💰 Hardware · Team Operations

Budget Management
& Parts Planning

Parts cost money and have delivery times. Teams that plan their budget build smarter, waste less, and have a real answer for judges who ask “why did you choose that solution?”

1
What Parts Cost
2
Season Budget
3
Ordering Workflow
4
Inventory & Pit Box
5
Notebook Evidence
// Section 01
Understanding What Parts Cost
You cannot plan a budget you do not understand. Start with an honest cost picture.
💰
Two primary sources: VEX Robotics (vexrobotics.com) for official VEX parts and the most reliable stock. Robosource (robosource.net) for the same parts at better prices with faster shipping on many items. Most programs use both.

Major Cost Categories

Structure Aluminum C-channel, L-channel, standoffs, screws, nuts. Budget $100–200 for a build-from-scratch season. Returning teams: much less if structure is reused.
Motion V5 Smart Motors ($40–50 each), gears, sprockets, chain, shafts, bearings. A full 6-motor robot costs $240–300 in motors alone if you do not already own them.
Electronics V5 Brain ($275), Controller ($100), batteries ($60 each), sensors. Most teams reuse these year to year. Replacement motors are the main recurring electronics cost.
Pneumatics Reservoir, solenoid, tubing, cylinders — $150–300 depending on configuration. Only add pneumatics if a specific mechanism requires them. They add complexity and weight.
Consumables Loctite Blue, zip ties, Velcro, anti-slip mat, rubber bands, spare screws. Budget $40–60 per season. Easy to forget until competition week.

Total Season Budget Ranges

Returning Team
$150–400

New game-specific components + consumables + 1–2 motor replacements

New Major Mechanism
+$80–200

Adding a lift, shooter, or significant new system on top of existing base

Starting from Zero
$800–1,500

Full V5 system + structure + mechanisms, no existing parts inventory

✅
Inventory before you order. Keep a shared spreadsheet of every part the team owns. Teams frequently spend money on parts they already have but cannot find. A parts audit at the start of the season commonly surfaces $100–200 in reusable items.
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// Section 02
Building Your Season Parts Budget
A budget is a plan. Build it before you order anything, not after you run out of money.
📊
The right order: watch the season reveal → game analysis → robot concept → initial CAD → BOM → budget → order. Skipping steps costs money.

The Must-Have vs Nice-to-Have Split

✅ Must Have
  • Drive system (motors, wheels, gears)
  • Primary scoring mechanism parts
  • Required sensors (IMU at minimum)
  • Spare motors — plan for 2 per season
  • Consumables for the whole season
  • Competition batteries (minimum 3)
📌 Nice to Have
  • Secondary mechanisms (add if primary works)
  • Pneumatics (only if design requires them)
  • GPS sensor (useful, not essential early on)
  • Partner controller (good for advanced teams)
  • Custom-cut polycarbonate (not for early design)

The Budget Template — Five Steps

  1. Inventory what you have. List every motor, sensor, and major structural component. Note condition: good / worn / broken.
  2. Identify what you need. Based on game analysis and robot concept, list parts you do not have. Separate into Must Have and Nice to Have.
  3. Price everything. Look up current prices on VEX and Robosource. Add 15% as a buffer for unexpected needs.
  4. Prioritize. If total exceeds your budget, cut Nice to Have first. Then find cheaper alternatives for Must Have items.
  5. Track spending. Update the spreadsheet every time you order. Compare actual to planned. Adjust future orders based on remaining budget.

How CAD Decisions Affect Cost

❌
Common mistakes: ordering parts before finishing the design, buying multiples of an untested mechanism, forgetting consumables until week 14, not budgeting for motor failures.
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// Section 03
The Ordering Workflow
Parts have lead times. Order too late and you build at competition week instead of practice week.
🔧
The rule: CAD first, order second. An Onshape model gives you exact shaft lengths, bearing counts, and structural requirements before you spend a dollar. See CAD to Build Handoff for BOM generation.

Recommended Order Points in the Season

Order 1 — Kickoff Week (Week 1)

Consumables, batteries, any replacement motors you already know you need. These are safe to order before the design is finalized because you will use them regardless.

