Square tubing sizes
Every standard square HSS — what the yard calls square tubing — with walls, weight per foot and live piece weights. The outside size stays fixed while the wall grows inward, which is why one footprint comes in half a dozen weights.
Square tubing filter
| Designation | Size | Wall (in) | lb/ft | 20 ft piece |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSS16X16X5/8 | 16×16 | 5/8 | 127.37 | 2,547 lb |
| HSS14X14X5/8 | 14×14 | 5/8 | 110.36 | 2,207 lb |
| HSS16X16X1/2 | 16×16 | 1/2 | 103.3 | 2,066 lb |
| HSS12X12X5/8 | 12×12 | 5/8 | 93.34 | 1,867 lb |
| HSS14X14X1/2 | 14×14 | 1/2 | 89.68 | 1,794 lb |
| HSS16X16X3/8 | 16×16 | 3/8 | 78.52 | 1,570 lb |
| HSS10X10X5/8 | 10×10 | 5/8 | 76.33 | 1,527 lb |
| HSS12X12X1/2 | 12×12 | 1/2 | 76.07 | 1,521 lb |
| HSS14X14X3/8 | 14×14 | 3/8 | 68.31 | 1,366 lb |
| HSS9X9X5/8 | 9×9 | 5/8 | 67.82 | 1,356 lb |
| HSS16X16X5/16 | 16×16 | 5/16 | 65.87 | 1,317 lb |
| HSS10X10X1/2 | 10×10 | 1/2 | 62.46 | 1,249 lb |
| HSS8X8X5/8 | 8×8 | 5/8 | 59.32 | 1,186 lb |
| HSS12X12X3/8 | 12×12 | 3/8 | 58.1 | 1,162 lb |
| HSS14X14X5/16 | 14×14 | 5/16 | 57.36 | 1,147 lb |
| HSS9X9X1/2 | 9×9 | 1/2 | 55.66 | 1,113 lb |
| HSS7X7X5/8 | 7×7 | 5/8 | 50.81 | 1,016 lb |
| HSS12X12X5/16 | 12×12 | 5/16 | 48.86 | 977 lb |
| HSS8X8X1/2 | 8×8 | 1/2 | 48.85 | 977 lb |
| HSS10X10X3/8 | 10×10 | 3/8 | 47.9 | 958 lb |
| HSS9X9X3/8 | 9×9 | 3/8 | 42.79 | 856 lb |
| HSS6X6X5/8 | 6×6 | 5/8 | 42.3 | 846 lb |
| HSS7X7X1/2 | 7×7 | 1/2 | 42.05 | 841 lb |
| HSS10X10X5/16 | 10×10 | 5/16 | 40.35 | 807 lb |
| HSS12X12X1/4 | 12×12 | 1/4 | 39.43 | 789 lb |
| HSS8X8X3/8 | 8×8 | 3/8 | 37.69 | 754 lb |
| HSS9X9X5/16 | 9×9 | 5/16 | 36.1 | 722 lb |
| HSS6X6X1/2 | 6×6 | 1/2 | 35.24 | 705 lb |
| HSS10X10X1/4 | 10×10 | 1/4 | 32.63 | 653 lb |
| HSS7X7X3/8 | 7×7 | 3/8 | 32.58 | 652 lb |
| HSS8X8X5/16 | 8×8 | 5/16 | 31.84 | 637 lb |
| HSS12X12X3/16 | 12×12 | 3/16 | 29.84 | 597 lb |
| HSS9X9X1/4 | 9×9 | 1/4 | 29.23 | 585 lb |
| HSS5X5X1/2 | 5×5 | 1/2 | 28.43 | 569 lb |
| HSS7X7X5/16 | 7×7 | 5/16 | 27.59 | 552 lb |
| HSS6X6X3/8 | 6×6 | 3/8 | 27.48 | 550 lb |
| HSS8X8X1/4 | 8×8 | 1/4 | 25.82 | 516 lb |
| HSS4-1/2X4-1/2X1/2 | 4-1/2×4-1/2 | 1/2 | 25.03 | 501 lb |
| HSS5-1/2X5-1/2X3/8 | 5-1/2×5-1/2 | 3/8 | 24.93 | 499 lb |
| HSS10X10X3/16 | 10×10 | 3/16 | 24.73 | 495 lb |
| HSS6X6X5/16 | 6×6 | 5/16 | 23.34 | 467 lb |
| HSS7X7X1/4 | 7×7 | 1/4 | 22.42 | 448 lb |
| HSS5X5X3/8 | 5×5 | 3/8 | 22.37 | 447 lb |
| HSS9X9X3/16 | 9×9 | 3/16 | 22.18 | 444 lb |
| HSS4X4X1/2 | 4×4 | 1/2 | 21.63 | 433 lb |
| HSS5-1/2X5-1/2X5/16 | 5-1/2×5-1/2 | 5/16 | 21.21 | 424 lb |
| HSS4-1/2X4-1/2X3/8 | 4-1/2×4-1/2 | 3/8 | 19.82 | 396 lb |
| HSS8X8X3/16 | 8×8 | 3/16 | 19.63 | 393 lb |
| HSS5X5X5/16 | 5×5 | 5/16 | 19.08 | 382 lb |
| HSS6X6X1/4 | 6×6 | 1/4 | 19.02 | 380 lb |
| HSS5-1/2X5-1/2X1/4 | 5-1/2×5-1/2 | 1/4 | 17.32 | 346 lb |
| HSS4X4X3/8 | 4×4 | 3/8 | 17.27 | 345 lb |
| HSS7X7X3/16 | 7×7 | 3/16 | 17.08 | 342 lb |
| HSS4-1/2X4-1/2X5/16 | 4-1/2×4-1/2 | 5/16 | 16.96 | 339 lb |
| HSS5X5X1/4 | 5×5 | 1/4 | 15.62 | 312 lb |
| HSS9X9X1/8 | 9×9 | 1/8 | 14.96 | 299 lb |
| HSS4X4X5/16 | 4×4 | 5/16 | 14.83 | 297 lb |
| HSS3-1/2X3-1/2X3/8 | 3-1/2×3-1/2 | 3/8 | 14.72 | 294 lb |
