Short answer: most small 3D printed parts in the UK cost between £8 and £35. At Tap3D the minimum order is £8, a typical household part (a bracket, a clip, a phone stand) is £8–£20, and larger enclosures are £30 and up. You see the exact price in seconds after uploading your file, before you pay.
What you actually pay for
A 3D print price is not guesswork. Our quote tool slices your model the same way the printer will, then adds up three things:
- Material. The plastic the part uses, by weight. PLA is about 5p per gram, PETG and ASA about 6p.
- Print time. How long the printer is busy, from £2.50 an hour for PLA to £3 an hour for ASA.
- Handling. A flat £2 per order line for checking your model, removing supports and packing.
Models that need a lot of support material get a small 10% allowance, because they take longer to clean up. Delivery is added at checkout: Royal Mail Tracked 48 anywhere in the UK, or free collection in Ellesmere Port.
Example prices
| Part | Material | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable clip | PLA | 12 g | £8.00 |
| Phone stand | PLA | 46 g | £14.50 |
| Campervan bracket | ASA | 62 g | £18.90 |
| Electronics enclosure | PETG | 140 g | £32.00 |
What makes a print cheaper
- Print several at once. Handling is charged once per line, so ten clips cost far less each than one.
- Use PLA when you can. For anything indoors and away from heat it is the cheapest and fastest option.
- Hollow is fine. We print with a strong outer wall and 20% inside fill by default. Solid parts are rarely needed and cost more.
- Flat sides help. A part that sits flat on the bed needs fewer supports and prints faster.
Why some services cost more
Industrial bureaus quote for engineering materials, tight tolerances and certification, and often ask you to register first. That is worth it for an aircraft part. For a replacement knob or a caravan clip, a well-tuned desktop printer gives the same practical result at a fraction of the price.
What if I don’t have a 3D file?
Send a photo next to a ruler and a short description. We reply within 24 hours with a design price (usually £25–40 an hour of design work) plus the print. Our guide on getting an STL file explains the cheaper options first.
Questions
Is the price on screen the final price?
Yes, apart from delivery. We check every model by hand before printing. If something in the file would make the print fail, we contact you before charging anything extra.
How long does it take?
The quote shows a dispatch date worked out from our current queue, usually one to three working days, plus Royal Mail delivery.
What can’t you print?
Figurines and miniatures, and parts smaller than 20 mm on their longest side. Our printers are tuned for practical parts, and these need a different kind of machine.