304 Stainless Steel Specifications: Tempers, Tolerances, and Common Uses
MetalNow · June 17, 2026
If you work in a machine shop, fab shop, or manufacturing environment, there's a good chance 304 stainless steel shows up in your material orders regularly. It's one of the most widely used grades of stainless steel in the world, and for good reason. It's corrosion resistant, easy to work with, and available in a wide range of shapes and sizes.
This guide covers what you need to know about 304 stainless steel. It will help you understand its composition, temper, common applications, and where to get it cut to size without large minimum orders.
What Is 304 Stainless Steel?
304 stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel alloy in the 300 series. It contains roughly 18% chromium and 8% nickel, which is why you'll sometimes hear it called 18-8 stainless. That combination gives it strong corrosion resistance, good formability, and solid weldability.
It's not the toughest stainless grade out there, that's more in the territory of 316 or 17-4 PH, but for a wide range of general purpose applications, 304 hits the right balance of performance and cost.
304 Annealed: What Does That Mean?
When you see 304 stainless listed as annealed, that refers to the temper, or the heat treatment condition the material is in.
Annealing involves heating the steel to a high temperature and then cooling it slowly. This process relieves internal stresses, softens the material, and improves its ductility and machinability. Annealed 304 is the most common condition you'll find for general fabrication work.
If your application involves bending, forming, welding, or machining, annealed is typically what you want. It's more workable than work-hardened stainless and holds up well through the fabrication process.
304 vs 304L: Is There a Difference?
You may come across 304L in spec sheets or purchasing conversations. The L stands for low carbon. 304L has a slightly lower carbon content, which reduces the risk of carbide precipitation during welding. For most shop applications the difference is minor, but if your parts are going into environments where weld corrosion is a concern, 304L is worth specifying.
For general fabrication, 304 annealed covers the vast majority of applications without issue.
Shapes and Sizes Available
At MetalNow, we stock 304 annealed stainless steel in four shapes:
Flat Bar — A rectangular cross-section commonly used for brackets, frames, supports, and structural components. Flat bar is easy to cut, drill, and weld, making it a go-to for a wide range of shop fabrication tasks.
Round Bar — Solid cylindrical bar stock used for shafts, pins, fasteners, and turned parts. Round bar is one of the most common forms for machined components in 304 stainless.
Hex Bar — Six-sided bar stock primarily used for machined parts like bolts, fittings, and couplings. Hex bar is especially useful when you need a part that can be gripped with a wrench.
Plate — Flat, thick material used for structural applications, bases, gussets, and anything requiring a substantial cross-section. 304 stainless plate is common in food processing equipment, industrial enclosures, and architectural applications.
All shapes are available cut to size with no large minimums. Order exactly what your job requires.
Common Applications for 304 Stainless Steel
304 is a versatile material that shows up across a wide range of industries and applications. Some of the most common include:
Food and beverage equipment — 304 stainless is the standard material for food processing equipment, commercial kitchen surfaces, tanks, and conveyors. Its corrosion resistance holds up well against food acids and cleaning chemicals.
Medical and pharmaceutical — Surgical tools, equipment housings, and lab fixtures often specify 304 stainless for its cleanability and resistance to sterilization processes.
Architectural and structural — Handrails, trim, fasteners, and decorative components in both interior and exterior applications. In lower corrosion environments, 304 performs well long-term.
Industrial fabrication — Brackets, frames, enclosures, tanks, and general structural components across manufacturing and industrial environments.
Automotive and transportation — Exhaust components, trim, and structural parts where corrosion resistance is required.
When to Use 304 vs 316 Stainless
The most common upgrade question from 304 is whether to go to 316. Here's the short answer: if your application involves exposure to chlorides, i.e. salt water, coastal environments, or chemical processing with chloride-containing compounds, 316 is worth the upgrade. It contains molybdenum, which significantly improves its resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in those conditions.
For most indoor applications, food service equipment, and general fabrication, 304 is the more cost-effective choice and will perform well.
Order 304 Stainless Steel Online, Cut to Size
MetalNow stocks 304 annealed stainless steel in flat bar, round bar, hex bar, and plate. Get instant pricing online, order exactly what you need, and get same day or next day delivery along the Wasatch Front.
No large minimums. Mill certs available with every order.
Questions? Call us at 801-539-8252 or email sales@metalnow.com.