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Stainless Steel Plate Gauge Chart

Convert stainless steel gauge sizes to nominal thickness in inches and millimeters, or enter a measured thickness to find the closest gauge.

Stainless Steel Gauge Thickness Chart

Lower gauge numbers are thicker. Use the chart directly or enter a gauge, inch value, or millimeter value in the quick lookup.

16 ga0.0625 in · 1.5875 mm 18 ga0.0500 in · 1.270 mm 20 ga0.0375 in · 0.9525 mm

Quick answer: 16 gauge stainless steel is nominally 0.0625 in (1.5875 mm) thick. Use the complete chart below for other gauges.

Scroll vertically to view gauges 7 through 30. On narrow screens, the chart prioritizes gauge, inches, and millimeters; fractional-inch values remain available in the lookup.

Nominal U.S. Standard Gauge thickness values for commonly referenced stainless steel gauges 7–30. Millimeter values are exact conversions of the listed decimal-inch values using 25.4 mm per inch.
Fraction
7 0.1875 4.7625 3/16
8 0.171875 4.365625 11/64
9 0.15625 3.96875 5/32
10 0.140625 3.571875 9/64
11 0.125 3.175 1/8
12 0.109375 2.778125 7/64
13 0.09375 2.38125 3/32
14 0.078125 1.984375 5/64
15 0.0703125 1.7859375 9/128
16 0.0625 1.5875 1/16
17 0.05625 1.42875 9/160
18 0.05 1.27 1/20
19 0.04375 1.11125 7/160
20 0.0375 0.9525 3/80
21 0.034375 0.873125 11/320
22 0.03125 0.79375 1/32
23 0.028125 0.714375 9/320
24 0.025 0.635 1/40
25 0.021875 0.555625 7/320
26 0.01875 0.47625 3/160
27 0.0171875 0.4365625 11/640
28 0.015625 0.396875 1/64
29 0.0140625 0.3571875 9/640
30 0.0125 0.3175 1/80

Nominal reference only. Gauge identifies a reference thickness; it does not define the allowable delivered-thickness tolerance for a specific stainless product.

Printed stainless steel gauge chart — nominal U.S. Standard Gauge reference values, primary range 7–30.

Gauge is material-specific. Do not assume a stainless steel gauge number has the same thickness as carbon steel, galvanized steel, or aluminum. For critical drawings and purchasing, specify decimal thickness, grade, finish, dimensions, and applicable tolerances.

Show the complete U.S. Standard Gauge range (0000000–38)

The main chart focuses on gauges 7–30 for fast lookup. These additional designations complete the sequence published in 15 U.S.C. §206.

Scroll vertically to review the extended gauge designations. On narrow screens, scroll horizontally to view all columns.

Extended U.S. Standard Gauge designations outside the primary 7–30 chart.
GaugeInchesMillimetersFraction
0000000 0.5 12.7 1/2
000000 0.46875 11.90625 15/32
00000 0.4375 11.1125 7/16
0000 0.40625 10.31875 13/32
000 0.375 9.525 3/8
00 0.34375 8.73125 11/32
0 0.3125 7.9375 5/16
1 0.28125 7.14375 9/32
2 0.265625 6.746875 17/64
3 0.25 6.35 1/4
4 0.234375 5.953125 15/64
5 0.21875 5.55625 7/32
6 0.203125 5.159375 13/64
31 0.0109375 0.2778125 7/640
32 0.01015625 0.25796875 13/1280
33 0.009375 0.238125 3/320
34 0.00859375 0.21828125 11/1280
35 0.0078125 0.1984375 5/640
36 0.00703125 0.17859375 9/1280
37 0.006640625 0.168671875 17/2560
38 0.00625 0.15875 1/160
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Gauge vs. Actual Stainless Steel Thickness

A gauge number is a nominal reference, not an inspection tolerance. Actual supplied thickness depends on the ordered product, grade, width, finish, edge condition, and the dimensional requirements that apply to that material.

Gauge
A historical size designation used for quick thickness reference.
Nominal thickness
The reference decimal thickness associated with that gauge designation.
Delivered thickness
The actual measured material thickness, which must satisfy the applicable purchase and tolerance requirements.

Practical rule: use gauge for quick shop communication, but use decimal thickness on engineering drawings, purchase orders, and inspection criteria when dimensional control matters.

How to Specify Stainless Sheet or Plate

For fabrication or purchasing, a complete material callout should identify more than the gauge number. Include the stainless grade or UNS designation, ordered decimal thickness and units, finish, width and length, and the applicable product and dimensional requirements.

Quick shop reference

  • Use the gauge chart to identify nominal thickness.
  • Compare adjacent gauges before selecting stock.
  • Confirm the material is actually stainless steel.

Engineering documents

  • Specify decimal thickness instead of gauge alone.
  • State grade, finish, dimensions, and required tolerances.
  • Use the governing product specification for acceptance.

Sheet vs. plate terminology

The search phrase “stainless steel plate gauge” is common, but thicker flat products are normally ordered directly by decimal thickness rather than gauge. Treat this chart as a flat-product thickness reference, not as a universal definition of where sheet ends and plate begins.

Engineering Basis and Data Sources

Scope: nominal U.S. Standard Gauge designations and thickness values. ASTM tolerance tables are not reproduced.

Dataset
U.S. Standard Gauge sequence
Primary units
Inches and millimeters
Conversion
1 in = 25.4 mm exactly
Primary chart range
7–30 gauge
Extended range
0000000–38
Use
Nominal thickness reference

Stainless Steel Gauge Chart FAQs

16 gauge stainless steel is nominally 0.0625 inch or 1.5875 millimeters thick, equal to 1/16 inch in the U.S. Standard Gauge sequence.

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