Stainless Steel Weight Formula
Stainless steel weight is density times volume. For quick estimates, 304 and 316 stainless are usually taken as 8.00 g/cm3, a little heavier than mild steel at 7.85 g/cm3.
Open the metal weight calculatorStainless steel weight formula
Stainless stock weight is calculated from volume and density:
W = rho * A * L
With density in g/cm3, cross-section area in mm2 and length in mm:
weight (kg) = rho * A * L / 1,000,000.
A practical density for 304, 316 and 303 stainless is 8.00 g/cm3. Martensitic and ferritic grades can be lighter: 410 is about 7.74 g/cm3, 430 is about 7.70 g/cm3 and 17-4 PH is about 7.75 g/cm3.
Common stainless shortcuts
- Plate or sheet:
kg/m2 = 8.00 * thickness, with thickness in mm. - Round bar:
kg/m = 8.00 * pi * d^2 / 4000, with d in mm. - Round tube:
kg/m = 8.00 * pi/4 * (OD^2 - ID^2) / 1000, with diameters in mm.
Worked example
A 250 mm wide, 10 mm thick, 1 m long 304 stainless plate has volume
250 * 10 * 1000 = 2,500,000 mm3. Its weight is
8.00 * 2,500,000 / 1,000,000 = 20.0 kg. The same plate in mild
steel is about 19.6 kg.
304, 316 and other stainless grades
304 and 316 are close enough that many purchasing estimates use the same density. If the job uses 410, 430, 17-4 PH or another grade, use the selected material in the calculator so the weight follows the grade instead of a generic stainless value.
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Last reviewed: June 1, 2026.