How to sell glass and acrylic cut to size on Shopify

Table tops, splashbacks, shelves, mirrors, picture glazing: a cut-to-size panel's price depends on its size, its thickness, how the edges are finished, and any holes. That's four things at once, which is exactly where variants give up. Here's how to price all of them on one product page.

What goes into the price

Area, at the rate for the thickness

width × height × rate per m²

The panel's area times a rate that depends on thickness and material: 4 mm clear float, 6 mm toughened, 10 mm low-iron, 5 mm acrylic. One rate per choice keeps every thickness on the same page.

Edges, by the metre

2 × (width + height) × rate per metre

Polished, bevelled or arrised edges are priced along the perimeter, so a long thin shelf costs more to edge than a square of the same area.

Holes, cut-outs and corners

a price per hole, or per job

Each hole for a tap or a fixing takes time, as do radius corners and socket cut-outs. Price them per piece.

A minimum charge

so small panels are worth cutting

A 150 × 150 mm piece of glass costs almost nothing by area but just as much to handle. A minimum charge covers that.

A worked example

A 600 × 400 mm panel of 6 mm toughened glass at £95 per m², with polished edges at £6 per metre and two holes at £8 each: area 0.24 m² × £95 = £22.80, edges 2.0 m × £6 = £12.00, holes £16.00, total £50.80. Try other sizes:

Width (mm)

Height (mm)

Glass

Holes (£8 each)

Polished edges (£6/m)

Minimum charge £25

0.24 m² glass £22.80 · 2.00 m edge £12.00 · holes £16.00

£50.80

Millimetres to square metres: width × height ÷ 1,000,000. Perimeter in metres: 2 × (width + height) ÷ 1,000.

Limits that stop impossible orders

Minimum and maximum sizes on each measurement, matched to your sheet sizes and what your table can cut.
Thickness for the size. A big shelf in thin glass will bow. A rule can show a message recommending a thicker option when a panel passes a certain size.
Toughened glass can't be cut afterwards. Say so beside the size boxes and ask customers to double-check their measurements, because it's made to size before toughening.
Holes near edges. If holes must sit a minimum distance from the edge, put that in the help text next to the holes box.

Setting it up with a calculator

Here's how it looks with MeasureLab, the calculator app we make. The same ideas apply to any calculator app.

Start from the “Glass & acrylic panels” template, or start blank with Width and Height inputs in millimetres.
Add the thickness as a dropdown where each choice carries its price per m², and use it in the area line: width × height ÷ 1000000 × the thickness price.
Add an edge line that applies only when polished edges are chosen: 2 × (width + height) ÷ 1000 × 6.
Add a Holes input as a number with a price per hole.
Set a minimum charge in Pricing rules, and minimum and maximum sizes on the inputs.
Publish, then place the calculator block on your product page in the theme editor.

The cutting list arrives with the order: size, thickness, edge finish and holes next to the line, and the price is checked again at checkout.

Questions

How do I price edge polishing?

By the metre of edge. A panel's perimeter is 2 × (width + height): a 600 × 400 mm panel has 2 m of edge, so at £6 per metre polishing adds £12.

Should thicker glass just cost more per square metre?

Usually, yes: give each thickness its own rate per m². It keeps one product page for every thickness instead of a separate product for each.

How do I stop orders for sizes I can't cut?

Set a minimum and maximum width and height on the size boxes that match your sheet sizes and cutting limits. Sizes outside them can't be added to the cart.

Can customers order in millimetres?

Yes. Glass is usually measured in millimetres, and with a unit switch customers who think in inches or centimetres can type those instead; the size is converted before pricing.