Order 2 — After Design Lock (Weeks 3–5)

Mechanism-specific parts once the CAD model is complete. Generate the BOM from Onshape. Cross off anything already in inventory. Order everything remaining.

Order 3 — Pre-Competition (3–4 Weeks Before Event)

Replacement parts, anything that broke during build, spare motors for competition pit box. This is the last safe window for standard shipping.

The Step-by-Step Ordering Process

  1. Finish the CAD model or detailed sketch with key dimensions
  2. Write the BOM: part name, quantity, size, and supplier
  3. Check inventory — cross off what you already have
  4. Price remaining items across VEX and Robosource
  5. Compare to budget. Cut Nice to Have if over.
  6. Submit the order. Note expected delivery date.
  7. When parts arrive, match against BOM, update inventory.

Emergency Orders

A motor burns out 3 days before competition. What now?

✅
Budget 1–2 spare motors in every season budget, not as a Nice to Have but as a required line item. They will burn. The question is when, not if.
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// Section 04
Inventory Tracking and the Pit Box
The team that runs out of screws in the pit loses time every team that planned ahead does not.

Parts Inventory Tracker

A shared Google Sheet is enough. Three tabs:

Tab 1 — Robot Components

Every motor, sensor, and major structural component. Columns: item, quantity, condition, last used. Update when you pull parts for the robot or return them.

Tab 2 — Consumables Stock

Screws (by size and quantity), zip ties, Loctite, rubber bands, anti-slip mat. Set a reorder threshold — when you hit it, add to next order.

Tab 3 — Order History

Every order placed: date, items, cost, expected delivery. Running total lets you track actual vs. budgeted spend.

The Competition Pit Box — Required Consumables

Fasteners & Adhesives
  • 8-32 screws in 3 lengths (1/2”, 3/4”, 1”)
  • Keps nuts and nylock nuts
  • Standoffs — mixed lengths
  • Loctite Blue (242) — do not leave home without it
  • Zip ties — minimum 100 per event
Spares & Tools
  • 1–2 spare motors (same type as drive)
  • Spare battery — fully charged before every match
  • Rubber bands (multi-size)
  • Anti-slip mat scraps
  • Small flat/Phillips screwdrivers + hex keys
  • Spare shafts and collar screws

What to Buy Early vs What to Wait On

Buy in Weeks 1–2
  • All consumables (they run out regardless of design)
  • Drive motors (you will always need 4)
  • Replacement batteries
  • Basic structural metal
Wait Until Design Is Locked
  • Mechanism-specific shafts and gears
  • Specialty sensors (GPS, distance)
  • Pneumatics components
  • Custom-cut material
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// Section 05
Budget as Engineering Evidence
Judges ask about resource constraints. A documented budget is your answer.
📝
The RECF rubric includes “understand and use appropriate resources.” A budget that shows design trade-offs made because of cost constraints is direct evidence of engineering judgment — not just spending documentation.

What to Document in the Notebook

Talking to a Judge About Budget

Example Answer

“We had about $300 to spend on new parts this season because we reuse most of our structure. That constraint forced us to choose between building a lift and a shooter. We ran the expected-value math based on the scoring rules and the lift scored more points per second for Push Back, so we invested there. The budget decision and the game analysis agreed.”

✅
That answer shows game analysis, resource constraint awareness, and quantitative decision-making in 30 seconds. It is exactly what judges remember after 20 interviews.

Outreach and Sponsorships

Some teams fund part of their budget through sponsorships or grant programs. If you pursue this, document it in the notebook: who provided support, what it was used for, and how it enabled the robot. RECF judges look favorably on teams that understand the full context of their project, including how it was funded.

STEM
Resource Management as Engineering Practice
Every real engineering project operates within a budget. The aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics industries make design trade-offs based on cost every day — the same trade-offs you are making in VRC. “We chose aluminum over steel because the weight savings justified the cost increase” is the same reasoning an aerospace engineer uses. Document it the same way.

Related Tools on This Site

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Related Guides
🔧 V5RC Tools Guide → 🔧 CAD to Build Handoff → 📋 Project Management → ✂️ Custom Parts & Fabrication → ⚡ Battery Management → ⚡ Wiring & ESD →
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