Are my CAD files worth money?
Engineering and architecture firms sit on years of CAD work, and AI developers building design tools need exactly that kind of professional material to train on. Enter how many parts, assemblies, drawings and models you have and what condition they are in, and the calculator removes designs that belong to clients or are export-controlled, then prices the rest by type. It also shows what the files you cannot sell would have been worth.
From all files to sellable files
Value by file type
| File type | Sellable | Base rate per file | Low | High | Share |
|---|
How CAD files are valued
The value of a CAD file for AI training depends on how much design intent it carries: features, dimensions, materials and the history of how it changed.
Remove what is not yours to sell
sellable = files × (1 − client-owned) × (1 − export-controlled)
Price each type
Parts $1 to $8, assemblies $5 to $40, drawings $0.50 to $4, BIM models $50 to $400 and PCB designs $3 to $25 per file.
Adjust for format
Native files with feature history 1.2×, neutral formats 0.85×, meshes 0.4×.
Adjust for richness
Tolerances and materials, revision history and linked documents each add value in proportion to how many files have them.
richness = 0.7 + 0.3 × tolerances + 0.25 × revisions + 0.2 × linked docs
Adjust for field
Aerospace and medical devices 1.4× down to consumer products 0.9×.
Questions about the value of CAD files
Why would anyone pay for CAD files?
AI companies are building tools that design parts, check drawings and generate building models from a description. To learn, they need large numbers of real professional designs with their dimensions, materials and revision history. Public CAD libraries are small and mostly hobby work, so engineering and architecture firms hold the material they lack.
Which CAD files are worth the most?
Native files with their full feature history, such as SolidWorks, Inventor, Creo or Revit files, because they show how the design was built step by step. Assemblies and BIM models are worth more than single parts. Files with tolerances, materials and linked bills of materials are worth more than bare geometry.
Can I sell designs I made for clients?
Usually not. In contract design and manufacturing, the client often owns the designs under your agreement. That is why the calculator removes the client-owned share before valuing anything. Check your contracts; some allow anonymized or internal use, many do not.
What about export-controlled designs?
Designs covered by ITAR, EAR or similar rules for defence and dual-use technology cannot be shared with most buyers, especially abroad. Leave them out completely. The calculator removes the share you enter.
Are STL or mesh files worth anything?
Much less. A mesh is just a surface of triangles, without the features, dimensions and design intent that make native files useful for training. They are given 40 percent of the value of native files.