Concept design
Concept Design Cost and Timeline
What product concept work actually costs, and what makes it cost more
The honest answer is that concept design is priced by complexity, not by page count. This page gives the ranges we quote most often, the variables that move a project between them, and how to scope the work down when a budget is fixed.
Every figure below is a range we would stand behind in a quote, not a marketing number.
The sequence
Where concept design sits in the process
Stage 1
Review/Analysis + Plan
Fixed $800. Technical feasibility analysis, key risks, and a staged plan with the recommended next step.
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Stage 2
Concept Design
Concepts, initial product visuals, CAD, rough parts list (BOM) and a cost-to-make estimate.
Priced on this page
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Stage 3
Benchtop Proof of Concept
Proves the 1 to 2 riskiest functions on a test rig. Not yet a working version of the product.
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Stage 5
Technical Design & Engineering
Detailed mechanical, electrical and firmware design, ready for prototype build.
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Stage 6
Alpha Prototyping & Testing
First working version of the product, built and tested against your requirements.
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Stage 7
Beta Prototype
Refined units built from alpha findings, close to production look, feel and function.
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Stage 9
Manufacturing Planning & DFM
Production plan, cost and tooling tweaks, supplier quotes, then manufacturing handoff.
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Concept Design is stage 2. It follows Stage 1, Review/Analysis + Plan (a fixed $800), and Benchtop Proof of Concept, Technical Design & Engineering, prototyping and Manufacturing Planning & DFM follow it, each quoted before it starts.
Price a different stage
- Product design costDesign and engineering through production-ready CAD, before anything is built.
- Prototype cost calculatorWhat it costs to build the first working unit.
- Product development costThe whole program: idea through first production run.
- Industrial design costForm, ergonomics, CMF and surfaced CAD, priced as a service.
Typical concept design ranges
Ranges assume US-based engineers doing the work, not offshore drafting, and cover labor only.
Short answer
Concept Design (stage 2) costs $2,000 to $25,000 by product complexity: $2,000 to $6,000 for a basic product, $5,000 to $10,000 for a simple product, $9,500 to $15,000 for a moderate product, $15,000 to $25,000 for a complex product. Stage 1 is a fixed $800; concept design starts at $2,000 for a basic product. Ranges cover labor only.
Concept Design (stage 2) by product complexity
| Product complexity | Definition | Concept Design (stage 2) |
|---|---|---|
| A Basic | One part, no moving parts, no electronics | $2,000 to $6,000 |
| B Simple | One mechanism or simple electronics | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| C Moderate | Several mechanisms, medium electronics and firmware | $9,500 to $15,000 |
| D Complex | Multi-subsystem, firmware, hydraulics, app or custom tech | $15,000 to $25,000 |
A Basic
- Definition
- One part, no moving parts, no electronics
- Concept Design (stage 2)
- $2,000 to $6,000
B Simple
- Definition
- One mechanism or simple electronics
- Concept Design (stage 2)
- $5,000 to $10,000
C Moderate
- Definition
- Several mechanisms, medium electronics and firmware
- Concept Design (stage 2)
- $9,500 to $15,000
D Complex
- Definition
- Multi-subsystem, firmware, hydraulics, app or custom tech
- Concept Design (stage 2)
- $15,000 to $25,000
What pushes a project to the top of its range
- Mechanisms. Anything that moves, latches, folds or seals multiplies the iterations.
- Electronics packaging. Fitting a board, battery and antenna into a shape someone wants to hold is the most common source of rework.
- Regulatory targets. FDA, FCC, UL or food-contact requirements change material and geometry decisions at concept stage, not later.
- Unfixed requirements. Concepts that change scope mid-way cost more than complex concepts with a stable brief.
- Volume ambition. A 500-unit product and a 500,000-unit product are designed for different processes from the first sketch.
How to spend less without wasting the money
The cheapest useful package is a constrained one: one direction instead of six, CAD without photoreal renders, and a single review round. That works when you already know the form and need buildable geometry.
The most expensive mistake is the opposite, buying beautiful renders before anyone has checked that the internals fit. Renders sell; they do not de-risk.
Concept sprint
One direction, concept CAD, one revision. Good for a founder who needs something quotable fast.
Full concept
Research, wide ideation, scored selection, CAD and renders. The default for a product you intend to tool.
Concept plus proof
Full concept plus a printed fit or appearance model, so the shape is validated in the hand before engineering.
What concept design saves you later
Concept work is a small share of a development budget, typically 5 to 15 percent, and it is the cheapest place to change your mind. Moving a wall in CAD costs an hour. Moving it after a steel tool exists costs thousands and weeks.
It also makes every later quote real. Factories price geometry; without it, any manufacturing estimate you receive is a guess.
- The concept design process, step by stepWhat each stage delivers and how to tell it is finished.
- Rapid prototypingHow we build working prototypes and what they cost.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does concept design cost?
Concept Design (stage 2) costs $2,000 to $25,000 by product complexity: $2,000 to $6,000 for a basic product, $5,000 to $10,000 for a simple product, $9,500 to $15,000 for a moderate product, $15,000 to $25,000 for a complex product. Stage 1 is a fixed $800; concept design starts at $2,000 for a basic product. Ranges cover labor only.
How long does concept design take?
One to three weeks for a simple part, five to ten weeks for a powered device, and up to sixteen weeks for a connected or regulated product. Our team quotes it as a fixed price before it starts.
Do you charge hourly or fixed price?
Concept work is quoted as a fixed-price phase with a defined number of review rounds, so the budget does not drift while you decide.
Where to go next
- Concept designThe full guide to turning an idea into sketches, CAD and renders.
- Industrial design servicesForm, ergonomics, CMF and surfaced CAD: what it includes and what it costs.
- Rapid prototypingHow we build working prototypes and what they cost.
- Product development portfolioProducts we designed, engineered and manufactured.
- All development servicesResearch, design, engineering, prototyping and short-run production.