16 gauge steel thickness
16 gauge sheet steel is 0.0598 inches thick, or 1.52 mm. It weighs 2.44 lb per square foot, so a standard 4×8 sheet comes in around 78 lb.
Inches
0.0598"
Millimetres
1.52 mm
Weight
2.44 lb/ft²
4×8 sheet
78 lb
What 16 gauge is used for
Ornamental and architectural metalwork, gates, light enclosures, and stair risers. Common for anything visible that still needs stiffness.
16 gauge in other materials
Sheet steel
0.0598"
Galvanized
0.0635"
Stainless
0.0625"
Galvanized and stainless use their own gauge series — the same gauge number is a different thickness in each. Reading a galvanized order off a plain steel chart is one of the most common ordering mistakes in the shop.
Next gauge up and down
Thicker — 15 gauge
0.0673"
13% thicker than 16 gauge
Thinner — 17 gauge
0.0538"
10% thinner than 16 gauge
Calculate a 16 gauge order
Gauge converter
Inches
0.0598"
Millimetres
1.52 mm
Weight
2.44 lb/ft²
Total
244 lb
Weight is calculated at 40.84 lb/ft² per inch of thickness. The Manufacturers' Standard Gauge quotes a nominal 2.50 lb/ft² for 16 gauge, based on a historical wrought-iron density — if a mill cert and your calculation disagree slightly, that is usually why.
Full gauge chart
| Gauge | Steel (in) | Steel (mm) | lb/ft² | Galvanized (in) | Stainless (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 ga | 0.2391 | 6.07 | 9.76 | — | 0.2500 |
| 4 ga | 0.2242 | 5.69 | 9.16 | — | 0.2344 |
| 5 ga | 0.2092 | 5.31 | 8.54 | — | 0.2187 |
| 6 ga | 0.1943 | 4.94 | 7.94 | — | 0.2031 |
| 7 ga | 0.1793 | 4.55 | 7.32 | — | 0.1875 |
| 8 ga | 0.1644 | 4.18 | 6.71 | 0.1681 | 0.1719 |
| 9 ga | 0.1495 | 3.80 | 6.11 | 0.1532 | 0.1562 |
| 10 ga | 0.1345 | 3.42 | 5.49 | 0.1382 | 0.1406 |
| 11 ga | 0.1196 | 3.04 | 4.88 | 0.1233 | 0.1250 |
| 12 ga | 0.1046 | 2.66 | 4.27 | 0.1084 | 0.1094 |
| 13 ga | 0.0897 | 2.28 | 3.66 | 0.0934 | 0.0937 |
| 14 ga | 0.0747 | 1.90 | 3.05 | 0.0785 | 0.0781 |
| 15 ga | 0.0673 | 1.71 | 2.75 | 0.0710 | 0.0703 |
| 16 ga | 0.0598 | 1.52 | 2.44 | 0.0635 | 0.0625 |
| 17 ga | 0.0538 | 1.37 | 2.20 | 0.0575 | 0.0562 |
| 18 ga | 0.0478 | 1.21 | 1.95 | 0.0516 | 0.0500 |
| 19 ga | 0.0418 | 1.06 | 1.71 | 0.0456 | 0.0437 |
| 20 ga | 0.0359 | 0.91 | 1.47 | 0.0396 | 0.0375 |
| 21 ga | 0.0329 | 0.84 | 1.34 | 0.0366 | 0.0344 |
| 22 ga | 0.0299 | 0.76 | 1.22 | 0.0336 | 0.0312 |
| 23 ga | 0.0269 | 0.68 | 1.10 | 0.0306 | 0.0281 |
| 24 ga | 0.0239 | 0.61 | 0.98 | 0.0276 | 0.0250 |
| 25 ga | 0.0209 | 0.53 | 0.85 | 0.0247 | 0.0219 |
| 26 ga | 0.0179 | 0.45 | 0.73 | 0.0217 | 0.0187 |
| 27 ga | 0.0164 | 0.42 | 0.67 | 0.0202 | 0.0172 |
| 28 ga | 0.0149 | 0.38 | 0.61 | 0.0187 | 0.0156 |