"How much will it cost to print this?" is the first question almost everyone asks, and the honest answer is: it depends on the part. That isn't a dodge. A thumb-sized clip and a 300 mm fixture are both "one 3D print," but they use very different amounts of plastic and machine time. This guide explains what moves the price, shows real prices from our San Diego catalog, and walks through the minimums, shipping and tax so there are no surprises at checkout.

If you already have a file, the fastest way to an exact number is to upload it for an instant quote. The rest of this article explains what the quote is doing behind the scenes.

The three things that drive 3D printing cost

1. Material

Every material has a different cost per gram and a different print speed. Everyday plastics like PLA and PETG are the cheapest and print quickly. Engineering plastics — ABS, ASA and PC — cost a bit more and need an enclosed, heated chamber to print well. Carbon-fiber grades such as PETG-CF, ASA-CF, PA6-CF, PAHT-CF and PPS-CF sit at the top: they are stiffer and handle more heat, but the filament is more expensive and some need slower, hotter printing.

The practical rule: don't pay for carbon fiber when PETG will do. Use PLA or PETG for fit checks and indoor parts, ASA for sun, PC or ASA for a hot car interior, and save PAHT-CF or PPS-CF for parts near real heat or fluids. Our materials guide has a quick-pick table by where the part will live.

2. Print time

A 3D printer is a machine that bills by the hour, effectively. Print time depends on the part's volume, its height (more layers take longer), how much support material overhangs need, and the layer height you choose. Fine quality with 0.12 mm layers looks smoother but takes noticeably longer than standard layers.

Design choices change print time a lot. Hollowing out a solid block, chamfering overhangs so they don't need supports, and orienting a part flat instead of tall can all cut the price without touching the material. The design guide covers these tricks.

3. Quantity

The first copy of a part carries fixed work — preparing the job, checking the file, starting the printer. Additional copies share that overhead, so the per-piece price goes down as quantity goes up. On catalog parts we apply quantity discounts automatically:

10% off at 3 or more of the same part
15% off at 5 or more
20% off at 10 or more

For uploaded files, the quote calculates price for the quantity you enter, so you can see the effect directly.

Real prices from our San Diego catalog

Numbers help, so here are actual starting prices from our ready-to-print catalog. These are for one piece, before shipping and tax:

Rack mounts: 10" 1U from $30.99, 10" 2U from $46.99, 19" 1U from $38.99, 19" 2U from $54.99.
NVIDIA GB10 / DGX Spark mounts: 10" $58.99, 19" single $66.99, 19" dual $104.99 — one universal pocket fits all 8 GB10 models.
Drone and FPV parts: mostly $3.99 to $11.99 for camera mounts, antenna mounts, GPS mounts and caps.
Drone parts kits: $19.52 to $24.99.

Look at the rack mounts and you can see the cost drivers at work. A 2U mount is taller and uses more plastic and machine time than a 1U, so it costs more. A 19" mount is wider than a 10" one, so it costs more again. The dual GB10 mount is two halves joined with a tongue-and-groove seam and M4 through-bolts, which is why it lands at $104.99.

Need a mount for something that isn't in the catalog? The custom rack-mount generator builds one for any device size and prices it in about 30 seconds.

Order minimums

Small jobs still take setup time, so there are two minimums:

Catalog-only orders: $10 minimum.
Orders with an uploaded file: $20 minimum.

If you only need one tiny bracket from your own file, it's often worth adding a spare or two — the minimum may already cover them.

Shipping and delivery: actual carrier rates

We don't offer "free shipping," because free shipping is never free — it gets built into the part price. Instead, you pay the actual carrier rate for your address:

Local courier inside San Diego.
USPS Ground Advantage for small parts, anywhere in the US.
FedEx One Rate for larger or heavier boxes.

For reference, our catalog shows USPS estimates of roughly $7 to $9 for a single rack mount. California sales tax is added at the rate for your delivery address, so a part going to Oceanside and one going to Chula Vista may show slightly different tax.

Turnaround and the rush rate

Standard turnaround is 2–3 business days, and that's what our prices assume. Next-business-day printing exists, but only for production-down emergencies — a line that can't run, an instrument that's offline — and it carries a rush rate. If your deadline is simply "soon," standard turnaround is the better deal.

How our instant quote works (and why it's in beta)

Many shops estimate price from a part's volume or bounding box. Ours runs a real print simulation: when you upload an STL, 3MF, OBJ or STEP file, the quote slices it the same way the printer would, measures actual material use and print time for the material and quantity you choose, and prices from that.

Upload your file on the quote page.
Pick a material, color (up to 7 colors per model, one per part) and quantity.
See the size, print time and price, then check out with shipping calculated for your address.

Instant quoting is in beta. Our terms say a clearly wrong price doesn't have to be honored — but you're never charged a correction without your approval. If the price needs to change, you either approve it or get a refund.

When there's no file: scanning

If the part you need only exists physically — a broken clip, a discontinued knob — we can 3D scan it (small and medium parts, up to about shoebox size) and either print the replacement or hand you an STL/OBJ or editable STEP file. Scanning is quoted separately from printing.

FAQ

What's the cheapest way to get a part 3D printed in San Diego?

Use PLA or PETG unless you need heat or UV resistance, print at standard quality and standard turnaround, design out supports where you can, and order multiples if you'll need spares — catalog parts get 10–20% off at 3, 5 and 10 pieces.

Is shipping free?

No. You pay the actual USPS, FedEx or local courier rate for your address, which keeps part prices lower than building shipping into them.

Why did my quote change after I switched materials?

Each material has a different price per gram and print speed, and some need slower, hotter printing. The quote re-simulates the print for every change, so the price follows the real job.

How much does 3D printing cost in San Diego? (2026 guide)