Wall framing calculator: how many studs do I need to frame a wall?
16 studs
16 studs at 16 in on center · plus 60 ft of plate (3 plates) · about 128 ft of stud stock · for a 20 ft wall at 16 in on center
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3/8 or 10' 6".
16 studs
16 studs at 16 in on center · plus 60 ft of plate (3 plates) · about 128 ft of stud stock
A 20 foot wall framed at 16 inches on center takes 16 studs, counting the one that closes the run, plus 60 feet of plate for three courses and about 128 feet of stud stock. Change the spacing and plates to yours.
A worked example
A 14 ft wall at 24 in on center, 9 ft tall, with two plate courses needs 8 studs, 28 ft of plate and about 72 ft of stud stock. 14 feet is 168 inches, and at 24 inches on center that is 7 bays, so 8 studs counting the one that closes the run. Two courses over 14 feet is 28 feet of plate.
What else it is called
Studs are also called uprights, and the plates are the horizontal members: the bottom one is the sole or bottom plate, the top is usually doubled. A wall framed at 16 in on center has a stud every 16 inches measured center to center, which is why the count is the length over the spacing plus the closing stud.
Common sizes
| Wall length | 16 in on center | 24 in on center |
|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 39 | 26 |
| 75 ft | 58 | 39 |
| 100 ft | 76 | 51 |
| 150 ft | 114 | 76 |
| 200 ft | 151 | 101 |
Studs, counting the one that closes the run. Add studs for corners and openings. Plates depend on how many you run.
Where the numbers come from
- The count is geometry on what you enter. Studs are the wall length in inches divided by your spacing, rounded up, plus one: the last stud is the one that closes the run and gets left out when the sum is done by hand. Plate feet are your plate courses times the wall length, and stud stock is the studs times the wall height.
- This page does not tell you what spacing to frame at, how many plate courses to run or how tall to build. Those depend on the wall, its load and your local code, and they are figures we would have to source before printing them. They are inputs here, not claims.
This counts a straight run of wall: studs, plates and the stud stock in feet. It does not add the extra studs a corner, a tee or an opening needs — a door or window takes a king and a trimmer each side plus cripples above and below — so add those by hand. Headers over openings are sized by span and load and are not on this page.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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