How Much Does Zinc Plating Cost? Price Factors and How to Order

For small parts such as screws, nuts and bolts, zinc plating is usually priced "per kilogram" or "per lot" rather than per piece, because the parts are barrel-plated in large batches.

The main factors that affect price:

• Color and passivation — white, rainbow, black, green or yellow zinc cost slightly differently depending on the chemistry.
• Coating thickness (microns) — a thicker coat lasts longer against rust but takes more time and cost.
• Salt-spray spec — e.g. needing to pass 72 or 96 hours affects thickness and passivation.
• Quantity and total weight — the larger the lot, the lower the cost per kilogram.
• Part shape — small parts are cheaper barrel-plated; large or delicate parts may need rack plating.
• Cr3+ Cr6-free — RoHS/REACH standard for export work.

Zinc plating is made-to-spec work, so the fairest price comes from the actual part, the color, the thickness and the corrosion standard you need. A generic published price usually means customers overpay, or get a spec that does not match the job.

The fastest and most accurate way is to send a photo or sample with the color and quantity, and we reply with a quote within 24 business hours.

In short:

• Send a photo or sample with the material, the color you want and the quantity.
• Get a quote within 24 business hours.
• Approve a sample lot before full production.
• Full production with thickness checks and salt-spray testing in our lab, with a test certificate on every lot.

Have these five things ready for an accurate, fast quote:

• Part type and base material (steel, stainless, etc.).
• The color you want (white / rainbow / black / green / yellow).
• Corrosion spec or thickness, if any (e.g. 72-hour salt spray).
• Quantity per lot and frequency (one-off or repeat).
• Whether you need Cr3+ Cr6-free (for RoHS/REACH export work).