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Material cost calculator. Metal weight and cost for sheet, bar and tube.

Metal weight is cross-section area × length × density, and this calculator works it out for sheet, plate, bar and tube, in kg and lb, with the cost at your price.

Updated

Shape
Units

Standard reference density. Your alloy or temper may differ slightly; use a custom density if you know it.

01— Method

How to calculate metal weight

Cross-section × length × density, then quantity and price. Five steps, and what this calculator does with each.

  1. 01Work out the cross-section area

    Plate and flat bar: width × thickness. Round bar: π × d² ÷ 4. Square bar: side². Rectangular tube: outer width × height minus the hollow inside. Round tube: π ÷ 4 × (OD² − ID²).

    This tool: computes it from the dimensions you type, with sharp corners.

  2. 02Multiply by the length

    Area × length is the volume of one piece. Keep the units consistent: mm² × mm gives mm³, and 1,000,000,000 mm³ is one cubic metre.

    This tool: takes mm or inches and converts to metric internally.

  3. 03Multiply by the density

    Volume in m³ × density in kg/m³ gives kilograms. Densities are standard reference values per material; a specific alloy or temper differs slightly.

    This tool: carries standard densities for six common materials, or takes your own.

  4. 04Multiply by the quantity

    One piece’s weight × the number of pieces is what you order, ship and pay for.

    This tool: shows the piece weight and the total, in kilograms and pounds.

  5. 05Price it

    Metal is usually priced by weight, per kilogram or per pound, so the cost is the total weight × your price.

    This tool: multiplies by the price you enter. It has no market prices of its own.

02— FAQ

Questions about the material cost calculator.

What it does, what it leaves to you, and what it costs.

They are standard reference values, in kg/m³: Carbon steel 7,850, Stainless steel 304 7,930, Aluminum 6061 2,700, Brass 8,500, Copper 8,960, Titanium Ti-6Al-4V 4,430. Published handbook figures vary slightly by alloy, temper and source, so for an exact weight use your supplier’s density in the custom field.

The calculator treats tube and bar sections as sharp-cornered. Real rectangular tube has rounded corners, so it weighs a little less, and mill tolerances on wall thickness move it either way. Use the supplier’s weight per metre when it matters.

Length × width × thickness × density. A 2,000 × 1,000 × 3 mm sheet is 0.006 m³, so in steel at 7,850 kg/m³ it weighs 47.1 kg; in aluminum at 2,700 kg/m³, 16.2 kg.

Yes. Switch the units to inches for every dimension and the length, and the result shows both kilograms and pounds (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg). The price can be per kilogram or per pound.

No. It is material weight × your price. Saw kerf, offcuts, minimum lengths, cutting charges and delivery are not included.

The result shows a $ sign, but the arithmetic does not depend on the currency: enter your price in any currency and read the figure in that currency.

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Quoting material by hand for every order?

SBFS builds product configurators that do this math for every order automatically: the customer picks the size and material, the configurator prices it and writes the quote. See configurator demos by industry.

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