One standard 1" diameter × 12" round bar, every common alloy. The bar-cost chart carries each alloy's 30-day price change, so you can see which materials are climbing and which are easing off. Use it to gut-check a supplier quote or compare material families before you pick up the phone.
$/lb comparisons can mislead across material families because densities differ by ~3x, and what you buy is a length of bar. At today's prices, a 12" stick of 6061 is 1.6x the cost of 1018, while the $/lb chart shows a 4.6x gap. These are estimated net prices at the best published volume tier (truckload quantity), so each number is the cost of a 12-inch length inside a bulk order, not the walk-in price for one bar.
1" diameter × 12" round bar, estimated net price at the best published volume tier (truckload quantity). Prices as of Jul 24, 2026.
Most distributor quotes still use $/lb, so this view keeps the familiar buying basis. Its ordering differs from the bar-cost chart because a pound of aluminum occupies about three times the volume of a pound of steel.
Same 1" round bar, shown in $/lb. Prices as of Jul 24, 2026.
Multiples compare $/lb with A36 = 1.0x.
These less-common grades use the same 1" diameter × 12" benchmark and estimated net pricing basis as the main chart. Each condition is pinned so the comparison stays apples to apples.
Prices as of Jul 24, 2026. Sorted by 12-inch bar price.
| Alloy | Condition | 12" bar | $/lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1045 Steel | Cold Finished | $2.55 | $0.96 |
| 1215 Steel | Cold Finished | $3.38 | $1.27 |
| 1117 Steel | Cold Finished | $3.43 | $1.28 |
| 8620H Steel | Cold Finished | $4.30 | $1.61 |
| 2024 Aluminum | T351 | $8.00 | $8.50 |
| 17-4 SS | Cold Finished | $12.15 | $4.55 |
416 stainless is excluded because annealed and cold-finished listings are not interchangeable.
The Economist created the original Big Mac Index to compare purchasing power across countries using one standardized product. We apply the same idea to metal: take one standard stock item and compare it across every common alloy.
The benchmark product is a 1" diameter × 12" round bar, shown at its estimated net price. The supporting chart keeps the same alloys in $/lb for comparison. Same form, same size, same methodology. That keeps everything apples to apples.
If you got a quote and the number feels high, pull up this page and compare. Say you are quoted $3.80/lb on 304 stainless round bar. If the benchmark shows a lower number, that tells you either the supplier is marking up aggressively, the form factor differs, or the market has moved since the last update. Either way, you now have a data point to work with.
This also helps when you are estimating jobs across material families. If a customer asks for a quote in both 4140 steel and 303 stainless, you can see the cost step between them in seconds instead of calling two suppliers.
These are estimated net prices: we start from the best distributor list pricing and adjust by a typical relationship discount. We update regularly.
Treat these numbers as a market center, not a quote. Your actual buy price will depend on your account terms, cut charges, freight, region, and order size.
A smaller order with saw cuts and short lengths could run above these numbers. The point of the index is to give you a reference line so you can tell if a quote is in the neighborhood or way off.
The spread between the cheapest and most expensive alloys on this chart is 24.3x as of Jul 24, 2026. That range comes down to raw material inputs, production complexity, and market volume.
A36 hot-rolled steel sits at the bottom because it is the highest-volume, simplest-to-produce carbon steel in the market. Mills run it around the clock, distributors stock it everywhere, and competition keeps margins thin.
Alloy steels like 4140 cost more because they need tighter chemistry control, specific heat treatment, and smaller production runs. The nickel, chromium, and molybdenum content that gives these alloys their mechanical properties also makes them more expensive to melt and process.
Stainless pricing is driven mostly by nickel and chromium. 304 (the most common grade) contains about 8% nickel and 18% chromium, both of which fluctuate on commodity markets. 316 adds molybdenum for better corrosion resistance, which pushes it above 304. Mill surcharges on stainless can swing prices 15~25% over the course of a year as of July 2026, so this is a category where checking current benchmarks matters more than most.
Aluminum sits in an interesting spot. 6061 is more expensive per pound than carbon steel and even some stainless grades, but aluminum is about a third the density of steel. For weight-sensitive applications, the per-cubic-inch cost can actually work out cheaper. Aluminum pricing follows the LME (London Metal Exchange) base price plus a regional premium (the Midwest Premium in the US), plus fabrication and distribution markups.
Brass, copper, and bronze are at the top of the chart. Their pricing tracks the COMEX copper price plus alloying element costs. C360 free-machining brass is popular in screw machine work because it cuts fast and clean, but at these price levels, even small movements in the copper market can meaningfully affect your job margins. If you are quoting brass or copper parts, it is worth checking the benchmark right before you submit.
We filter to 1.000" round bar products from national distributor listings, take the best list volume tier (highest quantity, lowest $/lb), and apply a mid-range relationship discount based on how commoditized the alloy is. Alloy variants like 304/304L are grouped under one label. We use the most recent data point within a 14-day freshness window.
For a deeper look at how we collect, normalize, and validate pricing data, see our pricing methodology.
This page gives you the overview. To dig into specific SKUs, size options, and volume tier breakdowns, head to the full material prices directory. Every alloy bar in the primary chart above also links directly to its product page.
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