Garage jig and fixture shop
Make one-off jigs, fixtures and simple tooling for local manufacturers from a well-equipped garage or outbuilding.
- $12k-60k
- Side hustle
- From home
Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.
Official data
1,976 US businesses with employees in this field, -1.5% in a year
NAICS 333514 “Special die and tool, die set, jig, and fixture manufacturing”. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
What it is
A small one-person shop making custom jigs, work-holding fixtures, gauges and simple tooling to order, using used manual mills and lathes, or a benchtop CNC. It suits experienced machinists who want to start small and keep their day job at first.
Your first three steps
- Check zoning and home occupation rules for your address, plus any HOA or lease limits on noise and machinery
- Price out a starter set of used machines, tooling and measuring gear, and check your power supply can run them
- Visit 10 local machine shops and manufacturers, show examples of your work and offer to quote on overflow jobs
Who pays
Local manufacturers, fabrication shops, product developers and repair or maintenance teams that need a one-off part or tool quickly.
How it makes money
Quoted price per job or an hourly shop rate plus materials. Repeat work usually comes from a few shops that send you overflow or rush jobs.
Skills that help
- Machining and metalworking
- Reading engineering drawings
- Basic CAD/CAM
- Measuring and inspection
Watch out for
- Zoning, home occupation permits and HOA or lease rules, which may rule out machining at home
- General liability and product liability insurance, and whether your home insurance covers business equipment
- Customer drawings and designs are often confidential, so expect to sign NDAs and protect their files
- Check how to dispose of used coolant, oils and metal chips in your area
- Some defense-related work has export control rules (such as ITAR), so check before accepting it
Deep research report · US
Everything you need to start: garage jig and fixture shop
Researched with live web search for United States: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a garage jig and fixture shop?
Startup costs are typically around $12,000 to $60,000, depending on whether you buy used manual mills and lathes or a benchtop CNC. Starting small while keeping your day job can help you spread out the spending.
How much can a home jig and fixture shop earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many local manufacturers send you work and the size of each job. Expect to spend at least about 15 hours a week to get going.
Can I run a machine shop from my garage?
Check zoning, home occupation permits and HOA or lease rules, which may rule out machining at home. Check your insurance coverage, how to dispose of used coolant, oils and metal chips, and export control rules such as ITAR before accepting defense-related work.
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