Pricing & Customer Intake
The technical side of the course is 90% complete after Day 14. The business side is what turns the laser into income. Pricing baselines, intake checklist, scrap rate budgeting, and the contract clauses that protect you.
Pricing baselines (60W MOPA, 2026 USD)
Adjust ±30% for region, market, brand positioning. These reflect mid-tier US shop pricing, not lowest-bidder Etsy nor luxury custom shop.
| Job | Time | Price (single) | Price (10+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless dog tag, text only | ~3 min | $15-25 | $8-12 each |
| Stainless dog tag, photo + text | ~12 min | $45-75 | $30-50 each |
| Anodized AL keychain | ~2 min | $12-20 | $6-10 each |
| Tumbler engrave (logo, single side) | ~6 min | $20-35 | $12-18 each |
| Tumbler engrave (full wrap, photo) | ~20 min | $65-95 | $45-70 each |
| Brass challenge coin (custom design, single side) | ~45 min | $60-95 | $35-55 each (50+) |
| Brass challenge coin (relief, both sides, antiqued) | ~2 hr | $120-180 | $75-110 each (50+) |
| 1911 slide engrave (text + scrollwork) | ~25 min | $95-160 | n/a (one-off) |
| Glock slide surface mark | ~10 min | $50-80 | $30-50 each |
| Glock frame stipple (full grip) | ~15 min + jig setup | $90-150 | $70-110 each |
| AR-15 anodized lower (logo + serial) | ~8 min | $50-90 | $30-60 each |
| Knife blade engrave + color anneal accent | ~30 min | $75-140 | n/a (typically one-off) |
The pricing formula
Don't quote off the table, calculate per job. Three components:
- Materials: blank cost + spray + finish supplies. Mark up 1.5-2× for shop-supplied.
- Machine time: your hourly rate × estimated job time. Aim for $90-150/hour of laser time. A 60W MOPA paying back its purchase + cooling + extraction + lens replacement + electricity needs at least $80/hr just to break even on overhead.
- Setup time: design work, customer revisions, jig prep, focus. Often 2-4× the actual engrave time on first orders. Bill it.
Formula: (materials × markup) + (engrave_minutes × hourly_rate / 60) + (setup_minutes × hourly_rate / 60)
$80/hr in the tutorial tables = break-even, not target
The Project Tutorial pricing breakdowns (wedding sign, slate photo, brass coin, Glock stipple, lit-edge, leather wallet, tumbler, etc.) calculate labor at $80/hr because that's the minimum overhead-recovery rate. The markup row on each tutorial is where actual profit lives, without that markup, you're working for break-even. When you size up to your real billable rate ($100-150/hr at competence), the same tables can recalculate cleaner with less markup needed.
Customer intake checklist
Run through this before quoting. Saves rework and protects you when scope creeps.
- Item type & material: confirm exact alloy if possible. "Stainless steel" varies; "304" or "316" lets you predict color.
- Surface condition: brushed / mirror / scratched / coated? Affects appearance.
- Quantity: single piece? Production run? Repeat order?
- Design source: customer providing artwork? Vector or raster? Final size?
- Engrave location & size: exact spot on the part. Get a photo with measurements if remote.
- Finish style: black mark / color / deep engrave / surface mark / coin relief? Show samples if possible.
- Deadline: when do they NEED it? Build buffer time for revisions and reruns.
- Customer-supplied vs shop-supplied: if customer's own item, who pays for damage during engraving?
- Approval workflow: virtual proof? In-person sign-off? Number of revision rounds included?
- Payment terms: 50% deposit on customer-supplied items is standard. 100% on shop-supplied.
Scrap rate budgeting
Every production run has reject rate. Budget it into the quote.
| Process | Typical scrap rate | Quote N+? blanks |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless black mark (proven recipe) | 2-5% | +1 per 20 |
| Color annealing (new alloy lot) | 10-25% | +2-3 per 10 |
| Photo engrave (first try) | 15-30% | +1 per 3 |
| Relief coin (proven design) | 5-10% | +1 per 10 |
| Relief coin (new design) | 20-40% | +1 per 3-4 |
| Glock stipple | 5% (failure = damaged frame) | +0; charge customer for damage if their part |
| 1911 slide engrave | 2% (failure usually means re-doing) | +0; rework absorbed |
Contract clauses that protect you
- "All settings are tested on samples first; final pieces engraved only after customer-approved proof." Stops customers from claiming the proof "looked different" than the final.
- "Customer-supplied items are engraved at customer's risk. Shop assumes no liability for material defects, hidden cracks, or coating failures revealed during engraving." Critical for firearms work.
- "Color and tone variation across alloy lots is normal and not grounds for rework." Especially important for color annealing.
- "Lead time begins when artwork is approved, deposit is received, and materials are in shop." Stops the clock until you actually have what you need.
- "Two revision rounds included; additional rounds billed at $X." Caps the design scope creep.
- "Engraving is permanent and cannot be removed without abrasion / refinishing." Customer signs acknowledging this.
Pricing tiers: how to position your shop
- Volume / Etsy tier: $5-25 per piece, 50+ orders/week, repeat designs. Compete on price + speed.
- Mid-market / local custom: $20-150 per piece, 10-30 orders/week, mix of custom + repeats. Compete on quality + turnaround.
- Premium / high-end: $100-500+ per piece, 2-10 orders/week, mostly bespoke. Compete on craftsmanship + customer experience.
Pick a tier and stick to it. Mixing volume + premium in the same brand confuses customers and underprices your premium work.
Material sourcing list
- Coin blanks (brass, nickel-plated steel, copper): Limitless Solutions (UK), CoinBlanksDirect, Inkjet Refill USA (oddly), Hobart Welders (oddly), Etsy bulk sellers.
- Anodized AL coupons: Inventables, eBay bulk, Amazon (variable quality).
- Stainless sheet stock: McMaster-Carr (premium price, fast shipping, consistent alloy), Online Metals, OnlineMetals.com.
- Tumblers (powder-coated blanks for engraving): Tumblers Inc, Maars, Polar Camel, Etsy bulk.
- Marking sprays: CerMark LMM-14 or Brilliance Laser Inks, with CRC Dry Moly Lube as a cheaper alternative. Direct from manufacturer or Amazon.
- Antiquing solutions: Brass Black, Birchwood Casey Plum Brown, JAX Brown, most jewelry/gunsmith suppliers.
- Renaissance Wax: Picreator (UK manufacturer), Amazon, Lee Valley.
- Polishing supplies: Beall buffing system, generic Dremel felt tips, magnetic tumblers.
- Knife blanks: Texas Knifemakers Supply, Jantz Supply, USA Knife Maker.
- Firearm templates: templates.lasertips.org (Glock + SIG bundles).
Common pricing mistakes
- Quoting in $/piece instead of $/hour. An $20 keychain that takes 2 minutes is $600/hr. An $80 photo that takes 15 minutes is $320/hr. The keychain is the better business at scale.
- Not billing setup time. First-order setup is real cost. "Setup fee waived on 50+ orders" is a fair compromise.
- Free design revisions. The third "can you make it slightly thicker?" round is where margin disappears. Cap revisions in writing.
- Underpricing repeat work. The 100th identical job has zero design overhead, but you're not doing it for free either. Discount. Don't gift.
- Pricing off Etsy averages. Etsy is a race to the bottom. Local custom shop pricing is 2-3× Etsy at minimum.