# Framing / Stud Wall Calculator

> Free framing calculator: count studs, plates, headers, cripples, corners and board feet for any wood-frame stud wall — with door and window openings, waste and stock lengths, metric or imperial, in your browser.

Studs, plates, headers and board feet for wood-frame walls — set the spacing, lumber and openings and read a live lumber takeoff in your browser.

- **HTML page:** https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator
- **Category:** [Framing & Carpentry](https://siteometry.com/en/tools/category/framing-carpentry)
- **Figures live on the page:** tables, diagrams and worked figures the text refers to ("the table below") are drawn by the page and are not reproduced here. Each section below links to its anchor on the page.
- **Runs in the browser:** Siteometry calculators need no account and send no input anywhere — every number below is computed on the visitor's own device.

## How to take off a stud wall

1. **Choose units, spacing & lumber** — Pick metric or imperial, then set the on-centre spacing, lumber size and top-plate style.
2. **Add your walls** — Enter each wall's length and height; add a row for every wall in the room.
3. **Add doors & windows** — For each opening set the type, width, height and (for windows) the sill height and position.
4. **Set corners, Ts & blocking** — Enter the corner and partition-T counts and any rows of blocking for the whole room.
5. **Add prices (optional)** — Enter per-stud, per-plate-board and per-board-foot prices to estimate the material cost.
6. **Read the take-off** — Use the total studs, plate boards, board feet and nearest precut to order lumber.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#howto_

## Framing take-off overview

A framing take-off turns a wall's length, height, stud spacing and lumber size into an auditable count of every piece: field studs, top and bottom plates, corner and partition studs, and the king, jack, header, cripple and sill members around each door and window.

This calculator lays out the studs positionally, so an opening removes the studs it displaces before the kings and jacks that replace them are added — the classic double-count is avoided. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type is uploaded.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#framing-guide-intro_

## How this calculator works

Set your units, spacing and lumber once, then add each wall with its own dimensions and openings. Corners, partition-Ts and optional blocking are shared across the room. The results rail updates live with the stud, plate and board-foot take-off.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#how-calculator-works_

## Anatomy of a stud wall

A light wood-frame wall is a bottom plate, one or two top plates, and vertical field studs at a fixed on-centre spacing. Each opening interrupts the field studs with a header carried on jack (trimmer) studs, framed by full-height king studs, with short cripple studs filling the gap above (and, for windows, a sill with cripples below).

The elevation below labels every member the take-off counts.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#stud-wall-anatomy_

## Stud spacing: 16" vs 24"

On-centre spacing is the biggest lever on stud count. 16" o.c. (400 mm) is the common default; 24" o.c. (600 mm) uses fewer studs but usually needs thicker sheathing or wider studs. The two walls below are the same size at different spacings.

Metric spacings are stored as real values — 400 mm is not treated as 16" — so the count is right in either system.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#stud-spacing_

## Framing formulas

Every number in the take-off comes from these formulas. All lengths are converted to a common unit internally, so metric and imperial give consistent results.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#framing-formulas_

## Framing doors & windows

Each opening gets two full-height king studs, jack studs carrying a header, and cripple studs above it. A window adds a sill and cripples below. The header spans the rough opening plus a stud thickness on each side.

The field studs inside the opening are removed first, so they are never counted twice against the kings and jacks.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#openings_

## Corners & partition-Ts

Exterior corners and interior partition intersections need extra studs for structure and drywall backing. A traditional three-stud corner uses two studs to form the post plus one backer; a California (two-stud) corner uses a drywall clip or a flat backer instead, leaving room for insulation.

These are set per room as an editable studs-per-corner count, because the convention varies by region and energy code.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#corners-partitions_

## Board feet per foot

Board feet is a US volume measure based on nominal lumber dimensions: a board foot is a 1" × 12" × 12" piece. These values are exactly what the calculator uses, so a hand check will match the tool.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#board-feet-reference_

## Precut stud lengths

US lumber yards sell precut studs milled shorter than the nominal wall height, so that with a bottom plate and a double top plate the finished wall lands at 8, 9 or 10 ft with drywall clearance. The calculator reports the exact cut length and the nearest precut.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#precut-studs_

## Worked examples

Two take-offs that show how the counts fall out of the dimensions. Follow the formulas above to reproduce them.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#examples_

## Common mistakes

The usual errors are forgetting the extra field stud (a 10 ft wall at 16" o.c. needs 9 studs, not 8), leaving off the second top plate, double-counting studs an opening removes, and forgetting corner and partition backing. The tool handles each of these, but every convention is editable so you can match your own standard.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#mistakes_

## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about counting studs, plates and framing lumber.

### How many studs do I need for a wall?

Take the wall length, divide by the on-centre spacing, round up and add one: studs = ⌈length / spacing⌉ + 1. A 10 ft wall at 16" o.c. needs 9 field studs, plus extras for corners, partitions and openings.

### Should studs be 16" or 24" on centre?

16" o.c. (400 mm) is the common default and suits most sheathing and drywall. 24" o.c. (600 mm) uses about a third fewer studs but usually needs thicker sheathing or wider studs and is governed by code and load. This tool counts either exactly.

### What is a board foot?

A board foot is a volume of lumber equal to a 1" × 12" × 12" board — a 2×4 is 0.667 board feet per lineal foot. For a full lumber take-off by the board foot, with softwood, hardwood and custom stock, use our dedicated Board Foot Calculator.

### How many plates does a stud wall need?

One bottom plate and, in typical US framing, a double top plate — so plate length is the wall length times three. UK and European framing often uses a single head plate. Both are options here, and the plate stock is pooled across the whole project.

### What are king, jack, cripple and header studs?

King studs run full height on each side of an opening. Jack (trimmer) studs sit inside the kings and carry the header — the beam over the opening. Cripple studs are the short studs above a header (and below a window sill) that keep the spacing running.

### How many extra studs does a corner need?

A traditional three-stud corner adds two studs beyond the running wall; a California / two-stud corner adds one and uses a drywall clip or flat backer. Partition-Ts typically add two or three for backing. All counts are editable because the convention varies by region and energy code.

### What length studs should I buy?

The cut stud length is the wall height minus the bottom plate and top plate(s). For standard US heights, buy a precut stud (92⅝" for an 8 ft wall) so the finished wall clears drywall. The tool shows both the exact cut length and the nearest precut.

### Does it work in metric and imperial?

Yes. Switch units at the top and the spacing, lumber, stock and dimensions all follow. Metric spacings (400 / 600 mm) are stored as real values rather than converted inches, and metric mode reports linear metres and m³ alongside board feet.

### Is the calculator private?

Yes. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored on a server; your project is saved only in your own browser's local storage.

_On the page: https://siteometry.com/en/tools/framing-stud-calculator#faq_

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