Indian BOQs still write wire in gauge (SWG); the standards write it in millimetres. This chart converts between them and gives the weight of each wire.
| SWG | Diameter (mm) | Weight (g/m) | Metres per kg | Nearest IS wire size (mm) | Where we use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5.893 | 214.1 | 4.7 | — | |
| 5 | 5.385 | 178.8 | 5.6 | — | |
| 6 | 4.877 | 146.6 | 6.8 | — | |
| 7 | 4.470 | 123.2 | 8.1 | — | |
| 8 | 4.064 | 101.8 | 9.8 | 4.00 | heavy chain link, line wire |
| 9 | 3.658 | 82.5 | 12.1 | — | |
| 10 | 3.251 | 65.2 | 15.3 | 3.15 | chain link, welded mesh, line wire |
| 11 | 2.946 | 53.5 | 18.7 | — | |
| 12 | 2.642 | 43.0 | 23.2 | 2.50 | barbed wire line wire, chain link, welded mesh |
| 13 | 2.337 | 33.7 | 29.7 | 2.24 | barbed wire, lacing wire (2.20 mm) |
| 14 | 2.032 | 25.5 | 39.3 | 2.00 | barbed wire points, light mesh |
| 15 | 1.829 | 20.6 | 48.5 | — | |
| 16 | 1.626 | 16.3 | 61.3 | 1.60 | fine welded mesh |
| 17 | 1.422 | 12.5 | 80.2 | — | |
| 18 | 1.219 | 9.2 | 109.2 | — | |
| 19 | 1.016 | 6.4 | 157.1 | — | |
| 20 | 0.914 | 5.2 | 194.2 | — |
A higher gauge number is a thinner wire. Indian Standards for fencing use round metric sizes — 10 gauge is written 3.15 mm in IS 2721, 12 gauge is 2.50 mm in IS 278.
Steel at 7.85 g/cm³: weight per metre = 6.165 × d² grams, with d in mm. Zinc adds a little.
Gabion wire is specified in millimetres by IS 16014:2024: 2.70 or 3.00 mm mesh wire, 3.40 or 3.90 mm selvedge, 2.20 mm lacing. PVC coated wire adds about 1 mm to the diameter — see PVC coated wire weight.
10 SWG is 3.251 mm; Indian fencing standards use 3.15 mm for it.
12 SWG is 2.642 mm; IS 278 uses 2.50 mm line wire for 12 gauge barbed wire.
8 SWG is 4.064 mm; IS 2721 uses 4.00 mm.
Weight in grams per metre = 6.165 × d², with the diameter d in mm. A 2.70 mm wire is about 45 g/m, or 22 m per kg.
Tell us your dimensions, wire specification and quantity — we'll come back with a quotation and lead time.
