Steel sheet metal gauge chart

Which gauge has the best metal durability?

In simplistic terms, gauge is an oft-used measurement of a metal sheet’s thickness. It is preferred by many industrial clients for stainless and sheet steel during project planning and procurement. The gauge number corresponds to a measurement on the steel sheet metal gauge chart in inches or millimetres. As a corollary from the thickness, the gauge also indicates a sheet’s strength, durability, and longevity. Stainless steel sinks can use gauges 14 to 22, but 14 will be the most durable. Likewise, comparing gauges 24 and 26 for metal roofing, 24 will display more impact resistance. The gauge numbers do not directly relate to the values for strength and thickness. So, for example, a 12-gauge steel sheet is about 2.86 times stronger than its 14-gauge counterpart.

Steel sheet metal gauge chart in mm

Gauge/ Ga	Thickness in mm
3	6.073
4	5.695
5	5.314
6	4.935
7	4.554
8	4.176
9	3.797
10	3.416
11	3.038
12	2.657
13	2.278
14	1.897
15	1.709
16	1.519
17	1.367
18	1.214
19	1.062
20	0.912
21	0.836
22	0.759
23	0.683
24	0.607
25	0.531
26	0.455
27	0.417
28	0.378
29	0.343
30	0.305
31	0.267
32	0.246
33	0.229
34	0.208
35	0.191
36	0.170
37	0.163
38	0.152

Steel sheet gauge thickness in inches

Gauge/ Ga	Thickness in inch
3	0.2391
4	0.2242
5	0.2092
6	0.1943
7	0.1793
8	0.1644
9	0.1495
10	0.1345
11	0.1196
12	0.1046
13	0.0897
14	0.0747
15	0.0673
16	0.0598
17	0.0538
18	0.0478
19	0.0418
20	0.0359
21	0.0329
22	0.0299
23	0.0269
24	0.0239
25	0.0209
26	0.0179
27	0.0164
28	0.0149
29	0.0135
30	0.0120
31	0.0105
32	0.0097
33	0.0090
34	0.0082
35	0.0075
36	0.0067
37	0.0064
38	0.0060

Sheet metal gauge weight chart

	Weight Per Area
Gauge/ Ga	lb/ft²	kg/m²
3	9.754	47.624
4	9.146	44.656
5	8.534	41.668
6	7.927	38.701
7	7.315	35.713
8	6.707	32.745
9	6.099	29.777
10	5.487	26.790
11	4.879	23.822
12	4.267	20.834
13	3.659	17.866
14	3.047	14.879
15	2.746	13.405
16	2.440	11.911
17	2.195	10.716
18	1.950	9.521
19	1.705	8.326
20	1.465	7.151
21	1.342	6.553
22	1.220	5.955
23	1.097	5.358
24	0.975	4.760
25	0.853	4.163
26	0.730	3.565
27	0.669	3.267
28	0.608	2.968
29	0.551	2.689
30	0.490	2.390
31	0.428	2.091
32	0.396	1.932
33	0.367	1.793
34	0.335	1.633
35	0.306	1.494
36	0.273	1.335
37	0.261	1.275
38	0.245	1.195

Hot rolled carbon steel sheet thickness tolerances

Gauge/ Ga	Thickness in inch	Tolerance
4	0.2242	± 0.2332 ± 0.2152
5	0.2092	±0.2182 ±0.2002
6	0.1943	±0.2033 ±0.1853
7	0.1793	±0.1873 ±0.1713
8	0.1644	±0.1724 ±0.1564
9	0.1495	±0.1575 ±0.1415
10	0.1345	±0.1425 ±0.1265
11	0.1196	±0.1276 ±0.1116
12	0.1046	±0.1126 ±0.0966
13	0.0897	±0.0967 ±0.0827
14	0.0747	±0.0817 ±0.0677
15	0.0673	±0.0733 ±0.0613
16	0.0598	±0.0658 ±0.0538
17	0.0538	±0.0598 ±0.0478
18	0.0478	±0.0528 ±0.0428