| HSS6X6X3/16 | 6×6 | 3/16 | 14.53 | 291 lb |
| HSS4-1/2X4-1/2X1/4 | 4-1/2×4-1/2 | 1/4 | 13.91 | 278 lb |
| HSS8X8X1/8 | 8×8 | 1/8 | 13.26 | 265 lb |
| HSS5-1/2X5-1/2X3/16 | 5-1/2×5-1/2 | 3/16 | 13.25 | 265 lb |
| HSS3-1/2X3-1/2X5/16 | 3-1/2×3-1/2 | 5/16 | 12.7 | 254 lb |
| HSS4X4X1/4 | 4×4 | 1/4 | 12.21 | 244 lb |
| HSS3X3X3/8 | 3×3 | 3/8 | 12.17 | 243 lb |
| HSS5X5X3/16 | 5×5 | 3/16 | 11.97 | 239 lb |
| HSS7X7X1/8 | 7×7 | 1/8 | 11.56 | 231 lb |
| HSS4-1/2X4-1/2X3/16 | 4-1/2×4-1/2 | 3/16 | 10.7 | 214 lb |
| HSS3X3X5/16 | 3×3 | 5/16 | 10.58 | 212 lb |
| HSS3-1/2X3-1/2X1/4 | 3-1/2×3-1/2 | 1/4 | 10.51 | 210 lb |
| HSS6X6X1/8 | 6×6 | 1/8 | 9.86 | 197 lb |
| HSS4X4X3/16 | 4×4 | 3/16 | 9.42 | 188 lb |
| HSS5-1/2X5-1/2X1/8 | 5-1/2×5-1/2 | 1/8 | 9.01 | 180 lb |
| HSS3X3X1/4 | 3×3 | 1/4 | 8.81 | 176 lb |
| HSS2-1/2X2-1/2X5/16 | 2-1/2×2-1/2 | 5/16 | 8.45 | 169 lb |
| HSS5X5X1/8 | 5×5 | 1/8 | 8.16 | 163 lb |
| HSS3-1/2X3-1/2X3/16 | 3-1/2×3-1/2 | 3/16 | 8.15 | 163 lb |
| HSS4-1/2X4-1/2X1/8 | 4-1/2×4-1/2 | 1/8 | 7.31 | 146 lb |
| HSS2-1/2X2-1/2X1/4 | 2-1/2×2-1/2 | 1/4 | 7.11 | 142 lb |
| HSS3X3X3/16 | 3×3 | 3/16 | 6.87 | 137 lb |
| HSS4X4X1/8 | 4×4 | 1/8 | 6.46 | 129 lb |
| HSS2-1/4X2-1/4X1/4 | 2-1/4×2-1/4 | 1/4 | 6.26 | 125 lb |
| HSS3-1/2X3-1/2X1/8 | 3-1/2×3-1/2 | 1/8 | 5.61 | 112 lb |
| HSS2-1/2X2-1/2X3/16 | 2-1/2×2-1/2 | 3/16 | 5.59 | 112 lb |
| HSS2X2X1/4 | 2×2 | 1/4 | 5.41 | 108 lb |
| HSS2-1/4X2-1/4X3/16 | 2-1/4×2-1/4 | 3/16 | 4.96 | 99 lb |
| HSS3X3X1/8 | 3×3 | 1/8 | 4.75 | 95 lb |
| HSS2X2X3/16 | 2×2 | 3/16 | 4.32 | 86 lb |
| HSS2-1/2X2-1/2X1/8 | 2-1/2×2-1/2 | 1/8 | 3.9 | 78 lb |
| HSS2-1/4X2-1/4X1/8 | 2-1/4×2-1/4 | 1/8 | 3.48 | 70 lb |
| HSS2X2X1/8 | 2×2 | 1/8 | 3.05 | 61 lb |
Nominal walls — the design wall for A500 HSS is thinner (about 0.93 × nominal), already baked into published section properties.
Published nominal dimensions and weights for estimating and orientation — member selection belongs to the engineer of record. Rectangular and round HSS live in the full roster: structural shape weights. The nominal-wall story in full: HSS sizes and wall thickness.
Common questions
- What sizes does steel square tubing come in?
- Standard structural square tubing (HSS) runs from about 2×2 up to 16×16 outside, each size in several wall thicknesses. A single 6×6 comes in seven walls from 1/8 to 5/8 inch — same footprint, very different weight.
- Is square tubing the same as HSS?
- For structural steel, yes — what the yard calls square tubing, the drawing calls a hollow structural section. HSS6X6X3/8 is 6 by 6 inches outside with a 3/8 inch nominal wall. Mechanical and fence tubing are different products with their own specs.
- Why does the measured wall come up thin?
- The callout wall is nominal. ASTM A500 permits a wall tolerance and design uses about 0.93 times nominal — a 1/2 inch wall measuring near 0.465 inches is within specification, not a defect.
- Why is square tubing priced the way it is?
- Steel is sold by weight, so a heavier wall at the same outside size costs more per foot. The weight column above is what drives a quote — multiply lb/ft by your length and the market's price per pound and you are close.
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