Enter the length, inner diameter, and outer diameter of a pipe into the calculator to determine the surface area of the pipe.

Surface Area of a Pipe Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the surface area of a pipe: 

A = (pi * ID * L) + (pi*OD*L)
  • Where A is the surface area
  • ID is the inner diameter of the pipe
  • OD is the outer diameter of the pipe
  • L is the length of the pipe

This formula adds together the surface area of the inner and outer surfaces of the pipe. If you want to only calculate one side of the pipe, leave either of the diameters as the value 0.

Definition

What is the surface area of a pipe?

The surface area of a pipe is dependent on the diameter and length of the pipe. Sometimes the surface area is only considered for one side, but a pipe is a 3-dimensional object with two different sides, so using the inner diameter and out diameter yields the correct surface area.

Example Problem

How to calculate the surface area of a pipe?

First, determine the inner diameter of the pipe. In this example, the inner diameter is calculated to be 5 inches.

Next, determine the outer diameter of the pipe. In this case, the OD is measured to be 8 inches.

Next, determine the length of the pipe. Measuring the length yields 20 inches.

Finally, calculate the total surface are using the formula above:

A = (pi * ID * L) + (pi*OD*L)

A = (3.14159 *5 * 20) + (3.14159*8*20)

A = 816.81