How Much Do Custom Metal Signs Cost?

Every figure below comes straight from the pricing engine that runs our online designer. These are the full prices — laser cutting, deburring, surface cleaning, mounting holes, and GST included. No setup fee, no artwork fee, no minimum order.

Five things set the price of a laser-cut sign. Knowing them lets you read any quote — ours or anyone else's — and see where the money goes.

1. 1

   Material. The sheet itself is the biggest input. Our 2 mm sheet costs, ex GST, $149.44 per square metre for mild steel, $143.88 for aluminium, and $253.88 for 304-grade stainless. That is why stainless starts at $169 where the others start at $99.

2. 2

   Size. More sheet and more cutting time. We price size on an economy-of-scale curve rather than a flat per-metre rate — the next section shows the maths.

3. 3

   Cut mode. A cut-out design is the base price. Cut-in and receive-all designs (your artwork cut into a backing plate) add $10 because the laser runs longer.

4. 4

   Engraving. Each engraved layer adds $5. Engraving is available on mild steel and stainless steel; aluminium cannot be engraved.

5. 5

   Mounting. Direct, hanging, corner, and top-centre hole options are all included in the price. You supply the screws or anchors suited to your wall.

Rounded corners, deburring, and surface cleaning are standard on every sign — not extras.

We do not charge a flat rate per square metre. Bigger signs spread the fixed costs — setup, handling, packaging — over more sheet, so the per-metre rate should fall as signs grow. Our formula does exactly that:

price = base price × (your area ÷ 0.12 m²)^0.82

The base is the 600 × 200 mm price ($99 or $169 inc GST). The 0.82 exponent is the economy-of-scale discount: double the area and you pay roughly 1.77×, not 2×.

Worked example. A 600 × 600 mm mild steel sign is 0.36 m² — three times the base area. Three to the power of 0.82 is about 2.46. So the sign prices at $249, not the $297 a flat per-metre rate would give. A 600 × 300 mm sign is 1.5 times the base area and lands at $139. The designer does this maths live as you drag the size controls.

All prices include 10% GST — we are a registered Australian business and issue tax invoices. Shipping works like this:

• Flat estimate — $9.95 AUD shown in the cart before checkout.
• Free shipping — on all orders over $150 AUD.
• Live rates at checkout — we quote Australia Post directly for your postcode and the actual parcel size and weight of your order.
• Regional fallback — if live rates are unavailable, standard post is $14.95 with a 7–12 business day estimate.

Full details on the shipping page.

Ring three shops about the same sign and you will get three very different numbers. That is normal, and it usually comes down to:

• Material grade and thickness. 2 mm 304 stainless costs nearly twice what thin imported sheet does. Always ask what grade and thickness is quoted.
• Cutting method. Fibre laser, plasma, and waterjet produce different edge quality at different hourly machine rates. Laser costs more per hour but leaves the cleanest edge — see our laser vs plasma comparison.
• Design and setup labour. Traditional shops charge $50–100 to convert artwork and set up the job. Online designers automate that step away.
• Finishing. Powder coating, sealing, and polishing are skilled labour and often priced separately.
• Batch economics. A one-off sign carries the full setup cost. Shops quoting for bulk runs spread it thin.
• Freight. Overseas-made signs look cheap until $30–50 of shipping, import duty, and a 2–4 week wait land on top.

A like-for-like quote names the material grade, thickness, cutting method, finishing, and freight. If any of those are missing, ask.