← Back to Bead BoardAngle iron weight calculator
Equal-leg steel angle — what most shops call angle iron. 2" × 2" × 1/4" is 3.19 lb/ft. 3" × 3" × 3/8" is 7.18 lb/ft. Enter the leg size and thickness, get the weight per piece or total for your cut list. These numbers match AISC published tables within 1.5% for the sizes a fab shop actually uses.
Quick answer
Calculate steel angle weight per foot by leg size and thickness.
Steel angle weight per foot
Formula: thickness × (2 × leg − thickness) × 12 × 0.2836 lb/in³. Hot-rolled angles have fillet radii at the junction and rounded toes that add a small amount of material not captured by the simple formula. For angles 1" through 4", the difference is under 1.5% — well within the ±2–3% you get from mill tolerances anyway.
Questions welders ask about this one
How do you calculate angle iron weight?
The cross-section of an equal-leg angle is two rectangles that overlap at one corner. The area formula is: thickness × (2 × leg − thickness). Multiply by 12 for inches per foot, then by the steel density 0.2836 lb/in³. Example: 2" × 2" × 1/4" angle = 0.25 × (4 − 0.25) × 12 × 0.2836 = 3.19 lb/ft.
What is angle iron?
An L-shaped steel section with two equal legs meeting at a 90-degree angle. Formally called "structural steel angle" per AISC, or "equal-leg angle" in engineering drawings. Welding shops call it angle iron regardless of whether it is A36 carbon steel or A529/A572 higher-strength steel. Common uses: brackets, frames, bracing, supports, trailer corners, equipment stands.
Do AISC published weights match the calculator?
Within about 1–1.5% for the sizes a welding shop uses (1" through 4" legs). Hot-rolled angles have fillet radii at the junction that add material the simple formula does not capture. For large structural angles (6"+), the fillet contributes more. For shop-size angles, the difference is well under the ±2–3% you get from rolling tolerances.
Is A36 the same weight as A529 or A572 angle?
Yes. A36, A529 Grade 50, and A572 Grade 50 are all 0.2836 lb/in³. The difference is yield strength: 36 ksi for A36, 50 ksi for A529/A572. Many mills dual-certify angles to both A36 and A529-50 from the same heat. The weight per foot is identical across all three specs.
Weight is only half of material cost. To turn these pounds into a number you can quote, run the weld cost calculator for wire, gas, and labor per inch, or the job pricing calculator to build the whole bid.
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