	Lot qty (pcs)	Setup hours (hr)	Run minutes per piece (min)	Rate ($/hr)	Material or outside cost per piece ($/pc)	Total operation cost	Cost per piece
						$14,500	5.8
						$944	0.3777
						$910	0.364
						$11,440	4.576
						$2,025	0.81
						$515	0.206
						$1,125	0.45

Total job cost

$31,459

Total cost per piece

12.5837

Price at 15 percent gross margin

$37,011

Price at 20 percent gross margin

$39,324

Price at 25 percent gross margin

$41,946

Number of operations

Cost per piece is only meaningful when every row uses the same lot quantity. Press and hammer rates should include crew, energy, maintenance and depreciation. Add dies as a separate row using the die cost per piece calculator, and keep lot sizes consistent when comparing quotes.

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How to use the worksheet

Add one row per operation. Enter the lot quantity, setup hours, run minutes per piece and the loaded hourly rate for that work center. Put material or outside process cost per piece, such as bar stock or heat treat, in the last input column. The totals update as you type. Add rows for die cost per piece, packaging, testing, and freight if they apply. Then read the price at the margin you target. Export to Excel to keep a version for each revision of the quote or to compare lot sizes.

The method

Each operation cost equals setup hours times rate plus lot quantity times run minutes divided by 60 times rate plus lot quantity times material or outside cost per piece. Cost per piece is that total divided by the lot. Summing across rows gives the job cost. Price at a gross margin equals cost divided by one minus margin, which is different from adding a percentage markup to cost. Rates should be built up from labor, energy, maintenance, depreciation and overhead, not from vendor price lists alone.

Operation cost = setup x rate + lot x run / 60 x rate + lot x other
Price = total cost / (1 - gross margin)
Keep the lot quantity identical on every row

Reading it and common mistakes

Check the biggest rows first. In most closed die jobs it is material and the press, not finishing. If setup dominates, the price per piece falls sharply with lot size, so quote several lots. Common mistakes include using direct labor rate for a press line that needs a crew, leaving out billet scale and flash in the material weight, forgetting the heat treat and test charges, and ignoring scrap during setup. Compare your result with the actual job cost after shipping and update the rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What rate should I use for a forging press?

Use a loaded hourly rate that includes crew, energy, maintenance, depreciation, floor space and overhead. A press line with heating, handling and a crew costs far more per hour than a single operator machine, so do not use the plain labor rate.

How do I price different lot sizes?

Copy the worksheet for each lot size and change the lot quantity on every row. Setup hours stay fixed per lot while run cost scales, so the cost per piece falls with larger lots. Present the breaks to the customer as separate prices.

Where does die cost go?

Add a row with the die cost per piece in the material or outside column, or quote the tooling as a separate one-time charge. Use the die cost per piece calculator to build that figure from die life and resink history.

Is price the same as markup?

No. A 20 percent gross margin on price means price equals cost divided by 0.8, while a 20 percent markup on cost means cost times 1.2. The two give different prices, so state which one your policy uses.

If you want quotes built from your routings, work center rates and actual job costs, we can connect that to your ERP on your own servers.

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