PCB Assembly Cost Breakdown: How to Estimate & Reduce It
March 26, 2025
PCB assembly costs can add up quickly, but with smart strategies, you can keep expenses down without sacrificing quality. Major cost drivers include materials, labor, complexity, prototyping, and compliance. Hidden costs like testing, rework, shipping, and part shortages also impact the bottom line. To save money, focus on design for manufacturing (DFM), reliable suppliers, bulk ordering, and automation. Deciding between local and offshore assembly depends on total costs, not just the price per unit. Ultimately, managing the costs of PCB assembly is about balancing upfront expenses with long-term reliability, performance, and customer satisfaction to maximize ROI.
In the fast-paced world of electronics, keeping your PCB assembly costs in check is a huge part of staying competitive. Whether you’re managing purchasing, handling product development, or running supply chain ops, keeping these costs under control can seriously boost your profit margins and help you hit deadlines without compromising on quality.
Here’s a breakdown of what really affects PCB assembly pricing and some simple ways to keep things affordable.
At the core, a few key things are going to shape the total cost of your PCB assembly. Here are some of the main ones:
Like in any other construction business, your base material will make a big difference in the final price. For example, common, general-purpose materials like FR4 are affordable, but if you need something specialized and high-performance like PTFE or Rogers, you’re gonna need to pay a premium.
Below is the cost of substrate materials under the same size and thickness conditions within a typical manufacturing situation:
Ceramic > Rogers > PTFE > Copper > Aluminum > FR4 > CEM-3
And don’t forget about the parts themselves — integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors, and so on. The more high-quality, specialized, or hard-to-find a component, the more the more expensive it is.
It should be no surprise that complexity is expensive. Larger boards, extra layers, tiny parts packed closely together — all of that takes more time, materials, and precision.
If your PCBs use fine-pitch components, high-density layouts, or mixed technology (SMT+through-hole) methods, expect those costs to climb. Luckily, KINGBROTHER offers both SMT and THT manufacturing are affordable prices, keeping your prices low without sacrificing quality.
Even with the same materials and production processes across the board, the complexity of the manufacturing methods can also impact the final cost. For example, if two circuit boards require 50 holes and one of them has larger hole diameters compared to the other, the price difference will be noticeable.
With KINGBROTHER, production process difficulties are no issue. Our 5 EMS factories are each equipped with 30 production lines utilizing the best equipment from Siemens, Yamaha, and Fujifilm to produce over 500,000 PCBA daily. Additionally, our 24/7 professional, flexible manufacturing and supply chain services are capable of meeting customer demands for personalized and diversified production. From prototyping to small and medium-scale production, nothing is too much for us.
Customers are picky about the manufacturers they work with. For most clients, they base their decisions on three factors: 1. Lower prices, 2. Production capabilities that match the project’s requirements, and 3. Qualifications and certifications.
For specialized manufacturers like KINGBROTHER, additional industry-specific certifications are a requirement. The addition of these qualifications (e.g., ISO13485, ISO9001, ISO14001, IATF16949 etc.) will result in an increase in manufacturing costs, leading to higher PCB prices.
Tip: Work closely with your engineers to pick parts that hit your performance goals but are still easy to source. And steer clear of components that are hard to find or nearing end-of-life.
Testing is crucial, but it doesn’t come cheap. KINGBROTHER utilizes various production testing methods, including Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), X-ray, and First Article Inspection (FAI) to guarantee the quality of our PCB products. Here are some other testing methods we utilize:
In addition to functional testing, KINGBROTHER also has a national central laboratory, certified by CNAS and CMA, for providing third-party certificates in the form of authoritative test reports.
Prototypes are essential for ironing out design bugs, but they’re pricey. Small runs mean higher per-unit costs, and every design tweak, test, and revalidation adds to the bill. Plus, there are setup fees (often called NRE or Non-Recurring Engineering costs) to get new designs up and running.
Holding to the highest quality standards and certifications (e.g., RoHS, IPC, etc.) can significantly drive up the final costs. But for industries like medical and aerospace, you’ll find that the price of reliability is non-negotiable.
It’s not just the obvious stuff that drives up the price. There are a few expenses that tend to fly under the radar:
Labor costs are all over the map, depending on where you’re manufacturing. For example, countries like China or Vietnam can offer lower labor rates than the US, which can make a big dent in the total cost.
But don’t forget about the skill level required. Complex boards with fine-pitch components or HDI (high-density interconnect) designs need experienced technicians, and that bumps up the price no matter where you’re building.
And speaking of labor, manual processes like soldering, inspection, and assembly cost more over time, especially for big runs. Automation might be more expensive upfront, but it pays off with speed and fewer mistakes. It’ll certainly make mass production much cheaper in the long run.
Mistakes happen. Misaligned parts, bad solder joints, or design flaws will all send boards back through rework. The more complex the board, the longer (and pricier) the fix. You might find yourself paying upfront for stricter quality control just to avoid costly repairs.
