FabCostEstimator

Metal Fabrication Estimator

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A free metal fabrication cost calculator for welders, fabricators, and shop owners — cut list in, accurate stock weights and a printable quote out. No signup, and nothing leaves your browser.

01 Material prices

$/lb — edit to match your supplier

Defaults are a daily commodity reference adjusted to finished stock — a starting point, not a promise. Overwrite any field with the price on your last invoice. Your numbers are remembered on this device.

02 Cut list

Dimensions in inches

#
Material
Profile
Dimensions (in)
Qty
Weight

03 Labor & markup

$/hr
%
%

04 Quote

Add a stock item to build a quote.

Building a desktop app

Saved quotes · customer records · branded PDFs

A Windows desktop version is in development — save and search every quote, keep a customer list, and hand over a branded PDF instead of a screenshot. The free tool here stays free; this is what we're building next. See what's planned →

We'll only email you about the desktop app — no spam. Email hello@fabcostestimator.com anytime to be removed.

How the math works

Stock weights

Every weight comes from the profile's real cross-section geometry — plate, sheet, flat and round bar, tube, angle, HSS, and pipe in A36 steel, 6061 or 5052 aluminum, or 304 stainless — no lookup-table approximations:

weight = area (in²) × length (in) × density (lb/in³)

Densities used: A36 steel 0.284, 6061 aluminum 0.098, 5052 aluminum 0.097, and 304 stainless 0.289 lb/in³. Worked example — a 2” × 2” × ¼” steel angle, 8 ft long: area (2 + 2 − 0.25) × 0.25 = 0.938 in², so 0.938 × 96 × 0.284 ≈ 25.6 lb. Pipe uses the ASME B36.10M table (outside diameter and wall by NPS and schedule); square and rectangular tube areas are corrected for rounded corners to match AISC mill weight tables.

From weight to quote

Each line's weight × its material's $/lb gives the material subtotal. Drop/waste adds a percentage of that subtotal to cover offcuts and kerf. Labor is hours × your shop rate. Markup is applied to material + waste — not to labor — so your labor rate stays whatever you set it to.

Where prices come from

Default prices are rebuilt daily from commodity references — LME quotes for aluminum and nickel, CME US Midwest hot-rolled coil futures for steel — mapped to typical finished-stock $/lb. Structural 6061 and 5052 sheet derive from the same aluminum quote with grade-specific multipliers. They're a starting point, not a promise: overwrite any price with the number on your last supplier invoice, and your values are remembered on this device.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate the weight of steel?

Multiply the cross-section area by the length, then by the density of steel (0.284 lb/in³ for A36). For example, a ¼” × 4” flat bar is 1 in² of cross-section, so every inch of length weighs 0.284 lb — about 3.4 lb per foot.

What does A36 steel weigh?

A36 mild steel weighs 0.284 lb/in³ (about 490 lb/ft³). A ¼” plate runs roughly 10.2 lb per square foot; a 4’ × 8’ sheet of it is about 327 lb.

How much waste should I include in a fabrication quote?

The default here is 10%, which covers typical offcuts, kerf, and drop on general work. Tight nesting on repeat parts can justify 5%; one-off jobs with awkward cut lists or expensive stock often warrant 15% or more. Set it per job.

What is a typical fabrication shop hourly rate?

The default is $85/hr, a reasonable middle for small-shop work. Real rates commonly run anywhere from $60 to $150+ per hour depending on region, equipment, and certifications — enter the rate your shop actually charges.

Are these material prices accurate?

They're rebuilt daily from commodity references (LME and CME quotes) and adjusted to typical finished-stock pricing, so they track the market but won't match any one supplier exactly. Always confirm against your supplier's invoice before sending a bid — every price field is editable, and your numbers are saved on this device.

Is my data private?

Yes. Everything runs in your browser — cut lists, prices, and quotes are stored in your browser's local storage and never uploaded. There are no accounts, no cookies, and no tracking.