Steel beams are sold by weight, so the price of a beam follows its weight per foot far more than its depth. Retail steel for common beam sizes has held at roughly $0.90 to $1.60 per pound through October 2026. A spot check of retail listings in mid-October put a 20 ft length of 6 in wide flange at 15 lb/ft at about $1.39 per pound, which sits near the middle of that band. At those rates a W8x18 works out to roughly $16 to $29 per foot. Use the calculator to price any size, then check the figure against a local quote: service-center pricing tracks the mill market, and on short orders freight often costs more than the steel.
How Steel Beam Pricing Works
Every beam size carries a weight per foot in its name: a W8x18 weighs 18 lb for every foot of length. Multiply that by your price per pound and you have the material cost:
Beam cost = weight per foot (lb/ft) × length (ft) × price per pound
A mill or service center quote is usually built from a base price per hundredweight (cwt) or per ton, plus extras for the specific size, grade, length and any processing. Small retail orders cost the most per pound; full bundles and mill orders cost the least.
Steel I-Beam Cost Per Foot by Size
Material only, using $0.90, $1.25 and $1.60 per pound. These are steel costs, not installed costs, and they exclude delivery, cutting, drilling, coating and tax.
| Beam | Weight (lb/ft) | At $0.90/lb | At $1.25/lb | At $1.60/lb | 20 ft length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W6x9 | 9 | $8.10 | $11.25 | $14.40 | $162 – $288 |
| W6x12 | 12 | $10.80 | $15.00 | $19.20 | $216 – $384 |
| W8x10 | 10 | $9.00 | $12.50 | $16.00 | $180 – $320 |
| W8x15 | 15 | $13.50 | $18.75 | $24.00 | $270 – $480 |
| W8x18 | 18 | $16.20 | $22.50 | $28.80 | $324 – $576 |
| W8x21 | 21 | $18.90 | $26.25 | $33.60 | $378 – $672 |
| W8x24 | 24 | $21.60 | $30.00 | $38.40 | $432 – $768 |
| W8x31 | 31 | $27.90 | $38.75 | $49.60 | $558 – $992 |
| W10x22 | 22 | $19.80 | $27.50 | $35.20 | $396 – $704 |
| W10x26 | 26 | $23.40 | $32.50 | $41.60 | $468 – $832 |
| W10x30 | 30 | $27.00 | $37.50 | $48.00 | $540 – $960 |
| W10x33 | 33 | $29.70 | $41.25 | $52.80 | $594 – $1,056 |
| W12x19 | 19 | $17.10 | $23.75 | $30.40 | $342 – $608 |
| W12x26 | 26 | $23.40 | $32.50 | $41.60 | $468 – $832 |
| W12x30 | 30 | $27.00 | $37.50 | $48.00 | $540 – $960 |
| W12x35 | 35 | $31.50 | $43.75 | $56.00 | $630 – $1,120 |
| W12x40 | 40 | $36.00 | $50.00 | $64.00 | $720 – $1,280 |
| W14x22 | 22 | $19.80 | $27.50 | $35.20 | $396 – $704 |
| W14x30 | 30 | $27.00 | $37.50 | $48.00 | $540 – $960 |
| W16x26 | 26 | $23.40 | $32.50 | $41.60 | $468 – $832 |
| W16x31 | 31 | $27.90 | $38.75 | $49.60 | $558 – $992 |
| W18x35 | 35 | $31.50 | $43.75 | $56.00 | $630 – $1,120 |
| W18x50 | 50 | $45.00 | $62.50 | $80.00 | $900 – $1,600 |
| W21x44 | 44 | $39.60 | $55.00 | $70.40 | $792 – $1,408 |
| W24x55 | 55 | $49.50 | $68.75 | $88.00 | $990 – $1,760 |
What Changes the Price
Size and weight. A heavier beam costs more per foot simply because it contains more steel. Going from W8x18 to W8x31 is about 72% more steel per foot.
Order size. Cut-to-length pieces from a retail supplier carry the highest price per pound. Buying full lengths, or several tons at once, drops the rate.
Grade and certification. Standard shapes are A992. Special grades, charpy testing or mill certs add cost. See A992 vs A572 Grade 50.
Processing and coating. Cutting, drilling, welded plates, primer paint and hot-dip galvanizing are all priced on top of the steel.
Delivery. Long or heavy beams need a truck with the right trailer, and sometimes a crane or boom truck at the site.
The market. Structural steel is a commodity. Mill base prices move month to month, so a quote is usually only held for a short window.
Installed Cost
Installing a beam in a house, such as replacing a load-bearing wall, costs far more than the steel. Published 2026 US figures put residential steel beam installation at roughly $100 to $400 per foot, or about $1,200 to $4,200 for a typical job, covering the structural engineer, permits, the beam, delivery, temporary shoring, labor and finishing. Complex jobs with long spans or new footings run higher.
Price ranges in this section are from HomeGuide’s 2026 steel beam cost guide (homeguide.com), checked September 2026. Steel prices change constantly and vary by region and supplier. Treat every number here as a starting estimate and get written quotes.
How to Get an Accurate Quote
Suppliers price fastest when you give them the exact shape and length, the grade, the quantity, whether you need it cut, drilled, primed or galvanized, and the delivery address. Get the beam weight from the steel beam weight calculator and the size from the wide flange beam sizes chart before you call.
Steel I-Beam Cost FAQ
How much does a 20 ft steel I-beam cost?
For material only, a 20 ft W8x18 works out to roughly $324 to $576, and a 20 ft W12x26 to roughly $468 to $832. Installed in a house, the same span usually lands in the thousands once engineering, permits and labor are included.
Is a steel beam cheaper than LVL?
Engineered wood is usually cheaper to buy and much easier to carry in, but it needs more depth for the same span. Steel wins where headroom is tight or the span is long. Compare sizes in the wood I-beam guide.
Why do two suppliers quote different prices for the same beam?
Base prices, size extras, minimum order charges, cutting fees and freight all differ. Mill direct is cheapest per pound but needs tonnage; a local service center is dearer per pound but sells single pieces.
Does the price include installation?
No. The calculator above prices the steel itself. Installation, shoring, columns, footings, permits and the structural engineer are separate.
This page is reference information only and is not engineering advice. Sizing, rigging and load capacity decisions need a qualified engineer. Full disclaimer.