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Sheet Metal Weight Calculator — Gauge, Area & Material Density Lookup

Calculate the Weight of Sheet Metal Blanks, Panels, and Cut Parts by Gauge and Dimensions

Free sheet metal weight calculator for fabricators, estimators, and purchasing departments. Enter the material type, gauge or thickness, and sheet dimensions to instantly calculate weight in pounds or kilograms. Supports rectangular sheets, circular blanks, and custom area inputs. Built-in density values for mild steel, stainless steel (304, 316), aluminum (3003, 5052, 6061), copper, brass, galvanized steel, and galvannealed steel.

Includes a complete gauge-to-thickness reference table for standard sheet metal gauges from 7 through 30 in all three gauge systems: steel MSG, stainless steel, and aluminum/Brown & Sharpe. Calculate weight per sheet, weight per square foot, and total weight for multi-sheet orders.

Pro Tip: When estimating material cost for fabrication jobs, add 15-20 percent to the net part weight for nesting waste and edge trim. For laser or plasma cutting from standard sheets, track your actual waste percentage over several jobs to refine your estimates.

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Sheet Metal Weight & Cost Calculator
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How It Works

  1. Select Material Type

    Choose from mild steel, stainless 304, stainless 316, aluminum 3003, aluminum 5052, aluminum 6061, copper, brass, galvanized steel, or galvannealed. Each material has its own density value and gauge system.

  2. Enter Gauge or Thickness

    Select a standard gauge from the dropdown or enter a custom decimal thickness in inches or millimeters. The calculator shows the equivalent decimal thickness for the selected gauge so you can verify against your material cert.

  3. Enter Sheet Dimensions

    For rectangular sheets, enter length and width. For circular blanks, enter the diameter. For custom shapes, enter the total area directly. All dimensions in inches, feet, or millimeters.

  4. Specify Quantity

    Enter the number of sheets or blanks. The calculator shows per-piece weight and total weight for the order. Useful for freight estimates and material ordering.

  5. Review Weight Results

    See weight per sheet in pounds and kilograms, weight per square foot, and total order weight. Use the per-square-foot value to compare material costs across different gauges and alloys.

Built For

  • Fabrication estimators calculating material weight for job costing and freight quotes
  • Purchasing departments comparing material cost by weight across vendors and alloys
  • Shipping and receiving personnel verifying incoming material weight against purchase orders
  • Structural engineers calculating dead load from sheet metal cladding and roofing panels
  • Laser and plasma cutting operators estimating blank weight for nesting and material utilization tracking
  • HVAC duct fabricators calculating sheet weight for custom ductwork material orders
  • Metal art fabricators estimating finished piece weight for mounting and shipping planning

Features & Capabilities

10+ Material Presets

Built-in density values for mild steel (0.2836 lb/in3), stainless 304 (0.289 lb/in3), stainless 316 (0.289 lb/in3), aluminum 3003/5052/6061 (0.098 lb/in3), copper (0.323 lb/in3), brass (0.307 lb/in3), galvanized, and galvannealed steel.

Three Gauge Systems

Supports Manufacturers Standard Gauge (MSG) for steel, the stainless steel gauge system, and Brown and Sharpe (B&S) for aluminum and non-ferrous metals. Each system has different thickness-to-gauge mappings.

Rectangular and Circular Shapes

Calculate weight for rectangular sheets by length and width, or circular blanks by diameter. Custom area input for irregular shapes when you know the total surface area.

Weight Per Square Foot

Outputs weight per square foot for each material and gauge combination. This is the standard unit for comparing sheet metal costs and calculating dead loads.

Multi-Sheet Order Totals

Enter quantity to get total order weight. Useful for freight estimates (LTL vs full truckload), crane and rigging planning, and verifying delivery weights.

Gauge Reference Table

Complete gauge-to-decimal conversion table for gauges 7 through 30. Shows decimal inches, millimeters, and weight per square foot for each gauge and material.

PDF Export

Export your weight calculation as a branded PDF for quoting, purchasing, or shop floor reference. Includes all input parameters and calculated weights.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Steel uses the Manufacturers Standard Gauge (MSG) system where 16 gauge is 0.0598 inches. Aluminum uses the Brown and Sharpe system where 16 gauge is 0.0508 inches. Stainless steel has its own gauge system where 16 gauge is 0.0625 inches. Always verify which gauge system applies to your material.
Calculate the gross weight of the bounding rectangle, then subtract the weight of the removed material. For parts with many cutouts, calculate the net area (gross area minus cutout area) and enter it as a custom area. The weight difference between gross and net is typically 5-20 percent for most fabricated parts.
Mill certs report actual measured thickness, which can vary from the nominal gauge by plus or minus 5 percent. A sheet marked as 16 gauge might actually measure 0.057 to 0.063 inches. Gauge tolerance is defined by ASTM A568 for steel. For critical weight calculations, use the actual measured thickness from the cert, not the nominal gauge.
A 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of 16 gauge (0.0598 inch) mild steel weighs approximately 40.7 pounds. This is a commonly stocked size in fabrication shops. The exact weight varies slightly with actual thickness tolerance.
Hot-dip galvanized coating adds approximately 1 to 3 percent to the base steel weight depending on coating thickness. G90 coating (the most common) adds about 0.90 oz/ft2 total (both sides), which is roughly 2 percent of the base metal weight for 16 gauge steel. For weight calculations, the difference is usually negligible.
Disclaimer: Weight calculations are based on nominal material density and gauge thickness. Actual weights vary with manufacturing tolerances, coatings, and material lot variation. For critical load calculations, use actual measured thickness and density values from the material certification.

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