Square Tube in Kenya: Why the Gauge Matters More Than the Size

Most tube enquiries arrive the same way: “how much for two by two?” It is a fair start, but it is only half a specification, and the missing half is the part that moves the price.

Inches or millimetres — both are fine

The trade talks in inches and the mill talks in millimetres, and everyone understands both. A 2 × 2 is 50 × 50 mm. A 3 × 2 is 75 × 50 mm. A 1 × 1 is 25 × 25 mm. A 2 × 1 is 50 × 25 mm. Use whichever you are comfortable with.

The wall is the thing

Tube is made in different wall thicknesses at the same outside size, commonly 1.2, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 mm. The outside dimensions are identical; the amount of steel is not. A 2 × 2 in 1.5 mm and a 2 × 2 in 2.0 mm look the same leaning against a wall and are different products at meaningfully different prices.

This is where cheap quotes usually come from. If one supplier is noticeably under another on the same size, the first question is what wall each of them is quoting. Ask for size and wall together and the comparison becomes real.

Gauge versus millimetres

You will hear both. Older hands quote gauge, mills and formal price lists quote millimetres, and the two do not map perfectly between products. The safest habit is to give the thickness in millimetres if you know it, and if you only know the gauge, say the gauge and let the supplier confirm the mm equivalent back to you before you commit.

Square, rectangular and round are different jobs

Square and rectangular hollow section take bending in two directions and are the usual choice for gates, grills, frames, trusses and carports. Round pipe is used for posts, handrails and anything that needs to look or behave like a tube. They are not interchangeable just because the dimensions sound similar.

Lengths and transport

Tube and the other sections — angle line, flat bar, channel — come in 6 m lengths, which is considerably easier to get onto a site than 12 m bar. Still worth checking the gate and the turning space before a delivery of twenty lengths.

What to send when you ask for a price

Size, wall thickness, and how many lengths. That is enough for an exact quote. If you are fabricating from a drawing, send the drawing and we will read the sections off it.