What's the machine wear cost?
A $1.50/hour allowance covers tube life, cleaning consumables, and amortized maintenance for typical xTool/Glowforge-class machines.
How do I price design time?
Add it to labor — or charge a one-time setup fee on top of the per-piece retail price.
Should I price by the sheet or by the part?
Calculate your full per-sheet cost including material, power, wear, and labor, then divide by the number of finished parts that fit on the sheet. Pricing per part this way ensures offcuts and waste are still covered.
How much should I mark up for wholesale versus retail?
A common approach is to set retail at roughly double your total cost and wholesale at around 1.5 times cost, leaving the buyer room to apply their own retail markup. Adjust based on your local market and whether the buyer resells in volume.