Steel Beam Weight Calculator — ft, lbs
How to use this calculator
Pick the section family tab (W, S, C, HSS, or angle), choose the exact AISC designation, then type the cut length in feet + inches (down to ⅛″) and the piece count. The published nominal weight per foot drives weight per beam, order total, short tons, and — with the Cost panel — your mill-plus-fab budget. The chip presets below load the most common real-world picks (a W8×31 12-ft header, a W12×26 20-ft floor beam, an HSS column, an L4×4 angle frame) so you can confirm a number in two clicks.
Cost — enter price per pound, per linear foot, or per beam.
Connections — optionally add end plate and bolt weight for crane-pick totals.
Steel Grade — A36 (general bar/angle), A992 (wide flanges), A500 Gr. B/C (HSS).
Saved Calculations
| Time | Section | Length | Qty | lb/ft | Total lbs | Cost |
|---|
How to Use This Steel Beam Weight Calculator
Pick the section family tab (W, S, C, HSS, or angle), choose the exact designation from the size list, then enter the cut length in feet, inches and a fraction. The published nominal weight per foot — taken straight from the AISC Steel Construction Manual — drives every result. Designation weights already account for fillets and root radii, so they are more accurate than computing area × 490 pcf by hand. Total weight = weight per foot × length (ft) × number of pieces; tonnage uses the 2,000-lb short ton.
Formulas
Weight per beam (lb) = wft × Lft. Total (lb) = wft × Lft × N. Short tons = total ÷ 2,000. Connection add = (plates × plate wt) + (bolts × bolt wt) per beam. For a fabricated check, plate weight ≈ 40.8 lb/ft² per inch of thickness (steel at 490 lb/ft³, 0.2836 lb/in³).
Steel Grades
ASTM A992 (Fy = 50 ksi) is the default for rolled W-shapes. ASTM A36 (Fy = 36 ksi) covers angles, plates and general bar. ASTM A500 Gr. B/C applies to HSS. Grade changes strength, not weight — density is constant. For column design loads use the steel column calculator, and size welded base plates with the steel plate weight calculator.
Ordering tips
Three things estimators miss on steel takeoffs. Cut waste — order to 5% over net length on simple drops, 8–10% if you have copes or skewed connections; mills sell in 20-, 30-, 40- and 60-ft random lengths and the off-cuts rarely re-use. Fabrication multiplier — mill steel runs $0.55–$1.40/lb in 2025; once it's cut, drilled, welded and primed, finished pricing is roughly 1.3–1.6× that and a 1-piece shop order picks up a $150–$300 minimum. Coating — hot-dip galvanize (ASTM A123) adds about $0.35–$0.55/lb and 1–2 lb of zinc per linear foot to the shipped weight; shop primer is closer to $0.15/lb. Layout high-strength A325/A490 bolts with the bolt pattern calculator, cross-check embedded rebar with the rebar calculator, size columns with the steel column calculator, and verify concrete encasement with the concrete beam calculator.
FAQ
Why does W12×26 weigh 26 lb/ft? The number after the × is the nominal weight per foot by definition, so a 20-ft W12×26 weighs 520 lb. Does grade change the weight? No — A36 and A992 have the same density; only yield strength differs. Is mill tolerance included? No, results are nominal; rolled sections vary about ±2.5% on weight per ASTM A6.
