Custom mold tooling is the line between "buying off the catalog" and "owning the shape." A custom bottle profile, a proprietary cap geometry, a signature jar silhouette — all of those require physical tooling that the manufacturer builds to your spec.

Typical tooling cost ranges and lead times:

• Injection-molded plastic bottles/jars (simple shapes): $10,000-25,000 tooling cost; 6-10 week tooling lead time
• Injection-molded plastic bottles/jars (complex shapes, multi-cavity): $25,000-50,000; 10-16 weeks
• Custom glass molds (single cavity): $25,000-50,000; 10-16 weeks
• Custom glass molds (multi-cavity, complex shapes): $50,000-150,000+; 16-24 weeks
• Custom aluminum can ends: $15,000-40,000; 8-14 weeks
• Custom squeeze tubes: $5,000-15,000; 6-10 weeks

The decision framework: custom tooling pays back when annual volume is high enough that the tooling cost amortizes to less than $0.05-0.10 per unit. At 50,000 units/year, a $25,000 mold amortizes to $0.50/unit in year one — too expensive. At 250,000 units/year, the same mold amortizes to $0.10/unit in year one and trivial in year two — easy decision.

Ownership matters more than cost. A tooling agreement should specify: who owns the physical tool (buyer or factory), where it is stored, who maintains it, who pays for repairs, and what happens if the buyer leaves the factory. Buyer-owned tooling with a written agreement to release on 60 days' notice is the standard for serious brands.