Sheet metal gauge chart: thickness in inches and mm
Published October 11, 2026 — gauges 7 to 30 in inches and millimetres for steel, galvanized steel, stainless and aluminum, the nearest gauge to common metric thicknesses, and a two-way converter.
In short: a gauge is not a fixed thickness: 16 ga is 0.0598 in (1.52 mm) in steel, 0.0635 in in galvanized steel, 0.0625 in in stainless and 0.0508 in (1.29 mm) in aluminum. The higher the number, the thinner the sheet. Always read the gauge in your material's column, and for a critical part, ask the supplier for the actual thickness.
1. Gauge ↔ thickness converter
Enter a gauge (7 to 30) to read its thickness in the four materials, or a thickness in millimetres to find the nearest gauge.
2. Sheet metal gauge chart in millimetres
Nominal thicknesses, converted from inches and rounded to 0.01 mm. The most used gauges are in bold. A mill tolerance applies on top: the delivered sheet can be slightly thinner or thicker.
3. Sheet metal gauge chart in inches
The same gauges in decimal inches, as published in US charts. Steel: Manufacturers' Standard Gauge; galvanized: same base, zinc coating included; stainless: its own series; aluminum: Brown & Sharpe (AWG) series.
4. Common metric thicknesses and nearest gauge
For each thickness ordered in Europe, the nearest gauge in each material, with its actual thickness in mm in brackets. None of these thicknesses matches a gauge exactly: on a drawing, dimension the thickness in millimetres.
5. Understanding and using gauges
- One gauge per material: the same number gives different thicknesses depending on the series. At 16 ga, galvanized steel and aluminum differ by more than 0.3 mm.
- A designation, not a dimension: for steel, the gauge derives from a weight per area (41.82 lb/ft² per inch of thickness). In metric, steel sheet weighs 7.85 kg/m² per millimetre: see the density chart and mass calculation.
- Drawings and purchasing: in Europe, sheet is ordered in millimetres (1, 1.5, 2, 3 mm…). On a drawing for a US supplier, state the gauge and the material, or better, the thickness in inches: see the inch ↔ mm conversion.
- In SOLIDWORKS, a sheet metal part can follow a gauge table (Excel file) giving, for each gauge, the thickness, bend radii and K-factor. Build it with your supplier's actual thicknesses rather than a generic chart.
Printable version: the sheet metal gauge charts as a PDF (A4, no sign-up), to pin up in the workshop or keep in a binder.
6. FAQ
How thick is 16 gauge sheet metal?
It depends on the material: 0.0598 in (1.52 mm) for steel, 0.0635 in (1.61 mm) for galvanized steel, 0.0625 in (1.59 mm) for stainless and 0.0508 in (1.29 mm) for aluminum.
How thick is 14 gauge sheet metal?
0.0747 in (1.90 mm) for steel, 0.0785 in (1.99 mm) for galvanized, 0.0781 in (1.98 mm) for stainless and 0.0641 in (1.63 mm) for aluminum.
Why does a higher gauge number mean thinner sheet?
The gauge number is a designation, not a measurement: the higher it is, the thinner the sheet. For steel, the Manufacturers' Standard Gauge derives from a weight per area: 41.82 pounds per square foot per inch of thickness.
What gauge is 1.5, 2 or 3 mm steel sheet?
There is no exact match. In steel, 1.5 mm is close to 16 ga (1.52 mm), 2 mm to 14 ga (1.90 mm) and 3 mm to 11 ga (3.04 mm). In Europe, sheet is ordered directly in millimetres.
How does SOLIDWORKS handle sheet metal gauges?
A sheet metal part can be driven by a gauge table: an Excel file that maps each gauge to a thickness, bend radii and a K-factor or bend deduction. Sample tables ship with the software; the safest option is to build your own with your supplier's thicknesses.