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ISO 286 · hole tolerance · IT7

H7 Tolerance — Hole Limits by Nominal Size

A 25 mm H7 hole runs 25.000 to 25.021 mm — deviations of 0 to +21 µm on a tolerance band 21 µm wide. The H sets where the band sits (zero deviation — the basic hole) and IT7 sets how wide it is. The default basic hole in hole-basis fitting — reamer and gauge sizes are built around it. All values apply at 20 °C.

Feature
hole
Letter
H
Grade
IT7
Sizes
13
Standard
ISO 286-1:2010

H7 hole at Ø25 mm · deviation, µm

+21 / 0

Max Ø
25.021mm
Min Ø
25.000mm
Band
21µm

Deviations from the 25 mm nominal size, at 20 °C. Every other verified size is in the table below.

Source
ISO 286-1:2010, ISO 286-2:2010
Formula
max Ø = nominal + ES min Ø = nominal + EI
Assumptions
Ø25 mm nominal, 18–30 mm size step, plain cylindrical feature, 20 °C. Deviations are tabulated in the standard and compiled here; the limits are those deviations added to the nominal size.
Verified
August 1, 2026

H7 Hole Limits at Every Verified Nominal Size

Deviations in micrometres and finished limits in millimetres. Every size links to its own page.

H7 hole tolerance — deviations and limits by nominal size
PropertyDeviation, µmLimits, mmProperty
Nominal ØUpperLowerMinMaxTolerance band, µm
5 mm+1205.0005.01212
6 mm+1206.0006.01212
8 mm+1508.0008.01515
10 mm+15010.00010.01515
12 mm+18012.00012.01818
16 mm+18016.00016.01818
20 mm+21020.00020.02121
25 mm+21025.00025.02121
30 mm+21030.00030.02121
40 mm+25040.00040.02525
50 mm+25050.00050.02525
80 mm+30080.00080.03030
100 mm+350100.000100.03535

Deviations are relative to the nominal size: positive is above it, negative below. Limits assume the ISO 286 reference temperature of 20 °C.

The IT7 Tolerance Grade in H7, Across ISO 286 Size Bands

The number in H7 is the IT grade, and it sets how wide the tolerance band is. The band widens with size — that is the whole point of a graded tolerance system.

IT7 standard tolerance by nominal size band
Nominal size bandTolerance, µmTolerance, mm
over 0 to 3 mm100.010
over 3 to 6 mm120.012
over 6 to 10 mm150.015
over 10 to 18 mm180.018
over 18 to 30 mm210.021
over 30 to 50 mm250.025
over 50 to 80 mm300.030
over 80 to 120 mm350.035
over 120 to 180 mm400.040
over 180 to 250 mm460.046
over 250 to 315 mm520.052
over 315 to 400 mm570.057
over 400 to 500 mm630.063

Bands are open at the bottom and closed at the top: 'over 18 to 30 mm' includes 30 mm and excludes 18 mm.

Fundamental Deviation of the H hole Tolerance in H7

The letter in H7 sets where the tolerance band sits relative to the nominal size: zero deviation — the basic hole. The grade then adds the band width to that starting point.

H fundamental deviation

0µm

At every one of the 25 ISO 286 size bands, from 0 to 500 mm.

The H deviation does not change with size — it is the lower limit (ei / EI) for every band, so IT7 alone decides how wide the band is. That is what makes H7 the basic hole: one limit is pinned at the nominal size and the grade opens the other. Sizes are given in the limits table above, and the full band-by-band listing is in this page’s Markdown twin.

Standard Fits That Use the H7 Tolerance

A tolerance on its own is half a fit. These are the standard ISO 286 pairs H7 appears in, with what each one is used for.

Standard ISO 286 fits that use H7
FitTypeBasisWhat it is for
H7/h6clearancehole or shaftLocational clearance. Assembles by hand, no free movement intended.
H7/g6clearancehole basisSliding. Locates accurately, still moves and turns freely.
H7/p6interferencehole basisLocational interference. Rigid location in steel without the load capacity of a drive fit.
H7/r6interferencehole basisMedium drive. The joint itself carries load.
H7/k6transitionhole basisLocational transition. Accurate location, assembles with light force.
H7/m6transitionhole basisLocational transition, tighter than k6.
H7/n6transitionhole basisTight transition. Usually a press job.

