M5 Screw Hole Size

M5 clearance hole (screw passes through)

A clearance hole lets the M5 screw’s 5 mm shank slide straight through without binding. The standard sizes:

When in doubt, 5.5 mm is the safe default. Need the same numbers for M3, M4, and up? The full table is in the metric clearance hole size chart, and the bolt-focused version is the bolt hole size chart.

M5 tapped hole (threading into the part)

To cut M5 threads directly into a part, you drill a smaller tap drill hole first, then run an M5 tap. For standard coarse M5 (0.8 mm pitch), the tap drill is 4.2 mm.

Tapping works in metal. In plastic and 3D prints, cut threads strip easily — use a heat-set insert instead, which needs a straight hole sized to the insert. See heat-set inserts for 3D printing and how to add threads to a part.

M5 holes for 3D printing

Printed holes come out smaller than designed — the plastic squeezes inward and the first layer can sag. For a 3D-printed M5 clearance hole, start one size up (around 5.8–6.0 mm modeled) and test-fit; widen if the screw binds. The reasons and a general fit guide are in tolerances for 3D printed parts.

Designing the part that holds the hole? Mind the wall around it — see wall thickness for 3D printing.

Put an M5 hole in your part

With PartWork.ai you describe the part you need — “a plate with four M5 clearance holes in a 50 mm square” — and get a solid part you can view free and export. No CAD skills. It runs in the browser on desktop or phone. See creating parts and exporting files.