Sheet metal price estimator
Work out what a steel, stainless or aluminium sheet costs in EUR from price per kg, and what each nested part costs. Free, no signup.
Stockists quote per kg, your quote goes out per part. Enter the sheet size, thickness, density and price per kg to get the sheet price, the price per square metre and the true material cost per part at your nesting utilisation.
Why price per kg and price per part disagree
Suppliers price metal by weight because that is how they buy it. Your customer buys parts. The bridge between the two is nesting utilisation: at 78% utilisation nearly a quarter of every sheet you pay for leaves the building as skeleton scrap. Push utilisation to 88% and the material cost of each part drops by roughly 11% with no change in supplier price.
Typical densities
- Mild steel: 7.85 g/cm³
- Stainless 304: 8.00 g/cm³
- Aluminium 5251 / 6061: 2.70 g/cm³
- Brass: 8.49 g/cm³
- Copper: 8.96 g/cm³
Common stock sizes
European stockists usually hold 2500x1250 mm and 3000x1500 mm plate, and 2440x1220 mm board. Enter whatever your supplier actually delivers, offcut sizes included, and compare the price per m² between options before ordering.
Enter no VAT (0) if you are quoting business to business and reclaiming it. The Irish standard rate is 23%.
Next steps
Use the sheet metal weight calculator for weight only, the nesting efficiency calculator to find your real utilisation, and the offcut value calculator to see what your remnant rack is worth.
Related tools
- Offcut and scrap value calculator: What a remnant saves as reusable stock versus what it fetches as scrap.
- Material cost estimator: Per-part material cost from sheet price, utilisation and scrap recovery.
- Power & speed starting points: Cutting speed, passes and engraving settings per material, scaled to your laser.
FAQ
Does this include cutting time?
No, this is material only. Use the laser cost per part calculator to add machine time, labour and margin.
Where do I get a price per kg?
From your own supplier invoice. Prices move with the market, so use your latest delivered price rather than a published list price.
Can I use it for plate offcuts?
Yes. Enter the offcut dimensions as the sheet size, that gives you the real value of material already on your rack.
Is VAT included?
Both figures are shown. Set the VAT field to 0 if you quote ex VAT.