Clearance, transition and interference are properties of the pair, not of either tolerance alone.

Sources and Method for the H7 Tolerance Data

H7 limitscomputed

limits computed from the compiled ISO 286 tables: ISO 286-1 IT grades and ISO 286-2 fundamental deviations, compiled from saucecode/ISO286 (LGPL-2.1) and parkergreene/isofits (MIT), cross-checked cell-for-cell

Verified against parkergreene/isofits ISO 286-2 limit tables (MIT); ISO 286-1 formula harness — 2067 checks passed

Computed from the standard's formulas, then checked against published tables.

IT7 tolerance gradecompiled

ISO 286-1 IT grades and ISO 286-2 fundamental deviations, compiled from saucecode/ISO286 (LGPL-2.1) and parkergreene/isofits (MIT), cross-checked cell-for-cell

Verified against parkergreene/isofits ISO 286-2 limit tables (MIT); ISO 286-1 formula harness — 2067 checks passed. Formula per ISO 286-1 standard tolerance factor and fundamental deviation formulas, used as a validation harness only per docs/research/data-sourcing.md §3.6

Compiled from independent public sources that agree cell-for-cell.

H fundamental deviationcompiled

ISO 286-1 IT grades and ISO 286-2 fundamental deviations, compiled from saucecode/ISO286 (LGPL-2.1) and parkergreene/isofits (MIT), cross-checked cell-for-cell

Verified against parkergreene/isofits ISO 286-2 limit tables (MIT); ISO 286-1 formula harness — 2067 checks passed

Compiled from independent public sources that agree cell-for-cell.

Formula

Limits from the deviations, hole tolerance

max Ø  =  nominal + ES
min Ø  =  nominal + EI

  ES = upper deviation (µm)
  EI = lower deviation (µm)

The deviations are tabulated in ISO 286-2 and compiled here; the limits are those deviations added to the nominal size, which is why both columns are shown.

Assumptions
  • Values apply at the ISO 286 reference temperature of 20 °C.
  • Limits are for a plain cylindrical feature. A tolerance letter says nothing about surface finish, form or roundness — those need their own callouts.
  • Dataset scope: COMPILED not computed: the ISO 286-1 formula deviates up to 13.26% from the table and is used only as a harness (warn >5%, fail >15%). EXCLUDED: shaft/hole letters s, t, u and the fits H7/s6, H7/t6, H7/u6 — no free source and an undetermined step constant in the formula.
Data last verified
August 1, 2026
How this data is built and checked →

How to Cite This H7 Tolerance Reference

Citation

ShopMath. "H7 Tolerance — Hole Limits by Nominal Size." ShopMath, verified August 1, 2026, https://shopmath.org/fits/h7

BibTeX

@misc{shopmath-fits-h7,
  title        = {H7 Tolerance — Hole Limits by Nominal Size},
  author       = {{ShopMath}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://shopmath.org/fits/h7}},
  note         = {Data verified 2026-08-01}
}

Permanent URL

https://shopmath.org/fits/h7

Common Questions About the H7 Tolerance

What is the tolerance of a 25 mm H7 hole?

A 25 mm H7 hole runs 25.000 to 25.021 mm — deviations of 0 to +21 µm, a tolerance band 21 µm wide.

What does H7 mean?

H7 is an ISO 286 hole tolerance. The H sets the fundamental deviation — zero deviation — the basic hole — and the 7 is the IT7 tolerance grade, which sets how wide the band is. The default basic hole in hole-basis fitting — reamer and gauge sizes are built around it.

How wide is the IT7 tolerance band?

IT7 is 21 µm wide for nominal sizes over 18 up to 30 mm, and widens with size — the full band table is on this page.

Which fits use H7?

H7 appears in 7 standard ISO 286 fits: H7/h6 (clearance), H7/g6 (clearance), H7/p6 (interference), H7/r6 (interference), H7/k6 (transition), H7/m6 (transition), H7/n6 (transition).

Is there a H7 page for each nominal size?

Yes — H7 carries a page for each of the thirteen nominal sizes with verified demand, from 5 mm to 100 mm, each with the limits, the IT grades at that size and the fits available there.

Every ISO 286 designation and fit · ISO 286 tolerance chart