← Back to Bead BoardMIG 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 an $85/hr shop rate with 25% markup. MIG is the cheapest hand process per inch on production work because solid wire deposits fast (4 lb/hr) 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 common shop 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 ~90% 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 (8 lb/hr in spray transfer) at 95% efficiency. E7018 stick runs 2.2 lb/hr at 62% efficiency, and TIG is welder-bound at roughly 1.5 lb/hr. 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 200A, or 8 lb/hr for .045 in spray transfer. Thin-gauge short-circuit work is lower. The calculator defaults to 4 lb/hr — bump it up if you run spray or larger wire. 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
The fastest hand process — up to 14 lb/hr. 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 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.