How do you calculate the weight per foot of a pultruded profile?

Multiply the cross-sectional area by the cured laminate density and a length conversion factor. With a 100 in² area proxy, 4 lb/in³ density term, a 0.005 length factor, and a 1.0 correction, the result is 2 lb per foot.

What is a typical density for pultruded fiberglass?

Cured glass/polyester and glass/vinyl-ester pultrusions run roughly 0.062-0.072 lb/in³ (about 1.7-2.0 g/cm³), driven mainly by glass content. Higher glass loading raises both density and weight per foot.

Why is my actual weight per foot higher than calculated?

Usually resin richness or added filler. If the die is running resin-rich or the roving count is above spec, cured density climbs and each foot weighs more than the laminate schedule predicts.

How does weight per foot affect pultrusion cost?

Material cost scales almost directly with it. At 2 lb/ft, a 1,000 ft run consumes 2,000 lb of composite; a 5% density error is 100 lb of resin and glass unaccounted for in the quote.

Weight per foot vs. total profile weight — which should I quote on?

Quote weight per foot for continuous stock and cut-to-length orders, since pultrusion is sold by linear foot. Use total weight only once cut length is fixed for a specific part or freight skid.

Can I use this for carbon-fiber pultrusions?

Yes, but change the density term. Carbon/epoxy pultrusions are lighter (around 0.055-0.058 lb/in³) than glass, so the same cross-section yields a lower weight per foot.

Pultrusion & Continuous Composite Profiles calculator

Profile Weight Per Foot Calculator

Profile weight per foot is the linear mass of a pultruded FRP profile — the pounds of fiberglass, carbon, or vinyl-ester composite in every running foot of a rod, channel, angle, or custom die shape. Pultrusion estimators, die designers, and shipping planners use it to price by the foot, spec freight, and check that a new die is pulling material at the right fiber-to-resin ratio. Because pultrusion runs continuously, a fraction of a pound per foot compounds across thousands of feet, so getting linear weight right is the difference between a profitable run and one that burns resin. It is also the fastest field check that a cured part matches its laminate schedule.

What this calculator does

Profile weight per foot is the linear mass of a pultruded FRP profile — the pounds of fiberglass, carbon, or vinyl-ester composite in every running foot of a rod, channel, angle, or custom die shape.
Use it when profile weight per foot in pultrusion and continuous composite profiles needs a few factors combined into one defensible number for pultrusion and continuous composite profiles.
It computes the weight of one running foot of a pultruded profile from its cross-sectional area, the cured composite density, and a length/units correction factor.

Formula used

Profile Weight Per Foot = first factor × second factor × conversion factor × process multiplier
Use the multiplier for unit conversion or process efficiency

Inputs explained

Profile cross-sectional area:
Composite laminate density:
Inches-to-feet length factor:
Void/resin-richness correction:

How to use the result

Use it when quoting a profile by the foot, sizing skid and freight weights for a coil or bundle, or verifying that a pulled part's mass matches its designed fiber-volume fraction.
It assumes uniform density along the length; localized resin-rich zones, dry spots, or filler pockets in a real die can shift actual weight several percent off the calculated value.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for plastic resins and materials stands at 319.371 (BLS, May 2026), up 19.5% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.

Common questions

How do you calculate the weight per foot of a pultruded profile? Multiply the cross-sectional area by the cured laminate density and a length conversion factor. With a 100 in² area proxy, 4 lb/in³ density term, a 0.005 length factor, and a 1.0 correction, the result is 2 lb per foot.
What is a typical density for pultruded fiberglass? Cured glass/polyester and glass/vinyl-ester pultrusions run roughly 0.062-0.072 lb/in³ (about 1.7-2.0 g/cm³), driven mainly by glass content. Higher glass loading raises both density and weight per foot.
Why is my actual weight per foot higher than calculated? Usually resin richness or added filler. If the die is running resin-rich or the roving count is above spec, cured density climbs and each foot weighs more than the laminate schedule predicts.
How does weight per foot affect pultrusion cost? Material cost scales almost directly with it. At 2 lb/ft, a 1,000 ft run consumes 2,000 lb of composite; a 5% density error is 100 lb of resin and glass unaccounted for in the quote.
Weight per foot vs. total profile weight — which should I quote on? Quote weight per foot for continuous stock and cut-to-length orders, since pultrusion is sold by linear foot. Use total weight only once cut length is fixed for a specific part or freight skid.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.