Sheet metal quoting software
Upload a flat pattern or a folded part and get a priced sheet metal quote in minutes — cutting, bends, forming setup and material costed together instead of guessed separately.
How sheet metal quoting works in AutoCut
Three steps from CAD upload to customer-ready quote — built for estimators who need speed without sacrificing accuracy.
- 1
Upload the part
Send through a flat pattern or a folded part. AutoCut reads cut length, hole count, sheet size and the bend line positions that drive forming time.
- 2
Apply your cutting and forming rates
Set material and gauge, your cutting rate, and what a press brake setup and each hit actually costs you. Quantity decides how far a setup is spread.
- 3
Quote and send
Review cutting time, bend count, forming setup, sheet used and markup, then send a priced quote back the same day.
Sheet it quotes
Sheet metal quotes: the bends are where the money goes
Most sheet metal estimates price the cutting carefully and then wave a hand at the forming. That is backwards. On a bracket with eight bends, the press brake usually costs more than the laser did.
Forming cost is setup plus hits, and setup is the part that moves. A five-bend part needing three tool changes carries a setup charge that barely shifts between one part and ten — so the per-part price at qty 1 and qty 100 are completely different numbers. Quote the two the same way and you either lose the small job or lose money on the big one.
The other half is what the flat pattern actually costs. Bend allowance changes the blank size, the blank size changes how many parts fit a sheet, and sheet yield sets the material cost per part. AutoCut works from the geometry in the file, so the same drawing gives the same answer whoever opens it — and quantity breaks fall out of the setup maths rather than a gut feel.
Finishing is the line item that disappears most often. Deburring, graining, powder coat or plating can add more to a sheet metal part than the bending did, and it scales with surface area rather than cut length — so it does not fall out of the cutting maths at all. Priced as its own step it is obvious; left implicit it quietly comes out of margin.
What AutoCut factors into your quote
- Cut length, pierces and hole count from the flat pattern
- Bend count, tool changes and press brake setup time
- Setup spread across quantity, so price breaks are calculated not guessed
- Sheet yield and offcut allowance on the developed blank
- Material, gauge and finish costed per job
Typical customers: enclosure and bracket shops, HVAC fabricators, and general sheet metal jobbers.
Sheet Metal quoting — frequently asked questions
Quoting for other processes
Quote your first sheet metal job free
Plans from $83 USD/month, full quoting engine, 30-day free trial. No credit card.