💵 Welding Cost Calculator
Enter your filler, gas, labor, and power figures to see what a weld job really costs — broken down by component, totalled per job, and reduced to a cost per foot of weld.
Informational estimates only — verify against your own shop rates; not professional engineering advice.
🧮 Price the Job
💵 Job cost
What is a Welding Cost Calculator?
A weld looks like it costs the price of a rod, but the real bill is four numbers stacked together: the metal you deposit, the gas that shields it, the hours a welder is paid, and the power the machine pulls. Miss any one and a quote drifts from the truth. This calculator lays all four side by side so you can see where the money actually goes.
Labor almost always leads — setup, fit-up, and cleanup outweigh the arc-on minutes — which is why cutting cycle time pays off far more than shaving pennies off wire. Reducing the total to a cost per foot lets you compare processes and joints on equal footing and price the next run of the same job with confidence. It is a planning estimate; confirm the inputs against your own shop rates.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What goes into the cost of a weld?
Four running costs: the filler or wire deposited, the shielding gas burned while the arc is on, the labor hours (which include setup, fit-up, and cleanup — not just arc time), and the electricity the machine draws. This calculator adds all four and divides by the weld length for a cost per foot.
Why separate arc time from labor time?
Gas and power are only consumed while the arc is lit, so they scale with arc-on time. Labor, though, is paid for every hand-on hour — grinding, tacking, positioning, and cleanup often dwarf the actual welding minutes. Entering them separately keeps the gas and power figures honest while still costing the full job.
How is the electricity cost worked out?
From the arc voltage and amperage: power in kilowatts is volts × amps ÷ 1000, adjusted up by the machine's efficiency (an inverter is roughly 0.8), then multiplied by the arc hours and your electricity rate. It is usually the smallest of the four costs, but it is easy to include once you know your kWh price.
Is the total a firm quote?
No — it is an informational estimate to build a quote from, not the quote itself. Consumable prices, gas fills, shop overhead, and your own margin all sit on top. Verify against your own shop rates; not professional engineering advice.