How much does a PFM crown cost?

The typical porcelain fused to metal crown cost is $788 (the median negotiated price), with the middle half of practices charging $674 to $879.

Porcelain-and-metal crown. A crown with a metal base under a porcelain outer layer - strong, long-established, slightly less natural-looking than all-ceramic.

Median negotiated

$788

observed midpoint

Middle half

$674 – $879

25th to 75th percentile

Practices

25,129

in the sample

Est. self-pay

$788 – $964

estimate, not observed

Porcelain fused to metal crown cost nationally

Prices cluster fairly tightly, from $674 to $879 across the middle half of the market, so shopping around saves less here than on larger treatments.

Observed dataObserved negotiated rates. Every figure here is a real negotiated amount taken from payer files published under the federal Transparency in Coverage rule. These are what a dental plan pays a contracted practice - not a cash price.

Estimated self-payEstimated self-pay range, not an observation. We do not have observed cash prices, and we will not present a modelled number as though we did. This range is the upper half of the same observed negotiated distribution, shown because an uninsured patient generally pays at or above the highest negotiated tier. Treat it as a budgeting aid and ask any practice for a written quote.

What it covers

A crown with a metal base under a porcelain outer layer - strong, long-established, slightly less natural-looking than all-ceramic.

What moves the price

The alloy used under the porcelain, plus the same laboratory factors as any crown.

Normally included

Preparation, impression, laboratory work, fitting.

Usually billed separately

Build-up, root canal, and replacement of any existing crown being removed.

How plans treat it

Treated as a major service, like other crowns.

Porcelain fused to metal crown cost by state

Each bar is one state's observed distribution: the block is the middle half of the market, the vertical rule is the median, and the line reaching right runs out to the 90th percentile. The dashed line is the national median, so you can see at a glance which states sit above or below it.

Porcelain-and-metal crown: observed negotiated price by state

Middle half (25th–75th)MedianNational median

The same figures as a table, lowest median first. Only states with at least 15 practices are listed.

Negotiated columns are observed. The self-pay column is an estimate derived from the upper half of the same distribution — see methodology. Column headings sort the table.
State	Negotiated range Observed	Median	Practices (n)	Est. self-pay Estimated
North Dakota	$541 – $852	$682	30	$682 – $1,075
Alabama	$614 – $828	$695	300	$695 – $924
District of Columbia	$476 – $816	$701	134	$701 – $976
Iowa	$612 – $798	$720	224	$720 – $886
Michigan	$626 – $826	$730	657	$730 – $958
Louisiana	$600 – $840	$734	325	$734 – $950
Indiana	$613 – $838	$736	451	$736 – $925
Nebraska	$625 – $858	$744	182	$744 – $1,008
Arkansas	$673 – $795	$746	198	$746 – $891
Pennsylvania	$641 – $847	$749	1,291	$749 – $938
Tennessee	$625 – $858	$750	558	$750 – $944
Kentucky	$629 – $905	$753	448	$753 – $975
Missouri	$641 – $860	$755	471	$755 – $956
Ohio	$638 – $850	$756	826	$756 – $935
Colorado	$641 – $887	$767	584	$767 – $966
Oklahoma	$681 – $874	$772	327	$772 – $958
Utah	$656 – $874	$772	313	$772 – $930
New Jersey	$661 – $880	$772	978	$772 – $964
Kansas	$669 – $860	$779	243	$779 – $941
Florida	$652 – $870	$780	1,685	$780 – $947
Maryland	$684 – $898	$781	541	$781 – $1,011
New Mexico	$660 – $840	$782	151	$782 – $932
Delaware	$712 – $892	$783	54	$783 – $960
Nevada	$680 – $891	$784	304	$784 – $990
Texas	$666 – $868	$788	2,213	$788 – $974
Georgia	$668 – $892	$788	664	$788 – $976
New York	$707 – $871	$788	1,640	$788 – $944
Wisconsin	$703 – $888	$789	331	$789 – $988
Mississippi	$709 – $912	$793	201	$793 – $966
West Virginia	$730 – $849	$798	144	$798 – $900
Illinois	$670 – $884	$799	974	$799 – $969
Idaho	$641 – $883	$799	143	$799 – $974
South Carolina	$687 – $881	$800	292	$800 – $942
Arizona	$691 – $872	$801	596	$801 – $964
Massachusetts	$710 – $883	$802	761	$802 – $950
Virginia	$641 – $900	$803	724	$803 – $979
Oregon	$722 – $871	$808	257	$808 – $928
Vermont	$725 – $893	$817	18	$817 – $926
California	$747 – $892	$820	2,510	$820 – $969
Hawaii	$722 – $931	$820	55	$820 – $971
South Dakota	$674 – $935	$820	34	$820 – $998
New Hampshire	$739 – $972	$826	60	$826 – $1,065
Connecticut	$733 – $942	$830	341	$830 – $1,008
Montana	$770 – $942	$835	60	$835 – $1,004
Washington	$756 – $902	$837	626	$837 – $976
Minnesota	$703 – $922	$838	279	$838 – $1,030
Wyoming	$796 – $876	$839	28	$839 – $907
North Carolina	$741 – $904	$843	699	$843 – $1,012
Rhode Island	$764 – $940	$844	51	$844 – $1,045
Puerto Rico	$738 – $1,018	$882	29	$882 – $1,018
Alaska	$793 – $1,006	$886	41	$886 – $1,108
Maine	$746 – $1,041	$984	56	$984 – $1,078

Related treatments

All-ceramic crown Core build-up under a crown Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit

Crowns & bridges guide · All treatments · How this was measured

Common questions

What should I ask the practice before agreeing?

Why this material rather than all-ceramic for this particular tooth?

Is this the price I will pay without insurance?

No. The $674 to $879 range above is what dental plans have negotiated with contracted practices. If you are uninsured you will generally be quoted at or above the top of that range. We show an estimated self-pay range, clearly marked as an estimate, because we do not observe cash prices — see the methodology.

What is not included in this price?

Build-up, root canal, and replacement of any existing crown being removed.

How do dental plans usually treat this?

Treated as a major service, like other crowns.

How many practices is this based on?

This national figure comes from 25,129 separate dental practices. Each practice contributes one observation, which is the median of every rate it holds for this treatment.