MIG welding cost per inch
MIG (GMAW) is the workhorse of the production shop. High deposition, low cleanup, easy to learn. This page prices MIG welds by the inch (labor, solid-wire filler, and shielding gas) using the same formula as the full calculator, locked to the MIG defaults.
Quick answer
A 1/4-inch mild steel MIG fillet runs about $1.02 per inch ($12.24 per foot) at a $85/hr shop rate with 25% markup. MIG is cheap per inch on production work because solid wire deposits fast (4 lb/hr on .035) and is 95% efficient. Labor is the biggest line. Change your shop rate or operating factor and the number moves more than anything else.
Worked example: 12 inches of 1/4-inch fillet
MIG wins on thicker material and longer welds because deposition is high and efficiency is excellent. Its weakness is gas dependency. Wind kills the shielding, so outdoor and field work usually moves to flux-core or stick. For thin sheet and aluminum where appearance matters, TIG takes over.
Questions welders keep asking
How much does MIG welding cost per inch?
At the calculator's defaults (4 lb/hr deposition, 30% operating factor, $85/hr, 25% markup), a 1/4-inch mild steel MIG fillet sells for about $1.02 per inch ($12.24 per foot). Bigger fillets, higher shop rates, or a lower operating factor push it up fast. Labor is 92% of the cost, so the shop rate and how much of the clocked hour the arc is actually running matter far more than wire price.
Why is MIG cheaper per inch than stick or TIG?
Deposition rate. MIG solid wire lays down about 4 lb/hr on .035 (8 lb/hr on .045 in spray transfer) at 95% efficiency. E7018 stick runs 2.2 lb/hr at 62% efficiency, and TIG is welder-bound at 1.5 lb/hr or less. Faster deposition means less arc time and less labor, and labor is the dominant cost. On in-shop production work MIG (or flux-core) wins by a wide margin.
What deposition rate should I use for MIG?
About 4 lb/hr for .035 solid wire at around 150 A, or 8 lb/hr for .045 in spray transfer. Run .035 hotter and it lays down more; thin-gauge short-circuit work runs less. The calculator defaults to 4 lb/hr. Deposition rate is a direct multiplier on labor, so getting it close to your real numbers matters more than any other input.
Welding cost by process
TIG Welding Cost Per Inch
Slow and welder-bound, but nothing finishes like it. Price the extra hours honestly.
Stick Welding Cost
E7018 at 2.2 lb/hr, 62% efficient. Wins on short field welds and dirty stock.
Flux-Core Welding Cost
Up to 14 lb/hr on 1/16" wire. Workhorse for thick-plate and outdoor structural.
Other tools in the Tack Box
Welding Shop Rate Calculator
What should you charge per hour? Break-even and recommended rate.
Metal Weight Calculator
Plate, pipe, bar, tube. Steel, aluminum, stainless, brass.
Gas Usage Calculator
Cylinder count and cost for a project. MIG, TIG, flux-core.
Filler Metal Calculator
Pounds of wire or rod for a joint. Spool count and cost.
Job Pricing Calculator
Build a bid from scratch: tasks, materials, overhead, margin.
Welding Quote Calculator
Build a customer-ready quote: work lines, materials with markup, PDF.
Welding Settings Chart
Amps, voltage, wire speed by process, metal, and thickness.
Wire & Gas Selection Guide
Which wire and shielding gas for your process and base metal.
Welding Symbol Chart
Every AWS A2.4 weld symbol. Searchable with visual diagrams.
Why shops choose Bead Board
How to Quote Welding Jobs
Turn these numbers into a price: rate, markup, margin, and a worked example.
Free Welding Invoice Template (PDF)
Bill the job: line items, deposit, net 15/30 terms, worked example.
Bead Board vs. Spreadsheets
Why shops outgrow Excel for job tracking.
Bead Board vs. Paper & Notebooks
Paper loses jobs. Software does not.
Welding Quote Software
Line-by-line quotes with saved material prices and markup.