How much does clothing manufacturing cost? The six inputs behind every quote

Why a serious factory does not publish prices

A custom garment has no fixed price because almost nothing about it is fixed: a 180 GSM tee with one screen print and a 240 GSM tee with three print locations, custom-dyed fabric and a woven label share a name and little else. Factories that publish a price per piece are usually selling stock blanks plus decoration — a legitimate product, but not custom manufacturing. For cut-and-sew production the honest answer is an itemized quote once the specification and quantity are known.

The six inputs that set the unit cost

1. Fabric and weight — the largest single input for most garments. Fibre composition, GSM, finish and whether the colour is a stock shade or a custom-dyed lot (which carries a mill minimum) all move it.
2. Construction time — minutes of sewing per piece. Panels, pockets, linings, zips, hoods and topstitching all add operations; a boxy single-pocket tee and a lined bomber are not in the same range.
3. Decoration — the number of methods, colours and placements. Screens and embroidery files are set up once and spread across the run, so decoration cost per piece falls as quantity rises.
4. Trims, labels and packaging — woven labels, hangtags, zip pullers, buttons, polybags or retail-ready packing. Small individually, significant together, and some carry their own supplier minimums.
5. Quantity band and setup amortisation — patterns, grading, sampling and setups are largely fixed; at 25 units they are spread thin, at 500 they almost disappear from the unit price.
6. Shipping, duty and terms — freight mode, destination, Incoterms, duty treatment and payment schedule turn a factory price into a landed cost.

How the inputs interact: two tees, one name

Take a crew-neck T-shirt. Version A: 180 GSM stock-colour combed cotton, one single-colour chest print, printed neck label, polybag, 300 units. Version B: 240 GSM custom-dyed heavyweight jersey, a four-colour front print, puff-print back, woven label, custom hangtag and sticker, 50 units. Version B costs more per unit on every one of the six inputs — heavier custom fabric with a dye-lot minimum, two decoration setups spread across 50 pieces instead of 300, more trims, and a smaller run carrying the same sampling and pattern work. Neither is overpriced; they are different products.

What makes a quote rise unexpectedly

• Custom-dyed fabric in several colourways — each colour is its own mill lot with its own minimum.
• Many decoration positions or methods on one garment — each is a setup.
• Revisions after sample approval — a changed measurement or fabric restarts development.
• Tight deadlines that push bulk onto air freight.
• Retail-ready packing specifications arriving after the quote.
• Compliance labelling or testing requirements not stated in the brief.

How to get an accurate quote fast

The more complete the brief, the fewer assumptions a factory has to price in. The minimum a reviewer needs: the product family, a tech pack or reference garment with measurements, fabric direction and target GSM, colours, every decoration with placement and artwork, labels and packaging, the realistic quantity, the target market and any deadline. Where you have no preference, say 'advise me' — a reviewer who can choose the simplest route will quote lower than one guessing your intent.

Price, cost and landed cost

Compare quotes on the same basis. An ex-works price excludes freight; an FOB price includes delivery to the port; a DAP price lands the goods at your door before duty. Add duty for your market (EU buyers should check whether the origin country has preferential status), freight insurance and the cost of your payment terms. Two quotes that look 15 percent apart at the factory gate can be equal once landed — or reversed.

How LOMERAQ quotes

Every order is quoted itemized once the specification and quantity are confirmed, with the supplier minimums for custom fabric or trims stated explicitly rather than hidden. The minimum order is 25 units; sample development takes a minimum of one to two weeks; bulk timing is quoted per project. A deposit is taken on order confirmation with the balance on the terms stated in the quotation, and shipping terms are agreed per order. Send a tech pack or a reference and the reviewer replies with feasibility notes, clarifying questions or the quotation.