There is no single HSS steel price in Canada. Hollow structural sections are sold by weight, so the price of a given tube depends on its outside size, wall thickness and grade, and then on how much cutting, welding and finishing it needs before it goes on the truck. The base steel cost also moves with the market and with Canada's current trade measures on steel. This guide explains what goes into an HSS quote so you can read one properly and ask for the right thing.
How HSS is sold: weight first, length second
Mills and service centres price steel by mass. When someone quotes HSS "per foot" or "per metre", they have started from a weight-based price and multiplied it by the section's mass per metre. That is why a per-length price is only useful for one exact size.
HSS is designated by its outside dimensions and wall thickness. In Canadian metric terms, HSS 102x102x6.4 means a square tube about 102 mm on each side with a 6.4 mm wall, which is the metric name for the familiar 4 x 4 x 1/4 in tube. Rectangular tubes list both sides (for example a 152 x 102 section), and round HSS lists outside diameter and wall. Our HSS size chart covers the common designations.
The wall thickness is the variable that catches people out. Doubling the wall on the same outside size roughly doubles the steel, and the price follows the weight. If you are comparing two quotes for "4 inch square tube" and one is far lower, check the wall thickness first.
Converting between price units
If a supplier quotes in one unit and you think in another, the conversions are simple:
| From | To | How |
|---|---|---|
| per kg | per tonne | multiply by 1,000 |
| per tonne | per kg | divide by 1,000 |
| per kg | per lb | divide by 2.2046 |
| per metre | per foot | divide by 3.281 |
| weight-based | per metre | price per kg × section mass in kg/m |
The section mass in kg/m comes from the steel handbook or the supplier's catalogue for that exact designation.
What is inside an HSS price
Whether you are buying a few basement posts or a tonnage package for a commercial frame, the same building blocks show up.
Base material. The mill or service centre price of the tube itself, driven by size, wall and the overall steel market.
Grade and class. Canadian HSS is commonly made to CSA G40.21 350W, in Class C (cold-formed) or Class H (cold-formed and then stress-relieved by heating). ASTM A500 tube is also widely used. The engineer specifies the grade, and not every size is stocked in every grade, so a less common grade or class can mean a mill order or a longer wait.
Stock lengths and drops. HSS comes in standard mill lengths. If your pieces don't nest well into those lengths, the offcuts (drops) become part of what you pay for. A good cutting plan keeps waste down.
Cutting. Square cuts are simple. Mitres, copes and notches for tube-to-tube connections take layout and more saw or torch time.
Plates and welding. A finished post usually has a base plate and a cap plate welded on, sometimes with stiffeners or knife plates for connections. Each plate has to be cut, drilled and welded. On structural work in Canada, that welding should be done by a company certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau (more on that in why a CWB-certified fabricator matters).
Holes. Bolt holes in plates and through-holes in the tube walls add drilling time.
Finish. Mill finish (bare), shop primer, paint, or hot-dip galvanizing for exterior and exposed work. Galvanizing is done by a separate galvanizing plant, which adds handling, transport and time. Closed tubes also need vent and drain holes before galvanizing.
Engineering and drawings. Shop drawings for anything beyond a simple post, and connection design where the contract asks the fabricator to provide it.
Delivery and installation. Distance, truck access, unloading equipment and whether you want the steel installed.
What moves HSS prices up and down
Steel is a commodity, and the base price changes. Mill price announcements, scrap and raw material costs, energy and demand all play a part, and the change shows up first on raw stock and then on fabricated quotes.
Trade measures have been a major factor since 2025:
- The United States applies Section 232 tariffs to steel imported from Canada, and those tariffs remained in place after the July 2026 CUSMA review. That has pushed more Canadian-made steel back into the domestic market.
- Canada applies counter-tariffs (surtaxes) to many US-origin steel products. Those surtaxes were increased for most steel products effective September 8, 2026.
- Canada uses tariff rate quotas on steel imports from other countries, with a surtax on imports above the quota. Hollow structural sections are one of the covered product classes, and the program has been extended to June 27, 2027.
- Steel melted and poured in China faces a separate surtax, and a surtax on certain steel derivative goods, including prefabricated structures and building frames, took effect December 26, 2025.
What this means for a buyer: the origin of the tube matters, imported material can carry extra cost, and quotes may be held for a shorter time than they used to be. Ask how long a quote is valid and whether the material price is fixed or adjusts at order.
How to compare HSS quotes
Quotes that look wildly different are often for different scopes. Before comparing, sort each one into a category:
| Quote type | What you get | What you still need to arrange |
|---|---|---|
| Supply only (stock) | Full or partially cut tube lengths | Cutting, plates, welding, finishing, delivery |
| Cut to length | Tubes cut to your sizes | Plates, welding, holes, finishing, possibly delivery |
| Fabricated | Finished members with plates, holes and finish, marked to drawings | Installation and site work |
| Supply and install | Fabricated members delivered and installed | Usually nothing beyond site readiness |
Then check, line by line:
- Same size, wall thickness and grade? A thinner wall or a different grade changes the price and may not meet the design.
- Same finish? Primer and galvanized are not comparable.
- Mill certificates included? Many projects require mill test reports to show the steel meets the specified grade.
- Who does the welding, and is the shop CWB certified?
- Delivery, unloading and installation in or out?
- Quote validity and material escalation terms.
What to send for an accurate HSS quote
The fastest way to an accurate number is drawings. Structural or architectural drawings let a fabricator do a full take-off. If you don't have drawings yet, send:
- HSS designation for each member (outside size and wall thickness), or the engineer's member schedule
- Quantity and cut length of each piece
- Grade and class if specified
- Plate details: base and cap plate sizes, thickness and hole pattern
- Finish: bare, primer, paint or galvanized
- Site address and access notes, and whether you need installation
- Your schedule, including any phased deliveries
For residential basement posts, the post size, plates and footing detail come from the designer or engineer on your permit drawings. If you are replacing temporary jacks with permanent posts, read our post on teleposts and permanent columns first.
Getting HSS pricing from Procut
We supply HSS cut to length and fabricate HSS posts with base and cap plates welded on, along with the beams, plates and connections that go with them. Our shop welding is CWB certified, shop drawings are done in-house, and orders are delivered across the GTA and Ontario, with installation available.
Send your drawings or member list and we'll prepare a free take-off and quote for your HSS. You can also see the full range of steel products we supply and fabricate, or compare how pricing works across shapes in our guide to structural steel price per tonne.
Frequently asked questions
Is HSS structural steel?
Yes. Hollow structural sections are structural steel members made to recognized standards such as CSA G40.21 and ASTM A500, and they are designed under CSA S16 like other structural shapes. They are used for columns, posts, bracing, frames and trusses.
Is HSS priced per metre, per foot or per kg?
Raw HSS is usually priced by weight (per kg, per hundredweight or per tonne), then converted to a length price for a given size. Two tubes of the same outside size can weigh very differently because of wall thickness, so a per-length number only means something for one exact designation.
Why is a fabricated HSS post so much more than the tube itself?
The tube is only the raw material. Cutting, base and cap plates, welding, holes, primer or galvanizing, shop drawings and delivery are all part of a fabricated post, and on small orders those steps can outweigh the steel.
Where can I buy HSS steel in Ontario?
Steel service centres sell HSS in stock lengths, sometimes cut to size. A fabricator like Procut supplies HSS cut to length or fabricated into finished posts and frames with plates and holes, delivered to site.
