The gauge thickness calculator converts sheet metal gauge to mm and inches. Gauge numbers are not the same for every metal: 16 gauge steel is 1.519 mm (0.0598″), but 16 gauge aluminum is only 1.29 mm and 16 gauge stainless steel 1.588 mm. Pick the material and gauge — or enter a thickness to find the nearest gauge.
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LiveSheet thickness0.0598 in · 16 ga
- Thickness (mm)
- 1.519 mm
- Thickness (inch)
- 0.0598 in
- Weight per area
- 11.92 kg/m² (2.442 lb/ft²)
- Difference to your thickness
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Nominal gauge thickness. Mills supply within ± tolerances, so always confirm critical thicknesses in mm or inch on the order.
How sheet metal gauge works
Gauge is a traditional, non-linear way of specifying sheet thickness: the higher the gauge number, the thinner the sheet. The steps between gauges are not equal, and each metal has its own standard:
- Steel – Manufacturers’ Standard Gauge, based on a weight of 41.82 lb/ft² per inch of thickness.
- Galvanized steel – the steel gauge plus the zinc coating, so slightly thicker.
- Stainless steel – US Standard Gauge (fractions of an inch).
- Aluminum, copper and brass – Brown & Sharpe, the same as American Wire Gauge (AWG).
Outside North America sheet is ordered in millimeters. When quoting international jobs, convert gauge to mm and write both on the drawing.
How to use the Gauge Thickness Calculator
- Choose Gauge → thickness or Thickness → gauge.
- Select the material (each has its own gauge standard).
- Pick the gauge number, or enter a thickness in mm or inch.
Worked example
14 gauge steel = 0.0747″ × 25.4 = 1.897 mm, weighing 14.9 kg/m². 14 gauge aluminum is 0.0641″ = 1.628 mm. A 2 mm steel sheet is closest to 14 gauge; 3 mm is closest to 11 gauge (3.038 mm).
Sheet metal gauge chart (mm and inch)
| Gauge | Steel | Galvanized | Stainless steel | Aluminum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6.07 (0.2391″) | — | 6.35 (0.2500″) | 5.83 (0.2294″) |
| 4 | 5.69 (0.2242″) | — | 5.95 (0.2344″) | 5.19 (0.2043″) |
| 5 | 5.31 (0.2092″) | — | 5.55 (0.2187″) | 4.62 (0.1819″) |
| 6 | 4.94 (0.1943″) | — | 5.16 (0.2031″) | 4.11 (0.1620″) |
| 7 | 4.55 (0.1793″) | — | 4.76 (0.1875″) | 3.67 (0.1443″) |
| 8 | 4.18 (0.1644″) | 4.27 (0.1681″) | 4.37 (0.1719″) | 3.26 (0.1285″) |
| 9 | 3.80 (0.1495″) | 3.89 (0.1532″) | 3.97 (0.1562″) | 2.91 (0.1144″) |
| 10 | 3.42 (0.1345″) | 3.51 (0.1382″) | 3.57 (0.1406″) | 2.59 (0.1019″) |
| 11 | 3.04 (0.1196″) | 3.13 (0.1233″) | 3.18 (0.1250″) | 2.30 (0.0907″) |
| 12 | 2.66 (0.1046″) | 2.75 (0.1084″) | 2.78 (0.1094″) | 2.05 (0.0808″) |
| 13 | 2.28 (0.0897″) | 2.37 (0.0934″) | 2.38 (0.0937″) | 1.83 (0.0720″) |
