Price breakdown: A price breakdown splits a quoted price into its parts, such as machine time, material, setup, finishing and discounts, so the buyer and the shop can see where the total comes from.
A single total tells the buyer what to pay. A breakdown tells them why, and that changes the conversation. When the buyer can see that support removal is a third of the price, they may reorient the part or accept a rougher finish. When they see a setup cost line, they understand why ordering ten costs far less per piece than ordering one.
Example breakdown for a batch of 10 resin parts:
- machine time: €24.00
- resin: €11.50
- post-processing: €18.00
- setup and handling: €8.00
- total: €61.50, or €6.15 each
There are two audiences, and they should not see the same thing. The shop needs every internal number: rates, costs, markup, overhead. The buyer should see lines that explain the price without exposing your rates or margin. A good quoting system keeps those two views apart.
A breakdown is not the same as an open-book costing, where a customer audits your real costs. It is an explanation of the price, not a disclosure of profit.
In Quotometry every price comes with a breakdown: the shop sees each line with its calculation, and the buyer sees a separate buyer view that leaves out rates, costs and margin. For what else a quote should say, read how to quote manufacturing parts.
Go deeper: How to quote a manufactured part: the estimator's method