Pipe Weight Calculator
Calculate the weight of steel, stainless, aluminum, copper, or PVC pipe from outer diameter, wall thickness, and length.
Shows total and per-foot weight.
The weight of a pipe comes from how much material is in its wall, which is why two pipes of the same outside diameter can weigh very differently depending on their wall thickness. The wall is a hollow ring, so its cross-section is the area of the full outer circle minus the area of the hollow bore.
The calculation works in three steps. First find the inner diameter by subtracting twice the wall thickness from the outer diameter. Then the wall cross-section area is pi divided by four, times the outer diameter squared minus the inner diameter squared. Multiply that area by the length and by the density of the material, and you have the weight. Keeping length in the same units as the diameter, then converting at the end, avoids the most common slip.
Material density is the factor that swings the result most. Steel is roughly 0.284 pounds per cubic inch, stainless slightly more, and copper heavier still at about 0.323, while aluminum is only about a third of steel and PVC lighter again. That is why an aluminum rail feels so light next to a steel one of identical size.
Knowing pipe weight matters for shipping costs, for whether one or two people can carry a length, and for the load a structure or hanger has to support. The figures here use the nominal dimensions you enter; real mill tolerances vary a little, so treat the result as a close working estimate rather than a certified value.