A method is given for determining the residual stress in a sheet material by removing successive uniform layers of material from the surface of a test specimen and measuring the resulting curvature. From the condition of equilibrium of a free specimen, a stress vs curvature relation is derived which holds over the depth to which material has been removed. The method applies when the stress is constant in the plane of the specimen and varies through the thickness. An experimental technique is described which is believed to satisfy the essential requirement that the removal of surface layers should not affect the stress in the remaining material, and a practical example is given.