What laser cutting costs in Canada, and how shops quote it

Laser cutting is priced by machine time: cut length, pierces, material and a minimum. Real CAD figures, laser vs waterjet vs plasma cost, and US-vs-Canada landed cost.

Quick answer (CAD, as of November 2026): Laser cutting is priced by machine time, not by the cut. A quote is the machine rate times the cut time (your path length plus a pierce for every hole), plus the material and a setup or minimum charge. Thin mild steel cuts fast and cheap; thick, stainless or reflective metal (aluminum, copper, brass) cuts slower and costs more. A Montreal platform, uMake, lists simple steel laser-cut parts from about $0.40 each with no minimum (CAD). Below a few parts the minimum dominates, so nest parts and order quantity to spread it. For the full fabricated part, with bends and finish on top of the cut, see the sheet metal fabrication cost guide.

Laser cutting is sold by the minute, not the cut

The unit is machine time. A fiber laser traces your part's cut path at a speed set by the material and thickness, and it pauses to pierce a starting hole for every closed shape and every hole. So two things set the time: how far the beam travels, and how many times it has to pierce. Material and thickness set the speed, and a setup or minimum charge sits underneath it all.

What makes the time, and the price, go up

Thickness first: a thicker sheet cuts slower and needs more assist gas, so cost climbs fast with gauge. Material next: mild steel cuts quickest, stainless is slower, and aluminum, copper and brass are reflective and slower still, so some shops charge more to run them. Then geometry: every hole and every sharp internal detail adds a pierce and slows the pass, so a part that is mostly holes costs more than its size suggests. Quantity works the other way: the setup is spread across the run, so the per-part price falls with volume.

What it actually costs

Canadian shops rarely publish an hourly laser rate; most quote the job from your file. The clearest Canadian number comes from uMake, a Montreal instant-quote platform, which lists simple steel laser-cut parts from about $0.40 each and states no minimum quantities, with free shipping over $250 (prices in CAD, shown with a bare dollar sign). For the running economics, Xometry pegs the operational cost of a laser at around $20 USD per hour and a plasma cutter at around $15 USD per hour, but that is the machine running cost, not the billed shop rate, which adds operator, overhead and margin on top. One industry cost guide builds an all-in laser rate of roughly $90 to $110 per hour from the machine, operator, maintenance, energy and amortized setup (a US-context figure in USD); treat it as how a rate is assembled, not a Canadian price.

The minimum and the volume curve

Instant-quote platforms show the volume effect cleanly. SendCutSend (a US shop, prices in USD) states no minimum quantities, with volume discounts up to 80 percent and savings starting at two parts. Its own examples show the material and thickness levers too: a 304 stainless sprocket at $6.76 each against the same part in Grade 5 titanium at $19.60, and a stainless bracket at $3.58 for 0.048 in against $4.07 for 0.060 in (all USD). The pattern is universal: one part carries the setup, and the per-part price drops as the run grows.

Laser vs waterjet vs plasma on cost

Pick the process to the material and thickness, because the cheapest cut changes with both. Laser is fast, clean and most cost-effective on thin to medium steel and stainless, roughly up to 3/8 in, with a practical ceiling near 1 in on steel per Xometry. Past about 5/8 in on steel, plasma usually cuts faster and cheaper, though rougher. Waterjet cuts any material and any thickness with no heat-affected zone, but it is slow and usually the highest cost per foot. The full trade-off, including edge quality and tolerance, is in laser, plasma and waterjet cutting.

Buying from a US platform? The landed cost

The platforms that dominate this search (SendCutSend, OSH Cut, Xometry) are US shops that quote in USD. A Canadian buyer does not pay the sticker: SendCutSend's own Canada page lists shipping from $19 USD and says it collects duties and taxes, and on top of that you carry the exchange rate and any brokerage. For many jobs a Canadian shop is competitive once that is counted, and it removes cross-border tariff risk. The border math is in reshoring to Canada and the current tariff picture.

How to cut your laser cost

Nest parts tightly so less sheet is scrapped, and keep the blank inside a standard sheet. Cut the pierce count: combine or drop holes you do not need, since every hole is a pierce and a slowdown. Keep internal detail reasonable, pick a standard gauge and a common alloy, and order in quantity to spread the setup. Send a clean flat DXF so no one has to redraw your part. For the design side, see design for manufacturing.

Buying a laser cutter, or cutting wood?

Two neighbours to this question are different problems. If you are pricing a machine to buy, that is a capital purchase in the thousands to tens of thousands, not a per-part cost. And if you are cutting wood, acrylic or paper, that is a CO2 laser, which will not cut bare metal; metal needs a fiber laser or plasma. This guide is about paying a shop to cut metal parts.

What to send for a quote

A flat DXF, or a STEP model, the material and gauge, the quantity, and any finish. Send it once and request quotes from Canadian laser cutting shops, and we route it to shops set up for your material and thickness.

FAQ

How is laser cutting priced?

By machine time. The quote is the machine rate times the cut time (path length plus a pierce for every hole), plus material and a setup or minimum charge. Shops rarely sell you a flat hourly rate; they quote the job from your file.

How much does laser cutting cost per part?

It depends on size, material, thickness and quantity, but for scale, the Montreal platform uMake lists simple steel parts from about $0.40 each (CAD) with no minimum. A complex or thick part costs more, and a one-off carries the full setup.

Is there a minimum order for laser cutting?

Often not on the platforms (SendCutSend and OSH Cut both advertise no minimum), but a minimum or setup floor is common at a traditional shop. Either way a single part is dear per unit because it carries the whole setup.

Does thickness or material change the cost much?

Yes. Thicker sheet cuts slower and needs more assist gas, and stainless, aluminum, copper and brass cut slower than mild steel, with reflective metals slower again. SendCutSend's own example shows a stainless part moving from $3.58 to $4.07 USD just from 0.048 in to 0.060 in.

Laser, waterjet or plasma, which is cheaper?

Laser on thin to medium steel and stainless; plasma on thick steel past about 5/8 in, where it cuts faster and cheaper but rougher; waterjet when you need any material or thickness with no heat, at the highest cost per foot. See laser, plasma and waterjet cutting.

How do I make laser cutting cheaper?

Nest tightly, cut the number of holes and pierces, use a standard gauge and common alloy, keep detail reasonable, and order in quantity. A clean flat DXF also saves the shop redrawing time.

Is it cheaper to cut in Canada or order from a US platform?

US platforms quote in USD and ship from the United States, so add exchange, shipping (SendCutSend lists from $19 USD to Canada), duty and brokerage. For many jobs a Canadian shop is competitive once those are counted, and it avoids cross-border tariff risk. See reshoring to Canada.

Last reviewed: November 2026. The Canadian figure (uMake, Montreal) and the US platform figures (SendCutSend, Xometry) were read on each company's own page the day this was written; US figures are in USD and labelled as such, and uMake's prices are CAD shown with a bare dollar sign. Machine running-cost and all-in-rate figures are labelled by source and currency, and snippet-only numbers were left out. Related reading: laser, plasma and waterjet cutting and sheet metal fabrication cost.