Poly Sheeting Thickness and Size Chart: 1 to 6 Mil Rolls by Width and Length

Updated September 2, 20261 to 6 mil45 stocked rolls

Use 1 to 2 mil poly sheeting for masking and dust covers, 4 mil for temporary walls and floor protection, and 6 mil for vapor barriers, ground cover and anything left outdoors. The chart lists every stocked roll by thickness, width, length and color with coverage in square feet and cost per square foot, so a job can be sized to one roll.

Which thickness to use

Poly sheeting is priced by weight, so the right roll is the thinnest film that survives the job. Masking and dust covers need 1 to 2 mil; anything stretched over a frame, walked on or left outdoors needs 4 mil; anything that must stop moisture or last a season needs 6 mil. The table gives the common thicknesses with their metric equivalents and the use each is bought for.

Mil is thousandths of an inch; 1 mil is 25.4 microns. The 6 mil vs 4 mil sheeting guide covers the two construction weights in detail.
Thickness Microns Typical use Notes
1 mil 25 Paint masking, dust sheets over furniture, light overspray protection Tears easily; single use; cheapest coverage per square foot
1.5 mil 38 Equipment and pallet dust covers, drop cloths indoors Still single use but survives handling
2 mil 51 Dust barriers, temporary covers, interior containment during remodels The lightest film that holds up on a frame
3 mil 76 Reusable drop cloths, tarps for short outdoor use, mattress and furniture wrap Balance of weight and durability
4 mil 102 Temporary walls, construction enclosures, greenhouse film, floor protection Common construction-grade film; ASTM D4397 applies from this weight
6 mil 152 Vapor barriers under slabs and in crawlspaces, ground cover, concrete curing, abatement containment The code-referenced thickness for vapor retarders; reusable
10 mil and up 254 and up Liners, long-term outdoor covers, scaffold enclosures Reinforced or string-reinforced films at these weights

Stocked rolls by thickness, width and length

Rolls are named width by length. Wide rolls (10 to 24 ft) are folded onto the core and open to their full width; a 20 x 100 ft roll covers 2,000 square feet in one sheet, which matters for slab vapor barriers and greenhouse covers where seams are the weak point. Narrow rolls (3 to 6 ft) are for walls, doorways and bench covers. Cost per square foot falls as width and length rise, and clear film of a given mil is usually cheaper than black.

Live catalog on September 2, 2026. Clear film is for light-through covers and masking; black film blocks light for ground cover, curing and privacy walls.
Roll Thickness Color Width Length Coverage Price Cost per sq ft
4 ft x 200 ft 1 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 mil clear 4 ft 200 ft 800 sq ft $21.35 2.67 cents
6 ft x 200 ft 1 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 mil clear 6 ft 200 ft 1,200 sq ft $20.09 1.67 cents
8 ft x 200 ft 1 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 mil clear 8 ft 200 ft 1,600 sq ft $26.94 1.68 cents
9 ft x 400 ft 1 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 mil clear 9 ft 400 ft 3,600 sq ft $79.07 2.20 cents
12 ft x 400 ft 1 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 mil clear 12 ft 400 ft 4,800 sq ft $102.78 2.14 cents
4 ft x 200 ft 2 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 2 mil clear 4 ft 200 ft 800 sq ft $31.15 3.89 cents
6 ft x 200 ft 2 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 2 mil clear 6 ft 200 ft 1,200 sq ft $52.45 4.37 cents
8 ft x 200 ft 2 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 2 mil clear 8 ft 200 ft 1,600 sq ft $59.51 3.72 cents
200 ft x 10 ft 2 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 2 mil clear 10 ft 200 ft 2,000 sq ft $78.44 3.92 cents
12 ft x 200 ft 2 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 2 mil clear 12 ft 200 ft 2,400 sq ft $76.83 3.20 cents
16 ft x 200 ft 2 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 2 mil clear 16 ft 200 ft 3,200 sq ft $105.51 3.30 cents
20 ft x 200 ft 2 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 2 mil clear 20 ft 200 ft 4,000 sq ft $143.60 3.59 cents
3 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Transparent White Centerfold Poly Sheeting 4 mil 3 ft 100 ft 300 sq ft $20.06 6.69 cents
100 ft x 3 ft 4 Mil Black Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 3 ft 100 ft 300 sq ft $33.67 11.22 cents
6 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Black Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 6 ft 100 ft 600 sq ft $42.59 7.10 cents
8 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Black Heavy-Duty Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 8 ft 100 ft 800 sq ft $59.63 7.45 cents
100 ft x 10 ft 4 Mil Black Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 10 ft 100 ft 1,000 sq ft $62.13 6.21 cents
12 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Black Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 12 ft 100 ft 1,200 sq ft $91.74 7.64 cents
16 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Black Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 16 ft 100 ft 1,600 sq ft $118.34 7.40 cents
20 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Black Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 20 ft 100 ft 2,000 sq ft $148.89 7.44 cents
24 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Black Poly Sheeting 4 mil black 24 ft 100 ft 2,400 sq ft $179.24 7.47 cents
3 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 3 ft 100 ft 300 sq ft $19.23 6.41 cents
100 ft x 4 ft 4 Mil Clear Moisture Barrier Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 4 ft 100 ft 400 sq ft $25.64 6.41 cents
6 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Moisture Barrier Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 6 ft 100 ft 600 sq ft $38.41 6.40 cents
8 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 4 mil clear 8 ft 100 ft 800 sq ft $51.19 6.40 cents
10 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Moisture Barrier Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 10 ft 100 ft 1,000 sq ft $64.01 6.40 cents
12 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Moisture Barrier Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 12 ft 100 ft 1,200 sq ft $76.83 6.40 cents
14 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 4 mil clear 14 ft 100 ft 1,400 sq ft $91.55 6.54 cents
16 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Moisture Barrier Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 16 ft 100 ft 1,600 sq ft $109.19 6.82 cents
20 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 20 ft 100 ft 2,000 sq ft $131.24 6.56 cents
24 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 4 mil clear 24 ft 100 ft 2,400 sq ft $162.11 6.75 cents
32 ft x 100 ft 4 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 4 mil clear 32 ft 100 ft 3,200 sq ft $228.55 7.14 cents
100 ft x 6 ft 6 Mil Black Heavy-Duty Poly Sheeting 6 mil black 6 ft 100 ft 600 sq ft $75.06 12.51 cents
8 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Black Heavy-Duty Poly Sheeting 6 mil black 8 ft 100 ft 800 sq ft $69.43 8.68 cents
10 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Black Centerfold Poly Sheeting 6 mil black 10 ft 100 ft 1,000 sq ft $89.15 8.92 cents
12 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Black Heavy-Duty Poly Sheeting 6 mil black 12 ft 100 ft 1,200 sq ft $129.26 10.77 cents
20 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Black Heavy-Duty Poly Sheeting 6 mil black 20 ft 100 ft 2,000 sq ft $187.77 9.39 cents
3 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Clear Centerfold Poly Sheeting 6 mil clear 3 ft 100 ft 300 sq ft $34.28 11.43 cents
4 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Clear Moisture Barrier Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 6 mil clear 4 ft 100 ft 400 sq ft $49.95 12.49 cents
100 ft x 6 ft 6 Mil Clear Heavy-Duty Moisture Barrier Poly Sheeting 6 mil clear 6 ft 100 ft 600 sq ft $57.62 9.60 cents
8 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 6 mil clear 8 ft 100 ft 800 sq ft $85.37 10.67 cents
100 ft x 10 ft 6 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 6 mil clear 10 ft 100 ft 1,000 sq ft $106.68 10.67 cents
12 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 1 Roll 6 mil clear 12 ft 100 ft 1,200 sq ft $118.33 9.86 cents
16 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Clear Poly Sheeting 6 mil clear 16 ft 100 ft 1,600 sq ft $163.81 10.24 cents
20 ft x 100 ft 6 Mil Clear Heavy-Duty Poly Sheeting 6 mil clear 20 ft 100 ft 2,000 sq ft $183.27 9.16 cents