Cold rolled carbon steel sheet thickness tolerances

Gauge/ Ga	Thickness in inch	Tolerance
10	0.1345	±0.1405 ±0.1285
11	0.1196	±0.1256 ±0.1136
12	0.1046	±0.1106 ±0.0986
13	0.0897	±0.0947 ±0.0847
14	0.0747	±0.0797 ±0.0697
15	0.0673	±0.0723 ±0.0623
16	0.0598	±0.0648 ±0.0548
17	0.0538	±0.0578 ±0.0498
18	0.0478	±0.0518 ±0.0438
19	0.0418	±0.0458 ±0.0378
20	0.0359	±0.0389 ±0.0329
21	0.0329	±0.0359 ±0.0299
22	0.0299	±0.0329 ±0.0269
23	0.0269	±0.0299 ±0.0239
24	0.0239	±0.0269 ±0.0209
25	0.0209	±0.0239 ±0.0179
26	0.0179	±0.0199 ±0.0159
27	0.0164	±0.0184 ±0.0144
28	0.0149	±0.0169 ±0.0129

How do you select sheet metal thickness?

Choosing a metallic sheet of appropriate thickness is a significant project decision that impacts acquisition costs, compliance, and performance. Sheets have a thickness between 0.2 to 6 mm. Thinner or thicker products are foils and plates, respectively. The thickness you need is a factor of the required strength for the application. A lower gauge number on the sheet steel gauge chart implies a thicker and stronger sheet. It is ideal for applications demanding resilience, like construction and heavy machinery. Here are the other factors affecting the thickness selection of sheet metal:

• Weight constraints
• Loads acting on the sheet
• Flexibility required: A lower gauge will work for more rigidity, but you want a thinner sheet for handling curvature and pliability needs.
• Environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure

A gauge chart will show the sheet steel gauge thicknesses for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, like sheet steel, aluminium, and stainless steel.

Which equipment is used to measure the thickness of a metal sheet?

The industry-standard approaches for measuring the gauge are callipers, a measuring tape, or a gauge measure. The latter can be ultrasonic or magnetic. It can also use Eddy currents. You may also prefer gauge wheels for ferrous and non-ferrous metals. You may need a coating gauge thickness measurement if your application gets exposed to corrosive agents and warrants protective coatings. These values will relate to a galvanized sheet gauge chart.

How to measure the gauge of a steel sheet?

Once you have chosen the equipment, you can proceed to measure the sheet metal gauge sizes, i.e., the thickness of the sheet:

• Place the measuring tape perpendicular to the sheet. If you prefer a gauge wheel, the sheet metal must go into the gap where it fits (flat, not rounded).
• Aim to measure the thickness as closely as possible. Using the millimetre hash is vital for accuracy.

Match the obtained value with the corresponding gauge number on a sheet metal gauge chart. Note that a higher gauge number denotes a thinner sheet.

Sheet steel gauge thickness and tolerance

Metal sheets get produced with close adherence to the stated tolerance. These levels differ by the thickness of the sheet and the material used. A sheet metal gauge chart will depict these figures for compliance needs.

For sheet steel, the tolerance differs with the thickness. For instance, for Gauge 10, the value is 0.1285 to 0.1405 inches (3.26 to 3.57 cm). But for Gauge 28, the tolerances are from 0.0129 to 0.0169 inches (0.33 to 0.43 cm).

How do you convert steel gauge to inches?

There is no direct formula to convert steel gauge to inches since the gauge number does not relate to the absolute measurement. Buyers must refer to the steel gauge thickness chart shared by the manufacturer. Generally, the standard gauge system used by the metal – in this case, Manufacturer’s Standard Gauge – will list the value in inches corresponding to the gauge. For instance, a Gauge 10 steel sheet is 0.1345 inches or 3.4 mm thick. If you have measured the thickness in inches, you can convert the unit to inches by multiplying by 0.03937.

Carbon steel gauge vs mild steel gauge

Mild steel is essentially a type of carbon steel. While both have iron and carbon, the latter has a higher carbon level. It makes carbon steel harder and sturdier. A mild steel sheet metal gauge chart can range from 3 to 36. But not all kinds of steel have the same varieties in available gauges. Galvanized steel only has 9 to 32. As an example, let’s consider a 10-gauge sheet. It corresponds to 0.1345 inches on the carbon steel sheet metal gauge chart. It is almost the same for sheet and mild steel: 0.135 inches. But the value is much higher for galvanized and stainless steels (0.1382″, 0.1406″).