Sheet Metal Gauge Chart

Steel, stainless & aluminum — inches, mm, lb/ft²

Gauge-to-thickness conversion for the three common sheet systems: carbon steel (Manufacturers' Standard Gauge), stainless steel, and aluminum (Brown & Sharpe). Weights per square foot are computed from the same densities the FabCostEstimator quoting engine uses — A36 steel 0.284, 304 stainless 0.289, and aluminum 0.098 lb/in³ (see the metal density chart for other alloys). To weigh and price a full sheet or blank, drop the thickness into the free estimator.

Carbon steel gauge chart

Gauge	Inches	mm	lb/ft²
7	0.1793	4.55	7.33
8	0.1644	4.18	6.72
9	0.1495	3.80	6.11
10	0.1345	3.42	5.50
11	0.1196	3.04	4.89
12	0.1046	2.66	4.28
13	0.0897	2.28	3.67
14	0.0747	1.90	3.05
15	0.0673	1.71	2.75
16	0.0598	1.52	2.45
17	0.0538	1.37	2.20
18	0.0478	1.21	1.95
19	0.0418	1.06	1.71
20	0.0359	0.91	1.47
21	0.0329	0.84	1.35
22	0.0299	0.76	1.22
23	0.0269	0.68	1.10
24	0.0239	0.61	0.98
25	0.0209	0.53	0.85
26	0.0179	0.45	0.73

Stainless steel gauge chart

Gauge	Inches	mm	lb/ft²
7	0.1875	4.76	7.80
8	0.1719	4.37	7.15
9	0.1563	3.97	6.50
10	0.1406	3.57	5.85
11	0.1250	3.17	5.20
12	0.1094	2.78	4.55
13	0.0938	2.38	3.90
14	0.0781	1.98	3.25
15	0.0703	1.79	2.93
16	0.0625	1.59	2.60
17	0.0563	1.43	2.34
18	0.0500	1.27	2.08
19	0.0438	1.11	1.82
20	0.0375	0.95	1.56
21	0.0344	0.87	1.43
22	0.0313	0.80	1.30
23	0.0281	0.71	1.17
24	0.0250	0.64	1.04
25	0.0219	0.56	0.91
26	0.0188	0.48	0.78

Aluminum gauge chart

Gauge	Inches	mm	lb/ft²
7	0.1443	3.67	2.04
8	0.1285	3.26	1.81
9	0.1144	2.91	1.61
10	0.1019	2.59	1.44
11	0.0907	2.30	1.28
12	0.0808	2.05	1.14
13	0.0720	1.83	1.02
14	0.0641	1.63	0.90
15	0.0571	1.45	0.81
16	0.0508	1.29	0.72
17	0.0453	1.15	0.64
18	0.0403	1.02	0.57
19	0.0359	0.91	0.51
20	0.0320	0.81	0.45
21	0.0285	0.72	0.40
22	0.0253	0.64	0.36
23	0.0226	0.57	0.32
24	0.0201	0.51	0.28
25	0.0179	0.45	0.25
26	0.0159	0.40	0.22

Higher gauge = thinner sheet. Nominal thicknesses; mill tolerance applies. Aluminum weights use 6061 (0.098 lb/in³) — 5052 runs about 1% lighter.

Frequently asked questions

What thickness is 16 gauge steel?

16 gauge carbon steel sheet is 0.0598" (about 1.52 mm) and weighs roughly 2.5 lb per square foot. 16 gauge stainless is slightly thicker at 0.0625", and 16 gauge aluminum is 0.0508".

Why is aluminum gauge different from steel gauge?

They come from different systems. Carbon steel sheet uses the Manufacturers’ Standard Gauge, which is based on weight per square foot, while aluminum uses the Brown & Sharpe (AWG) wire gauge. The same gauge number is a different thickness in each metal, which is why thickness should always be specified in decimal inches or millimeters on drawings.

What gauge is 1/8 inch steel?

There is no exact gauge match: 11 gauge (0.1196") is the closest standard sheet gauge below 1/8" (0.125"), and stainless 11 gauge is exactly 0.125". Material 3/16" and up is normally called out as plate in fractional inches rather than gauge.