| 14 | 1.90 (0.0747″) | 1.99 (0.0785″) | 1.98 (0.0781″) | 1.63 (0.0641″) |
| 15 | 1.71 (0.0673″) | 1.80 (0.0710″) | 1.79 (0.0703″) | 1.45 (0.0571″) |
| 16 | 1.52 (0.0598″) | 1.61 (0.0635″) | 1.59 (0.0625″) | 1.29 (0.0508″) |
| 17 | 1.37 (0.0538″) | 1.46 (0.0575″) | 1.43 (0.0562″) | 1.15 (0.0453″) |
| 18 | 1.21 (0.0478″) | 1.31 (0.0516″) | 1.27 (0.0500″) | 1.02 (0.0403″) |
| 19 | 1.06 (0.0418″) | 1.16 (0.0456″) | 1.11 (0.0437″) | 0.91 (0.0359″) |
| 20 | 0.91 (0.0359″) | 1.01 (0.0396″) | 0.95 (0.0375″) | 0.81 (0.0320″) |
| 21 | 0.84 (0.0329″) | 0.93 (0.0366″) | 0.87 (0.0344″) | 0.72 (0.0285″) |
| 22 | 0.76 (0.0299″) | 0.85 (0.0336″) | 0.79 (0.0312″) | 0.64 (0.0253″) |
| 23 | 0.68 (0.0269″) | 0.78 (0.0306″) | 0.71 (0.0281″) | 0.57 (0.0226″) |
| 24 | 0.61 (0.0239″) | 0.70 (0.0276″) | 0.64 (0.0250″) | 0.51 (0.0201″) |
| 25 | 0.53 (0.0209″) | 0.63 (0.0247″) | 0.56 (0.0219″) | 0.45 (0.0179″) |
| 26 | 0.45 (0.0179″) | 0.55 (0.0217″) | 0.47 (0.0187″) | 0.40 (0.0159″) |
| 27 | 0.42 (0.0164″) | 0.51 (0.0202″) | 0.44 (0.0172″) | 0.36 (0.0142″) |
| 28 | 0.38 (0.0149″) | 0.47 (0.0187″) | 0.40 (0.0156″) | 0.32 (0.0126″) |
| 29 | 0.34 (0.0135″) | 0.44 (0.0172″) | 0.36 (0.0141″) | 0.29 (0.0113″) |
| 30 | 0.30 (0.0120″) | 0.40 (0.0157″) | 0.32 (0.0125″) | 0.25 (0.0100″) |
| 31 | 0.27 (0.0105″) | 0.36 (0.0142″) | 0.28 (0.0109″) | 0.23 (0.0089″) |
| 32 | 0.25 (0.0097″) | 0.34 (0.0134″) | 0.26 (0.0102″) | 0.20 (0.0080″) |
| 33 | 0.23 (0.0090″) | — | 0.24 (0.0094″) | 0.18 (0.0071″) |
| 34 | 0.21 (0.0082″) | — | 0.22 (0.0086″) | 0.16 (0.0063″) |
| 35 | 0.19 (0.0075″) | — | 0.20 (0.0078″) | 0.14 (0.0056″) |
| 36 | 0.17 (0.0067″) | — | 0.18 (0.0070″) | 0.13 (0.0050″) |
| 37 | 0.16 (0.0064″) | — | 0.17 (0.0066″) | 0.11 (0.0045″) |
| 38 | 0.15 (0.0060″) | — | 0.16 (0.0062″) | 0.10 (0.0040″) |
Frequently asked questions
How thick is 16 gauge steel in mm?
16 gauge steel is 0.0598 inch, which is 1.519 mm. 16 gauge stainless steel is 1.588 mm and 16 gauge aluminum 1.29 mm.
How thick is 10 gauge steel?
10 gauge steel is 0.1345 inch (3.416 mm). In stainless steel it is 0.1406 inch (3.571 mm) and in aluminum 0.1019 inch (2.588 mm).
Why does a higher gauge mean thinner metal?
Gauge originally counted how many times wire was drawn through a die — each draw made it thinner. Sheet gauges kept the same logic.
What gauge is 2 mm and 3 mm?
In steel, 2 mm is closest to 14 gauge (1.897 mm) and 3 mm to 11 gauge (3.038 mm). In aluminum, 2 mm is close to 12 gauge (2.052 mm).
Reviewed by the HARSLE engineering team · Last updated October 2026. Results are engineering estimates; confirm critical values with your machine and tooling documentation.
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