Pipe Weight Calculator
Pipe weight is the volume of the wall — π × ((OD ÷ 2)² − (ID ÷ 2)²) × length — times the metal's density. 20 ft of 4 in Schedule 40 carbon-steel pipe (4.5 in OD, 0.237 in wall) weighs about 10.8 lb per foot, or 216 lb. For the water a pipe holds, use the Pipe Volume Calculator.
How it's calculated: Weight = π × ((OD ÷ 2)² − (ID ÷ 2)²) × length × density, where ID = OD − 2 × wall thickness.
Result appears here
Fill in the fields and press Calculate.
Formula, calculation, assumptions and sources
Wall volume = π × ((OD/2)² − (ID/2)²) × Length, where ID = OD − 2 × wall
Weight = wall volume × material density × quantity
Run the calculation to see each step with your own numbers.
20 ft of 4-in Schedule-40 carbon-steel pipe (OD 4.5 in, wall 0.237 in).
ID = 4.5 − 0.474 = 4.026 in
Wall area = π/4 × (4.5² − 4.026²) = 3.17 in²
Weight per foot ≈ 3.17 × 12 × 0.284 ≈ 10.8 lb/ft → 20 ft ≈ 216 lb
- Plain round pipe/tube of constant wall thickness — no couplings, threads or coating.
- Nominal alloy density. Standard steel pipe weights in the tables include a small mill-tolerance allowance; this is the theoretical weight.
- Nominal pipe size vs outside diameter?
- For steel pipe up to 12 in, the 'nominal' size isn't the actual OD — e.g. '4-inch' pipe has a 4.5 in OD. Enter the real OD and wall for your schedule.
- What wall thickness should I enter?
- The one for your pipe schedule. For example, 4-in Schedule-40 steel pipe has a 4.5 in OD and a 0.237 in wall; Schedule-80 is thicker. Tube is usually specified by its actual OD and gauge or wall directly.
- Is this the same as a pipe table weight?
- Very close. Published steel-pipe weights build in a small mill-tolerance allowance, so they read a touch higher than this theoretical figure.
- How much does 4 inch Schedule 40 steel pipe weigh per foot?
- About 10.8 lb per foot in theory: a 4.5 in outside diameter with a 0.237 in wall gives 3.17 in² of steel. Published pipe tables read slightly higher because they include a mill-tolerance allowance.
- How do you calculate the weight of a pipe?
- Subtract the inside-diameter circle from the outside-diameter circle to get the wall area, multiply by the length for the metal volume, then by the density — about 0.284 lb/in³ for carbon steel.
Densities
Metal densities from the ASM Metals Reference Book / Machinery's Handbook: carbon steel 7,850 · stainless ~7,950 · aluminium 2,700 · copper 8,960 · brass ~8,500 · cast iron ~7,200 kg/m³.
About the Pipe Weight Calculator
The Pipe Weight Calculator gives the weight of a length of round pipe or tube from its outside diameter, wall thickness, length and material. It works out the inside diameter, the wall cross-section and the volume of metal, then multiplies by density. For steel pipe below 14 in, the nominal size is not the actual OD — enter the real dimensions for your schedule. For solid bar or plate, use the Metal Weight or Plate Weight calculators.
What you enter
- Outside diameter
- Wall thickness — e.g. 4-in Schedule-40 steel pipe has a 0.237 in wall.
- Length
- Number of lengths
- Material
What you get back
- Total weight — the exact result of the calculation.
- Weight per foot — the exact result of the calculation.
The formula, a worked example, the assumptions behind it and the sources are shown in full below the calculator.
Related calculators
- Metal Weight Calculator — Weight of a metal bar, sheet or section from its dimensions and alloy.
- Plate Weight Calculator — Weight of a metal plate from its dimensions, thickness and material.
- Pipe Volume Calculator — Volume of liquid a length of pipe holds from its diameter and length.
Part of the Materials calculators.