Sizing a roll to the job

  1. Measure the area and add 10 percent for overlap and waste; seams in vapor barriers overlap 6 to 12 in and are taped.
  2. Choose the width so the fewest seams run across the space: a 12 ft wide room takes one 12 ft roll lengthwise rather than three 4 ft strips.
  3. Choose the mil from the table; if the film will be walked on, pulled over rebar or left in sun, step up one weight.
  4. Choose the color. Clear lets light through and shows what is under it; black blocks light (weed control, privacy, curing) and hides stains on reusable covers.
  5. Check the weight. A 20 x 100 ft roll of 6 mil weighs about 60 lb; see the coverage column and plan the lift.

Sheeting vs bags vs top sheets

Flat sheeting, poly bags and pallet top sheets are the same polyethylene film in different formats. Sheeting is a continuous roll for covering areas; poly bags are sheeting sealed into a pouch, compared by mil on the poly bag thickness guide; top sheets are pre-cut squares for the top of a pallet, listed on the pallet sizes chart. For the two construction weights head to head, the 6 mil vs 4 mil sheeting guide covers dart impact, tear and vapor permeance, and the mil to micron chart converts any thickness to metric and gauge.

Handling and storage

Polyethylene film degrades in ultraviolet light unless it is UV-stabilised, so plain clear and black rolls should be stored out of direct sun and used within a season outdoors; black film lasts longer outside because the carbon black absorbs UV before it reaches the polymer. Film also stiffens below freezing and tears more easily; unroll cold film indoors when possible. Rolls should be stored on end or on a rack, not stacked flat, so the core does not crush the folded edges.

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Frequently asked questions

What thickness of plastic sheeting do I need?

1 to 2 mil for dust covers and masking, 4 mil for temporary walls and floor protection, 6 mil for vapor barriers, ground cover and anything outdoors for a season. Thicker than 6 mil is for liners and long-term covers.

What is 6 mil plastic sheeting used for?

Vapor barriers under concrete and in crawlspaces, ground cover under gravel or mulch, concrete curing blankets, and containment walls for abatement. It is the thickness most building codes reference for vapor retarders.

How many microns is 4 mil plastic?

About 102 microns. One mil is 25.4 microns, so 2 mil is 51, 4 mil is 102 and 6 mil is 152 microns.

Is black or clear plastic sheeting better?

Clear for light-through covers, greenhouses and masking where you need to see the surface; black for ground cover, weed control, privacy walls and outdoor storage where blocking light and UV matters.

How much area does a roll of poly sheeting cover?

Width times length: a 10 x 100 ft roll covers 1,000 square feet, a 20 x 100 ft roll 2,000 square feet. Add 10 percent for overlap and waste.

Related references