Prototype planning ·
How much does a custom PCB prototype cost?
Break down design, parts, assembly, testing and delivery costs, and check whether your first five boards fit the $149 Proto Kit scope.
A useful PCB prototype quote starts with what you already have. A manufacturer receiving approved production files has a different job from a service receiving a sketch and a description. Before comparing totals, identify who must turn your idea into a buildable design and who must demonstrate that the assembled boards meet your requirements.
For an eligible project, Ohmbo's $149 Proto Kit covers AI-assisted design, engineer review, and five assembled boards tested against an agreed written plan. Shipping and import duties are extra and confirmed before payment. This is a defined prototype package, not a market-average price for every custom circuit board.
Separate the work before comparing prices
Use these six lines when requesting or reviewing a quote:
| Cost area | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Design and review | Are you supplying a brief, a schematic or approved manufacturing files? Which revisions are included? |
| Bare boards | Confirm quantity, dimensions, layer count, material and thickness. |
| Components | Identify exact parts, quantities, availability and acceptable substitutions. |
| Assembly | Specify populated sides, through-hole parts and any manual work. |
| Testing | Name the test firmware, equipment, procedures and acceptance limits. |
| Delivery | Confirm destination, shipping charge and import-duty treatment before payment. |
These distinctions also appear in manufacturing quotes. For example, JLCPCB's assembly-cost documentation lists setup, stencil, component and assembly charges separately. That supports separating cost categories; it does not establish a comparable total for your board. Source checked: 2026-10-19.
Check the $149 boundary
The Proto Kit is for low-voltage DC designs within all of these limits:
- Five two-layer boards, using 1.6 mm FR-4 and green solder mask.
- A maximum board size of 100 × 100 mm.
- Single-sided SMT assembly and up to five through-hole components per board.
- A component allowance of up to $10 per board.
Four- and six-layer designs require manual engineer review and a separate quote. A small board is not automatically eligible: current, heat, component selection and the requested test procedure still need review. Do not remove a necessary electrical feature simply to fit the package.
The pricing page is the place to confirm the order's scope. Ask for any out-of-scope work to be identified before payment rather than treating the allowance as a promise that all parts will fit.
An illustrative quote review
Consider a hypothetical 60 × 40 mm sensor carrier with components on one side. This is a planning example, not a manufactured board or a supplier quote.
Its outline may fit the package, but three questions remain open: whether the final BOM fits the component allowance, whether its connectors stay within the through-hole limit, and whether its sensor can be tested with the available fixture and firmware. The correct budget entry is “eligibility pending review,” not “confirmed at $149.”
If review calls for four layers, request a revised quote. If a sensor is unavailable, approve a specific replacement and any required design or firmware changes. A cheaper substitute is not useful if it invalidates the demonstration you are building.
Budget for a decision, then a delivery
Write down the question these five boards must answer: connector fit, a sensor interface, or a defined firmware function. Use that question to build the prototype test plan. Features unrelated to that decision can wait for a later revision.
Ohmbo provides one free online design preview per account. Downloadable design and manufacturing files are released after payment confirmation and order release; the preview is not a free manufacturing package.
Orders and payment are manually confirmed. Eligible prototypes ship 10–15 working days after engineer approval, with courier transit additional. When scheduling a demonstration, allow separate time for requirements clarification and review. Read how the process works, then send the same brief, quantity and acceptance criteria to every provider you want to compare.
For a fixed demonstration date, use the PCB prototype lead-time checklist to plan approval, production, transit and your own integration work separately.