Cost benchmark
Tooling cost: injection molds, dies and fixtures
Tooling is the single largest cash spike before revenue, and it is quoted per tool — not per product. Founders under-budget it because they count parts, not cavities, and forget the two or three tool revisions that follow first shots.
| Line item | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft/aluminum mold (prototype tooling) | $1,500 | $5,000 | $12,000 |
| Hardened steel mold, single cavity | $8,000 | $18,000 | $45,000 |
| Multi-cavity production mold | $25,000 | $60,000 | $150,000 |
| Die casting tool | $10,000 | $28,000 | $80,000 |
| Sheet metal / stamping die | $2,000 | $9,000 | $35,000 |
| Assembly & test fixtures | $1,000 | $5,000 | $18,000 |
| Tool revisions (per change) | $500 | $2,500 | $8,000 |
What drives the range
- Number of unique molded parts, not number of products
- Cavity count, which trades tooling cash against unit price
- Tool steel grade and expected tool life (100k vs 1M shots)
- Undercuts, side actions and cosmetic surface finish (SPI A1 is expensive)
- Asian versus domestic toolmakers, and who owns the tool afterwards
Common questions
How much does injection mold tooling cost?
A single-cavity aluminum prototype tool starts near $1,500 to $5,000. A hardened steel production tool for a cosmetic consumer part typically runs $18,000 to $45,000, and a full product with 6 to 10 molded parts commonly totals $60,000 to $200,000.
Should I pay for soft tooling first?
Usually yes if you expect design changes. Soft tooling gets you a few thousand real parts for a fraction of steel-tool cost, and it de-risks the geometry before you commit to a production tool.
Who owns the tool — me or the factory?
Put ownership in writing before payment. Standard practice is that you own the tool once paid in full, with the right to move it to another factory; factories that resist this are pricing in switching costs.
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