Concrete and materials

Stud calculator: studs for a wall at 16 in on center

Framing a wall starts with a simple count: one stud at the start, then one at every spacing. Here is that count, the plates, and the extras that the simple count leaves out.

How many studs for a wall at 16 in on center?

Divide the wall length in inches by the spacing and round down, then add one for the first stud. If the division does not come out even, add one more stud to close the end of the wall.

Example. A 12 ft wall is 144 in. 144 ÷ 16 = 9, which comes out even, so 9 + 1 = 10 studs.

Example. A 10 ft wall is 120 in. 120 ÷ 16 = 7.5, so 7 + 1 = 8 studs, plus one to close the end: 9 studs.

At 24 in or 19.2 in on center

The same 12 ft wall at 24 in on center takes 144 ÷ 24 + 1 = 7 studs. A spacing of 19.2 in puts five equal spaces in every 8 ft, so drywall and sheathing edges still land on a stud.

How many extra studs for corners and openings?

Add studs for each corner and each wall that meets this one, and for every door or window: a king stud and a jack (trimmer) stud on each side, more for wide openings. A common estimate that covers these extras is one stud per foot of wall, but count them for the job.

How many plates?

A wall with a bottom plate and a double top plate needs three times its length in plate stock.

Example. The 12 ft wall needs 3 × 12 = 36 ft of plate: three 12 ft boards.

Marking the layout

Hook the tape on the end of the plate and mark every 16 in, and center each stud on its mark, so the edges of 4 ft sheets land on the middle of a stud. A common shortcut is to mark 15 1/4 in, then every 16 in, and set each stud's edge on the line. Many tapes mark every 16 in to help.

Studs in Clad

Clad's wall studs tool takes the wall length and a spacing of 12, 16, 19.2 or 24 in on center and gives the studs in the field and with an end stud, with the cost if you give a price. The layout tool lists every mark, even with an offset start.