Pipe & Tube Weight Calculator

Weigh steel and PVC pipe, conduit, copper tube, and round or rectangular tube from a standard size or your own dimensions.

Calculate pipe or tube weight

Choose your tube shape, then use a stock size or enter dimensions.

Set all
Tube

Results

Total weight

10.037 lb

For the entered quantity and dimensions

Material density
0.284 lb/in³
Total surface area
3.9372 ft²
Total volume
35.343 in³
Round tube — isometric dimension guideLØ

Isometric view · not to scale

L
48 in
Ø
2 in
Wall
0.125 in

Material densities for pipe and tube

Compare Fabworks tube materials or browse standard engineering densities for steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, PVC, and other pipe and tubing materials.

8 materials
Material Family Common names kg/m³ lb/in³
Aluminum 5052-H32Metal—2,6800.097
Aluminum 6061-T6Metal—2,7200.098
Aluminum 7075-T6Metal—2,8100.102
Steel 1008 cold-rolledMetal—7,8500.284
Steel A36 HRPOMetal—7,8610.284
Galvanized steel G90Metal—7,8500.284
Stainless steel 304-2BMetal—8,0300.290
Stainless steel 316Metal—7,9900.289

How it works

Pipe weight is the area of the steel ring times the length times the density. A pipe size is a name, not a measurement. 2 in pipe is 2.375 in across the outside, and the wall changes with the schedule. Load the size from the presets so both come out right.

How to use the calculator

  1. 1Choose Circular for pipe, conduit, and round tube, or Rectangular for square and rectangular tube.
  2. 2For pipe, pick the family (steel, PVC, EMT, IMC, RMC, or copper) and the trade size so the outside diameter and wall load together. For anything else, type them in.
  3. 3Pick the material, then enter the cut length and quantity.
  4. 4To compare with a catalog lb/ft, divide the total weight by the length in feet.

Pipe & tube weight formulas

Steel pipe, pounds per foot
lb/ft = 10.69 × (OD − wall) × wall
OD and wall in inches. 10.69 is π × 12 × 0.2836 lb/in³. For 5052 aluminum use 3.65.

2 in Schedule 40 steel pipe

Inputs
One 10 ft length with a 2.375 in outside diameter and 0.154 in wall, in A36 steel (7,861 kg/m³).
Result
Weight = 36.6 lb, or 3.66 lb/ft.

The ring area is π/4 × (2.375² − 2.067²) = 1.075 in². Over 120 in that is 128.9 in³, and 128.9 × 0.284 lb/in³ = 36.6 lb. Wheatland lists 3.66 lb/ft for this pipe.

What to know before using the result

Is the nominal pipe size the outside diameter?
No. 2 in pipe measures 2.375 in across and 1/2 in pipe measures 0.840 in. The outside diameter stays the same in every schedule, and a thicker wall shrinks the bore.
What is the difference between Schedule 40 and Schedule 80?
The wall. 2 in steel pipe has the same 2.375 in outside diameter in both. Schedule 40 has a 0.154 in wall and weighs 3.66 lb/ft. Schedule 80 has a 0.218 in wall and weighs 5.03 lb/ft.
Why is copper tube larger than its size?
Copper water tube is 1/8 in over its nominal size, so 1/2 in tube is 0.625 in across. Types K, L, and M differ only in wall. For 1/2 in that is 0.049, 0.040, and 0.028 in.
Will it match the weight per foot in my supplier’s table?
For new pipe, within a fraction of a percent. Tables use the nominal wall. ASTM A53 and B36.10 allow a wall up to 12.5% under nominal, so real pipe can weigh less.

Formula

m = A × L × ρ

Area times length gives volume, and volume times density gives weight. For tube, the area is the outside shape minus the hollow.

Engineering references

Assumptions and limits

  • Sheet and plate are a flat rectangle or disc of even thickness. Holes and cutouts are not subtracted.
  • Rectangular tube has a constant wall: the inside corner radius is the outside radius minus the wall.
  • Pipe, conduit, and copper presets use nominal wall. Real pipe can run thinner.
  • Fittings, couplings, weld seams, and coatings are not included.

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