"Baseball caps, 100 pcs" — one factory quotes $2.50, another $4.00. The gap usually isn't margin; it's what's hiding inside the quotation. This guide splits a custom cap into four cost blocks so you can question a quote line by line and get prices that actually compare.
1. The blank: 55%–70% of total cost
The biggest block, set by fabric, structure and workmanship: full cotton twill runs 15–25% over TC; 6-panel uses more material than 5-panel; sweatband quality, eyelets and stitch density set the tiers. Ask for the blank spec before negotiating price — a "$2.50" quote may sit on a 180g low-grade TC blank that loses shape in two months. A proper quotation states fabric weight and composition. If it doesn't, ask.
2. Setup & technique: one-time costs, diluted by volume
Embroidery needs digitizing ($30–55 per design), screen print needs a film per color. These are one-time costs: across 300 caps it's pennies per cap, across 100 it's forty cents — that's the real math behind MOQ-vs-unit-price. Technique add-ons price by stitches or colors: 3D puff from $0.25/pc, full-panel artwork can pass $0.55. Smart play: small single-position logo on the first run, full-panel once volume is proven.
3. Packaging: the forgotten 8%–15%
An OPP bag is nearly free; gift boxes (from $0.5/set), belly bands, hang tags and per-department packing labor can add up to a tenth of total. The classic corporate mistake: negotiate the cap price, forget packaging, discover at invoicing that "boxes are extra." State packaging needs and quantities upfront and have them rolled into the total.
4. Freight & the hidden line items
Domestic express bills by volumetric weight — caps are light-but-bulky, so 800 caps can cost $50–70 cross-country. Export: sea by CBM, courier by actual weight. Hidden items to price in: sampling fee (standard $30–70; good factories credit it on bulk), rush surcharge (10–15% for line-jumping), third-party inspection (usually the buyer's account). Put all of these in your inquiry or quotes won't compare.
5. What a real quotation looks like
① Blank spec (fabric / weight / structure) ② technique detail (stitches or colors, position, per-piece add-on) ③ setup fees and refund terms ④ packaging itemized ⑤ lead time and payment milestones ⑥ tax and freight basis (ex-works / FOB / delivered). Six lines, comparable quotes — that's exactly the format our 48-hour quote commitment delivers.
Go deeper: six cap styles with full specs on the custom caps page; how to pick the logo technique in the technique guide.