Moving parts around isn’t free. You’ve got to factor in costs to get components to the factory, finished boards to your customers, storage and handling, and anything in between. In many cases, you can choose several packaging options, such as bulk packaging, vacuum sealing, anti-static bags, and more, that can either increase or decrease the final shipping costs.
Things get complicated once international shipping gets involved. Tariffs, duties, insurance, and express fees — all of which have a bad habit of inflating the total price of PCB deliveries. There’s also the matter of transportation; when you pick air freight shipping, it will be significantly faster than sea freight shipping but more expensive as well.
Supply chain issues are very real. When parts are scarce, prices go up fast. You might have to pay extra for rush deliveries or even buy from brokers at premium rates just to keep production rolling.
Time is money, and usually, when we receive an order, we immediately arrange for engineers to review and confirm it before beginning production. Some customers, however, may have urgent projects they need to complete as soon as possible. As such, they may opt for expedited services, where we significantly speed up our production through queue jumping and overtime. This will, of course, incur extra charges used to cover the overtime pay for workers and compensate for delayed orders.
At KINGBROTHER, we offer various special handling to cover different custom service needs. HASL-LF, OSP, IMM Ag, IMM Tin, ENIPIG, ENIG, and gold plating — anything is available to our clients. However, these special services will add to the final price of your product. Thus, it is necessary to understand their advantages and characteristics and, most importantly, whether they can meet the requirements of your project in order to find the best balance between performance and costs.
Saving money doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. Here are some smart strategies for achieving low-cost PCB assembly:
Start thinking about costs right from the design stage. The simpler your board, the cheaper it is to build. Fewer layers, fewer unique parts, and larger components all make life easier (and more affordable) on the production line.
Stick to standard, widely available parts when you can. Niche or custom components are a nightmare when the supply dries up.
Choosing a PCBA company with an engineering team, such as KINGBROTHER, eliminates the need to outsource design and manufacturing, which can increase costs.
KINGBROTHER is the only listed company in China’s electronics industry with its very own factory, providing both in-house PCB manufacturing and EMS, with no outsourcing whatsoever! This in-house capability ensures stable quality, long-term cooperation, fast response, and flexible communication.
With over 500 engineers, KINGBROTHER guarantees high-quality service. Our team will support you throughout the entire project — from PCB design, PCB manufacturing, and BOM solutions to functional testing, ensuring seamless and efficient progress every step of the way.
Don’t just chase the lowest quote. A reliable supplier with solid quality control can actually save you money long-term by preventing expensive reworks and delays.
Building long-term relationships with suppliers pays off, too. They’re more likely to offer you better deals, priority scheduling, and extra support if they know you’re in it for the long haul.
KINGBROTHER sources over 2,000+ of its electronic component resources from leading international manufacturers and authorized distributors, including Digikey, Mouser, E-Linked, ARROW, and WenYe. Due to the ever-shifting international trade dynamics, however, we also seek to establish strong strategic partnerships with domestic brand manufacturers and FAE, ensuring we have a reliable supply of high-quality goods no matter the global situation.
Sometimes, it pays to take advantage of economies of scale. Ordering parts in bulk often brings big discounts, not just on the parts themselves but on shipping, too. You even negotiate with suppliers for volume discounts for greater cost savings.
Just make sure you’re not overbuying and leaving money tied up in inventory that might go obsolete. Carefully balancing demand forecasting with inventory management will help you fully optimize your bulk orders.
Automation is a real game changer in optimizing PCB assembly costs. By automating your processes, you can slash labor costs and cut down on human error. The more you can move away from manual work, the better. Regularly fine-tuning your equipment and training your team keeps things running smoothly and keeps defects low.
Follow these tactics and you can watch your typical PCB assembly cost go down over time.
So, should you keep manufacturing locally or go overseas? Both options have pros and cons, as shown in the table below:
| Local Assembly | Offshore Assembly | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Faster communication | Higher labor costs | Lower labor costs | Longer lead times |
| Easier oversight | Smaller labor pools may slow down production | Easier access to certain materials | Higher shipping costs and times |
| Quicker shipping | Smaller batches per production | Better for large-batch production | Potential communication barriers |
| More control over quality | Reliant on a single or a few suppliers | Helps diversify your supply chain | More complex logistics (customs, duties, etc.) |
It really comes down to the total landed cost — not just the factory price. You’ve got to consider shipping, tariffs, travel, time zone differences, intellectual property protection, and potential quality or supply issues. For some projects, local manufacturing is actually cheaper once you add everything up. For others, offshore makes sense.
A lot of companies do both — prototyping locally to keep a close eye on quality, then moving to offshore production for larger runs once everything’s dialed in.
Controlling PCB assembly costs isn’t about finding the cheapest option. It’s about smart planning, solid design, and choosing the right partners. Work closely with your team, stay ahead of potential problems, and pick strategies that balance cost and quality.
Do that, and you’ll deliver great products without blowing your budget.
It’ll be a good idea to work with a reliable PCB assembly company like KINGBROTHER, who will offer affordable yet high-quality manufacturing work with little to no hidden costs.
