CUSTOM FABRICATION QUOTATION AND TERMS ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your request for a one-off, fully custom product manufactured entirely in the United States by Shape.
To ensure there is no misunderstanding regarding pricing, lead time, and the fundamental economic differences between low-volume American fabrication and high-volume overseas production, please read and acknowledge the following facts before we proceed.
Absence of Economies of Scale
Mass-produced items you may reference for price comparison benefit from production runs measured in the tens or hundreds of thousands. Tooling, fixtures, programming, and setup costs are amortized over those volumes, reducing per-unit cost to a fraction of the raw material price.
Your item is a quantity of one (1). Every cost listed above is amortized over exactly one unit. As a result, the price cannot and will not approach the per-unit cost of mass production—regardless of jurisdiction, material, or good intentions.U.S. Labor, Regulatory, and Facility Costs
All work is performed by skilled U.S. workers compensated at prevailing domestic rates, in full compliance with federal and state labor, environmental, health, safety, and tax regulations. These mandatory costs are materially higher than those in many overseas manufacturing regions. They are non-negotiable and are reflected line-by-line in the quotation.Single-Use Tooling and Setup
Custom fixtures, CNC programs, jigs, forming dies, metrology instrumentation or inspection gauges required for your part will be designed, fabricated, proven, and then used only for your order. These costs are fully and transparently charged to your project.Material Traceability and Domestic Sourcing
Where required domestic or “Made in USA” origin, material is purchased from U.S. mills and distributors at corresponding premiums and with full material test reports (MTRs). This further increases cost relative to undifferentiated global commodity material.Deliberate Choice of Lower Margin
We possess the qualifications and alternative opportunities to earn substantially higher hourly income in other fields or by producing volume goods. We have nevertheless elected to maintain capability for true one-off American manufacturing—fully aware that doing so yields a lower net return than virtually all other uses of our equipment, time, and skill set. We make this choice consciously; we do not extend it as a justification for you to expect volume pricing on a single unit.Price Validity and No “Meet-the-Competition” Adjustments
The attached quotation is our best and final price. Requests to “match” or “beat” overseas or mass-production pricing will not be entertained, as they are objectively impossible without violating U.S. law, quality standards, or basic arithmetic.
By signing below or issuing a purchase order that references this document, you acknowledge that:
You fully understand the structural economic differences outlined above;
You are not expecting, and will not later dispute, pricing comparable to high-volume imported goods;
The quoted price is fair and reasonable given the specifications, quantity, origin, and lead time required;
Any attempt to renegotiate pricing after order placement on the basis of “I found it cheaper overseas” constitutes a material breach of the agreement.
We are proud to offer genuine U.S. custom fabrication and are happy to proceed once you confirm acceptance of these realities.
Please sign and return, or reply with explicit written acceptance of these terms.
Sincerely,
ShapeHouse LLC.
Customer Acknowledgment
I have read and understand the economic and practical explanations above. I accept the quoted price without expectation of volume or overseas-equivalent pricing.
Customer Name: _______________________________
Company (if applicable): _______________________
Signature: ___________________________________
Date: _______________________________________