---
type: "sheet-metal-gauge"
gauge_number: "5"
material: "steel"
material_name: "Sheet Steel"
gauge_system: "MSG"
thickness_in: 0.2092
thickness_mm: 5.3144
weight_lb_per_sqft: 8.75
weight_kg_per_sqm: 42.72
standard: "15 U.S.C. 206; Manufacturers' Standard Gauge; Brown & Sharpe / AWG"
verified: "August 1, 2026"
url: https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/5
---

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

5 gauge steel is 0.2092 in (5.314 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**: 5
- **Material**: Sheet Steel
- **Gauge system**: MSG
- **Thickness**: 0.2092 in (5.314 mm)
- **Weight**: 8.750 lb/ft² (42.72 kg/m²)

## 5 Gauge Sheet Steel Thickness

| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Thickness (in) | 0.2092 |
| Thickness (mm) | 5.314 |
| Weight (lb/ft²) | 8.750 |
| Weight (kg/m²) | 42.72 |
| Gauge system | MSG |

## 5 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/5.md) | B&S | 0.1819 | 4.621 |  |  |
| Sheet Steel (this page) | MSG | 0.2092 | 5.314 | 8.750 | 42.72 |
| [U.S. Standard Gauge](https://shopmath.org/gauges/us-standard/5.md) | USG | 0.2188 | 5.556 | 8.750 | 42.72 |

## Sources and Method for 5 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 5 Gauge Sheet Steel

### How thick is 5 gauge steel?

5 gauge steel is 0.2092 in (5.314 mm) thick, on the MSG.

### What is 5 gauge in mm?

5 gauge steel is 5.314 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 5 gauge the same thickness in every material?

No. 5 gauge is 0.2092 in in sheet steel, but 0.1819 in in sheet aluminium, 0.2188 in in u.s. standard gauge. Each material uses its own gauge system: B&S; MSG; USG.

### How much does 5 gauge steel weigh per square foot?

8.750 lb per square foot (42.72 kg per square metre).

## Related pages

- Thicker (lower gauge number): [4 gauge sheet steel](https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/4.md) — 0.2242 in
- Thinner (higher gauge number): [6 gauge sheet steel](https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/6.md) — 0.1943 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)

---

*Source: [ShopMath](https://shopmath.org/gauges/steel/5) — data verified August 1, 2026. Reference data; verify against the governing standard before manufacture.*