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16 gauge sheet steel is 0.0598 inches thick (1.518 mm), but the same gauge number measures thinner in aluminum and thicker in stainless steel.
For the full breakdown, see our best 16 Gauge Sheet Metal guide.
Grab a U.S. penny and you’re holding the thickness of 16 gauge sheet metal — if the metal is plain carbon steel. The penny’s 1.52 mm matches the standard 0.0598 inches of 16 gauge steel sheet. Say “aluminum,” “stainless,” or “galvanized” and that gauge number points somewhere else entirely, so the practical question is which metal you’re actually ordering.
The Standard Thickness Of 16 Gauge Steel
For plain sheet steel, 16 gauge measures 0.0598 inches, or 1.518 mm. That value comes from standard U.S. gauge tables for sheet steel, and it’s the number suppliers work from when they quote a 16 gauge steel sheet. In everyday talk, most people shorten it to about 1.52 mm.
Multiply 0.0598 by 25.4 and you get 1.5189 mm, which is why the metric side of charts varies slightly: some print 1.518 mm, some round to 1.519 mm, and product listings often use 1.52 mm. All three describe the same physical sheet.
Two public references agree on the decimal-inch side. Metal Supermarkets’ sheet metal gauge chart lists 16 gauge steel at 0.0598 inch / 1.518 mm, and CustomPartNet’s sheet metal gauge chart lists the same 0.0598 inch with the metric column rounded to 1.519 mm. When an exact number matters for a cut or a fit, use inches, not the rounded metric figure.
Gauge numbers also run opposite to thickness: the higher the gauge, the thinner the sheet. Eighteen gauge steel comes in around 0.0478 inches, while 14 gauge steel lands near 0.0747 inches. That puts 16 gauge in the middle of the 14-to-20 range used for brackets, panels, and small fabricated parts.
Is 16 Gauge The Same For Every Metal?
No. A gauge number only has meaning for the metal it was assigned to, so the material and the gauge have to be read as one unit, not two separate choices. Here is where 16 gauge lands on standard charts for the four sheet metals buyers most often order.
| Metal | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| Steel (plain carbon) | 0.0598 | 1.518 |
| Stainless steel | 0.0625 | 1.588 |
| Aluminum | 0.0508 | 1.290 |
| Galvanized steel | 0.0635 | 1.613 |
Notice the spread. Sixteen gauge aluminum is roughly 15 percent thinner than 16 gauge steel, so an aluminum part built to a steel gauge number can flex or fail. Stainless steel and galvanized steel run heavier than plain steel — galvanized carries a zinc
