A cost model is an important tool for product design and material selection. An efficient and effective cost estimation tool is necessary for early design evaluations. In this paper, a cost estimation model is presented that estimates the production cost for metal inert gas (MIG) welded joints. This model determines the cost incurred in fabricating each joint with a detailed explanation of each cost component / driver. Each cost component has been closely analyzed and the major cost components have been included in the cost model. We used this cost model to predict the cost of the forty two different joints joined using MIG welding technique. The results predicted by the MIG welding cost model have been compared to that quoted by an expert welder. Initial results show that the cost model and the expert cost estimates follow a similar general trend. Further study is needed to refine the MIG cost model.