How sheet metal gauges work
A gauge number stands for a thickness, and each metal has its own table. Metal Supermarkets publishes separate gauge charts for mild steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel and aluminum. The same number means a different thickness in each. At 16 gauge, mild steel is 0.0598 in, galvanized 0.0635 in, stainless 0.0625 in and aluminum 0.05082 in.
The calculator reads the thickness from the table for your metal. It multiplies the thickness by the sheet's area and by the density of the metal. For a thickness that has no gauge, choose Other thickness and type it in.
Gauge thickness by metal
The thicknesses come from Metal Supermarkets' charts, with millimetres converted at 25.4 mm per inch. Metal Supermarkets notes that actual thickness varies with tolerances.
| Gauge | Steel | Galvanized | Stainless | Aluminum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0.1345 in (3.416 mm) | 0.1382 in (3.510 mm) | 0.14062 in (3.572 mm) | 0.1019 in (2.588 mm) |
| 11 | 0.1196 in (3.038 mm) | 0.1233 in (3.132 mm) | 0.125 in (3.175 mm) | 0.09074 in (2.305 mm) |
| 12 | 0.1046 in (2.657 mm) | 0.1084 in (2.753 mm) | 0.10937 in (2.778 mm) | 0.08081 in (2.053 mm) |
| 14 | 0.0747 in (1.897 mm) | 0.0785 in (1.994 mm) | 0.07812 in (1.984 mm) | 0.06408 in (1.628 mm) |
| 16 | 0.0598 in (1.519 mm) | 0.0635 in (1.613 mm) | 0.0625 in (1.588 mm) | 0.05082 in (1.291 mm) |
| 18 | 0.0478 in (1.214 mm) | 0.0516 in (1.311 mm) | 0.050 in (1.270 mm) | 0.04030 in (1.024 mm) |
| 20 | 0.0359 in (0.912 mm) | 0.0396 in (1.006 mm) | 0.0375 in (0.953 mm) | 0.03196 in (0.812 mm) |
| 22 | 0.0299 in (0.759 mm) | 0.0336 in (0.853 mm) | 0.03125 in (0.794 mm) | 0.02535 in (0.644 mm) |
| 24 | 0.0239 in (0.607 mm) | 0.0276 in (0.701 mm) | 0.025 in (0.635 mm) | 0.02010 in (0.511 mm) |
| 26 | 0.0179 in (0.455 mm) | 0.0217 in (0.551 mm) | 0.01875 in (0.476 mm) | 0.01594 in (0.405 mm) |
Weight per square foot and per square metre
Each cell gives the weight of one square foot, then of one square metre. Steel and galvanized use 7,850 kg per cubic metre, stainless 304 uses 7,900 and aluminum 5052 uses 2,680.
| Gauge | Steel | Galvanized | Stainless 304 | Aluminum 5052 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 5.493 lb, 26.82 kg | 5.644 lb, 27.56 kg | 5.779 lb, 28.22 kg | 1.421 lb, 6.94 kg |
| 11 | 4.884 lb, 23.85 kg | 5.035 lb, 24.58 kg | 5.137 lb, 25.08 kg | 1.265 lb, 6.18 kg |
| 12 | 4.272 lb, 20.86 kg | 4.427 lb, 21.61 kg | 4.495 lb, 21.95 kg | 1.127 lb, 5.50 kg |
| 14 | 3.051 lb, 14.89 kg | 3.206 lb, 15.65 kg | 3.211 lb, 15.68 kg | 0.893 lb, 4.36 kg |
| 16 | 2.442 lb, 11.92 kg | 2.593 lb, 12.66 kg | 2.569 lb, 12.54 kg | 0.709 lb, 3.46 kg |
| 18 | 1.952 lb, 9.53 kg | 2.107 lb, 10.29 kg | 2.055 lb, 10.03 kg | 0.562 lb, 2.74 kg |
| 20 | 1.466 lb, 7.16 kg | 1.617 lb, 7.90 kg | 1.541 lb, 7.52 kg | 0.446 lb, 2.18 kg |
| 22 | 1.221 lb, 5.96 kg | 1.372 lb, 6.70 kg | 1.284 lb, 6.27 kg | 0.353 lb, 1.73 kg |
| 24 | 0.976 lb, 4.77 kg | 1.127 lb, 5.50 kg | 1.027 lb, 5.02 kg | 0.280 lb, 1.37 kg |
| 26 | 0.731 lb, 3.57 kg | 0.886 lb, 4.33 kg | 0.771 lb, 3.76 kg | 0.222 lb, 1.09 kg |
Weight per sheet
The calculator offers the four standard sizes below, and any other size you type. This table gives 16 gauge in each metal.
| Sheet size, 16 gauge | Steel | Galvanized | Stainless 304 | Aluminum 5052 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 8 ft | 78.1 lb | 83.0 lb | 82.2 lb | 22.7 lb |
| 4 x 10 ft | 97.7 lb | 103.7 lb | 102.7 lb | 28.3 lb |
| 5 x 10 ft | 122.1 lb | 129.7 lb | 128.4 lb | 35.4 lb |
| 1250 x 2500 mm | 37.26 kg | 39.57 kg | 39.19 kg | 10.81 kg |
Worked examples
16 gauge steel, 4 x 8 ft. The sheet holds 0.0598 x 48 x 96 = 275.6 cubic inches. At 0.2836 lb per cubic inch, it weighs 78.1 lb.
16 gauge steel, 1250 x 2500 mm. The thickness is 1.519 mm and the area 3.125 square metres. At 7.85 kg per square metre per millimetre, the sheet weighs 37.26 kg.
18 gauge stainless 304, 4 x 10 ft. The sheet holds 0.050 x 48 x 120 = 288 cubic inches. At 0.2854 lb per cubic inch, it weighs 82.2 lb.
With a price. At an example price of $1.00 per lb, ten sheets of the 16 gauge steel cost $781.48 in material. The prices in these examples are round numbers for illustration, not market prices. Enter what you pay, per pound or per kilogram, and the calculator adds the material cost.
Why gauge charts list different weights
Some distributors publish a weight per square foot with each gauge. Russel Metals lists 16 gauge sheet steel at 0.0598 in and 2.5 lb per square foot. The thickness times the density of steel gives 2.44 lb, about 2.3 percent less. If your supplier bills sheet at its chart weight, price from the chart.
The same happens with stainless. Russel Metals' stainless chart lists 16 gauge at 2.55 lb per square foot, where the calculator gives 2.57 lb with Outokumpu's density for 304.
Sheet weight in a quote
A sheet metal part's material cost starts from the sheet you cut it from. The guide to costing software for manufacturing covers how a plant turns a sheet price into a cost per part.
Questions
How much does a 4 x 8 sheet of 16 gauge steel weigh?
How thick is 16 gauge?
How much does a 4 x 8 sheet of 18 gauge stainless weigh?
Does aluminum use the same gauges as steel?
Can I weigh sheet in kilograms?
Why does galvanized sheet weigh more than bare steel of the same gauge?
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
Price material from what you paid last month
Material is the first line of every quote. A quoting system can price it from your recent invoice prices, instead of a number someone typed in years ago.
See AI quoting software