Stainless Steel 304 Round Bar Prices
Current 304 Stainless Steel Round Bar prices by dimension, with $/lb for cross-size comparison.
304 Round Bar currently ranges from $6.45/lb to $8.18/lb, up 3.4% over the last 7 days.
About 304|The most common stainless steel, period. 18% chromium, 8% nickel, good corrosion resistance, excellent weldability. The downside is it's not fun to machine. It work hardens fast, produces long stringy chips that wrap around everything, and will eat tools if you let it rub instead of cut. The key is sharp carbide, aggressive chipload, moderate speed, and flood coolant. Keep the tool cutting, not rubbing. Quality varies batch to batch. Some runs cut clean, others feel like chrome bumper. Carpenter Project 70 and similar premium melts are worth the upside if you're running volume. Used everywhere from food equipment to medical devices to architectural trim. Compare to 303 (way easier to machine but can't weld it) and 316 (better corrosion resistance, slightly gummier).
About Round Bar|The default starting stock for lathe work. It gets turned, bored, and parted into shafts, pins, bushings, spacers, and just about anything round.
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Raw Material Market Prices
1.0%30d
Nickel
$7.72/lb
Nickel is a primary cost driver for stainless steel and superalloys.
Raw Material Market Prices
3.6%30d
Steel HRC
$1,074/short ton
$0.54/lb
Hot Rolled Coil (HRC) is the benchmark for raw steel prices.
Show additional sizes(16 products, retail pricing)
Diameter
Diameter | $/lb | $/ft | 7d |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4995" | $7.26 | $4.85 | 0.0% |
| 0.6245" | $7.65 | $7.96 | 6.0% |
| 0.7495" | $6.45 | $9.68 | 0.0% |
| 0.9995" | $7.04 | $18.80 | 6.5% |
| 1.437" | $8.18 | $45.24 | 5.5% |
| 1.4995" | $7.86 | $47.24 | 5.8% |
| 1.9365" | $7.03 | $70.44 | 0.0% |
7 items
Prices last updated March 2026