Stainless steel sheet metal gauge chart
In stainless steel, 16 gauge is 0.0625″ (1.6 mm). Gauge is material-specific — pick a gauge below to read the exact thickness, or enter a thickness to find the nearest gauge.
Stainless steel gauge · lower gauge number = thicker metal
Stainless steel gauge to thickness — full chart
| Gauge | Thickness inch | Thickness mm |
|---|---|---|
| 7 ga | 0.1875 | 4.76 |
| 8 ga | 0.1719 | 4.37 |
| 9 ga | 0.1563 | 3.97 |
| 10 ga | 0.1406 | 3.57 |
| 11 ga | 0.125 | 3.17 |
| 12 ga | 0.1094 | 2.78 |
| 13 ga | 0.0938 | 2.38 |
| 14 ga | 0.0781 | 1.98 |
| 15 ga | 0.0703 | 1.79 |
| 16 ga | 0.0625 | 1.59 |
| 17 ga | 0.0563 | 1.43 |
| 18 ga | 0.05 | 1.27 |
| 19 ga | 0.0438 | 1.11 |
| 20 ga | 0.0375 | 0.952 |
| 21 ga | 0.0344 | 0.874 |
| 22 ga | 0.0313 | 0.795 |
| 23 ga | 0.0281 | 0.714 |
| 24 ga | 0.025 | 0.635 |
| 25 ga | 0.0219 | 0.556 |
| 26 ga | 0.0188 | 0.478 |
| 28 ga | 0.0156 | 0.396 |
Thicknesses per Stainless steel gauge. Exact standard values, not a formula.
Gauge is not universal — always confirm in decimal. The same gauge number is a different thickness in steel, stainless and aluminium. When it matters (bending, welding, ordering), spec the decimal thickness, not the gauge.
Reading the stainless steel gauge chart
Gauge runs backwards: a lower number is thicker metal. In stainless steel, 16 ga is 0.0625″ and every step up in number takes a little material away. The numbers come from the Stainless steel gauge standard, so they are fixed reference values — the chart above is the lookup, not a calculation.
Why steel, stainless and aluminium differ
Each metal family adopted its own gauge standard historically, so 16 ga steel, 16 ga stainless and 16 ga aluminium are three different thicknesses. That is the single most common gauge mistake: ordering or bending to a gauge number without checking which material’s table it belongs to. If a drawing just says “16 ga” with no material, get it clarified.
Galvanised and coated stock
Galvanised steel is sold by gauge too, but its thickness includes the zinc coating, so the bare steel underneath is slightly thinner than this uncoated-steel chart. For structural or bend calculations use the base-metal thickness, not the coated gauge.
Bending this sheet? Stainless steel bend allowance
References
- Stainless steel gauge — sheet-metal gauge thickness standard.
- Machinery’s Handbook — standard gauges for sheet and wire.
Last reviewed: 2026-07 · Calculation method & assumptions