CNC machine-hour rate in Spain (2026): ranges and how to calculate it

If you run a workshop, this is the question that decides your margin: how much do you need to charge per machine hour to make money? The short answer: it depends on your machine, your utilisation and your overheads — and most workshops are working with an outdated figure.

Indicative market ranges

These are the hourly selling rates commonly used in the Spanish market:

• 2-axis CNC lathe:€35–55/h
• 3-axis machining centre:€40–65/h
• Lathe with live tooling or Y axis:€45–70/h
• 5-axis centre:€60–95/h
• EDM (wire or sinker):€50–80/h
• Grinding machine:€45–75/h

These figures are hourly selling prices, not costs. The difference between the two is your margin, which is why getting the cost right comes first.

The machine-hour cost formula

The machine-hour cost is calculated like this: (depreciation + financing + floor space + energy + maintenance + tooling + attributable labour + overheads) ÷productive hours per year.

• Depreciation: purchase price divided by its useful life (7–10 years). A €250,000 machine over 8 years is about €31,250 a year.
• Financing: leasing or loan interest, if any.
• Floor space: the square metres the machine occupies times the cost per square metre of your facility.
• Energy: average power consumed times hours and the price per kWh. A centre under load can draw 15–30 kWh.
• Maintenance: contracts, spare parts and breakdowns. Common rule: 3–5% of the machine's value per year.
• Tooling and consumables: inserts, end mills, coolant… allocate it based on historical data.
• Attributable labour: if an operator with a total employment cost of €35,000 a year runs two machines, allocate 50% to each.
• Overheads: administration, sales, quality and insurance, spread across machines.

The divisor matters more than the numerator

The most expensive mistake isn't in the costs: it's in the productive hours. A year has 1,750–1,800 working hours per shift, but between setups, maintenance, load gaps and scrap parts, the machine actually produces 60–75% of that. If you divide your costs by 1,800 hours but only produce 1,200, you're selling every hour 33% cheaper than you think.

Properly defining your machining phases and their times is what lets you know how many hours each machine really produces.

Example: 3-axis centre on one shift

For a €250,000 machining centre working one shift: depreciation €31,250, financing €4,500, floor space €2,250, energy €5,040, maintenance €10,000, tooling €9,000, attributed labour €17,500 and overheads €12,000. Total: €91,540 a year.

With 1,400 real productive hours, the cost is €65.40 per hour. If you sell the hour at €60 “because that’s what everyone charges”, you lose money on every part.

The three mistakes that destroy the most margin

• Updating your hourly rate only every few years. Energy, wages and tooling have gone up; your 2022 rate no longer covers the same.
• Using a single hourly rate for every machine. An hour on the 5-axis doesn't cost the same as one on the 2-axis lathe; an average rate gives away margin on the expensive machine and prices you out of the market on the cheap one.
• Estimating time by eye. If the estimated machining time is off by 30%, the entire CNC machining quote is off by 30%. It's the biggest source of error in a quote and the hardest to correct by hand.

From hourly rate to quote: the part Fabriqer automates

Calculating your hourly cost is an exercise you do once or twice a year. Estimating the times for each part is something you do every day, and that's where every technical offer is won or lost. The time-estimation AI from Fabriqer analyses the part and estimates machining time consistently, so the hourly rate you've worked so hard to fine-tune is applied to reliable times, not hunches. Find out how AI machining time calculation works.

Want to see it with your own parts? Book a Fabriqer demo and bring two or three real drawings.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a CNC machining hour cost in Spain?

As a market reference, between €35 and €95/h depending on the machine type: 2-axis lathes at the lower end of the range and 5-axis centres at the top.

How is the machine-hour cost calculated?

By adding depreciation, financing, floor space, energy, maintenance, tooling, attributable labour and overheads, and dividing by the year's real productive hours, not the theoretical ones.

How often should you review your hourly rate?

At least once a year, and whenever a structural cost changes: an energy price rise, a new collective agreement or the purchase of a new machine.