---
type: "sheet-metal-gauge"
gauge_number: "26"
material: "steel"
material_name: "Sheet Steel"
gauge_system: "MSG"
thickness_in: 0.0179
thickness_mm: 0.4555
weight_lb_per_sqft: 0.75
weight_kg_per_sqm: 3.662
standard: "15 U.S.C. 206; Manufacturers' Standard Gauge; Brown & Sharpe / AWG"
verified: "August 1, 2026"
url: https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/26
---

# 26 Gauge Sheet Steel — Sheet Metal Thickness in Inches and Millimetres

26 gauge steel is 0.0179 in (0.456 mm) thick. That figure is on the MSG — gauge is a material-specific numbering scheme, not a unit, so the same number is a different thickness in another material.

- **Gauge**: 26
- **Material**: Sheet Steel
- **Gauge system**: MSG
- **Thickness**: 0.0179 in (0.456 mm)
- **Weight**: 0.750 lb/ft² (3.66 kg/m²)

## 26 Gauge Sheet Steel Thickness

| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Thickness (in) | 0.0179 |
| Thickness (mm) | 0.456 |
| Weight (lb/ft²) | 0.750 |
| Weight (kg/m²) | 3.66 |
| Gauge system | MSG |

## 26 Gauge Across Materials

The same gauge number in every material this reference covers. They differ because each material carries its own gauge system, not because one chart is wrong.

| Material | Gauge system | Thickness (in) | Thickness (mm) | lb/ft² | kg/m² |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Sheet Aluminium](https://shopmath.org/gauges/aluminum/26.md) | B&S | 0.0159 | 0.405 |  |  |
| [Galvanized Steel](https://shopmath.org/gauges/galvanized/26.md) | galvanized-MSG | 0.0217 | 0.550 | 0.750 | 3.66 |
| Sheet Steel (this page) | MSG | 0.0179 | 0.456 | 0.750 | 3.66 |
| [U.S. Standard Gauge](https://shopmath.org/gauges/us-standard/26.md) | USG | 0.0188 | 0.476 | 0.750 | 3.66 |

## Sources and Method for 26 Gauge Sheet Steel

### Sheet Steel gauge thicknesses

- **Source**: 15 U.S.C. 206 (Act of Mar. 3, 1893, ch. 221, 27 Stat. 746) — U.S. Standard Gauge for sheet and plate iron and steel; 15 U.S.C. 206 statutory weights; MSG (41.82 lb/ft2 per inch), galvanized zinc allowance, and Brown & Sharpe formula per docs/research/data-sourcing.md §3.7
- **Method**: computed
- **Verified against**: Wikipedia Sheet metal, Standard sheet metal gauges table (CC BY-SA 4.0) — 137/137 checks passed at 0.05 mil

### Assumptions

- Gauge is a numbering scheme, not a unit. A thickness is only meaningful with its material and gauge system stated.
- Sheet is supplied to a mill tolerance around these nominal thicknesses; measure the stock when the fit matters.
- Dataset scope: EXCLUDED: stainless steel (genuinely ambiguous convention, only one source in hand), zinc, copper, brass, steel tube wall.

**Data last verified**: August 1, 2026

## Common Questions About 26 Gauge Sheet Steel

### How thick is 26 gauge steel?

26 gauge steel is 0.0179 in (0.456 mm) thick, on the MSG.

### What is 26 gauge in mm?

26 gauge steel is 0.456 mm. Gauge is not a unit — the same number means a different thickness in a different material, so the material has to be stated with it.

### Is 26 gauge the same thickness in every material?

No. 26 gauge is 0.0179 in in sheet steel, but 0.0159 in in sheet aluminium, 0.0217 in in galvanized steel, 0.0188 in in u.s. standard gauge. Each material uses its own gauge system: B&S; galvanized-MSG; MSG; USG.

### How much does 26 gauge steel weigh per square foot?

0.750 lb per square foot (3.66 kg per square metre).

## Related pages

- Thicker (lower gauge number): [25 gauge sheet steel](https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/25.md) — 0.0209 in
- Thinner (higher gauge number): [27 gauge sheet steel](https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/27.md) — 0.0164 in
- All sheet steel gauges: [Sheet Steel gauge chart](https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel.md)
- All materials and gauges: [Sheet metal gauge reference](https://shopmath.org/gauges.md)
- Full cross-material chart: [Sheet metal gauge chart](https://shopmath.org/charts/sheet-metal-gauge.md)

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*Source: [ShopMath](https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/26) — data verified August 1, 2026. Reference data; verify against the governing standard before manufacture.*