Reference chart
Wall Stud Chart & Calculator
Studs, plates and sheathing for walls from 4 to 60 feet at 16 and 24 inches on centre, with two corners, one opening and 10% waste. The calculator below takes your corners, openings and wall height.
Studs and plates by wall length and spacing
| Wall | In run @16″ | Buy @16″2 corners, 1 opening | In run @24″ | Buy @24″ | Plateslinear ft / 16-ft boards | Sheathing4×8 sheets, 8 ft wall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft | 4 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 12 / 1 | 1 |
| 8 ft | 7 | 17 | 5 | 15 | 24 / 2 | 2 |
| 10 ft | 9 | 19 | 6 | 16 | 30 / 2 | 3 |
| 12 ft | 10 | 20 | 7 | 17 | 36 / 3 | 3 |
| 16 ft | 13 | 24 | 9 | 19 | 48 / 3 | 4 |
| 20 ft | 16 | 27 | 11 | 21 | 60 / 4 | 5 |
| 24 ft | 19 | 30 | 13 | 24 | 72 / 5 | 6 |
| 28 ft | 22 | 33 | 15 | 26 | 84 / 6 | 7 |
| 32 ft | 25 | 37 | 17 | 28 | 96 / 6 | 8 |
| 36 ft | 28 | 40 | 19 | 30 | 108 / 7 | 9 |
| 40 ft | 31 | 43 | 21 | 32 | 120 / 8 | 10 |
| 48 ft | 37 | 50 | 25 | 37 | 144 / 9 | 12 |
| 60 ft | 46 | 60 | 31 | 43 | 180 / 12 | 15 |
Your numbers
Studs to buy
27
16 in the run + 4 corners + 4 king/jack, +10%
Plates
4 × 16 ft
60 linear ft, 3 plates
Headers
1
size from the span table
Sheathing
5 sheets
4×8, one side
studs in the run = ceil(20 × 12 ÷ 16) + 1 = 16. Each corner adds 2, each opening adds a king and a jack per side. Cripples above and below openings come out of the waste allowance on small walls.
Questions
How many studs do I need for a wall?
Wall length in inches ÷ spacing, rounded up, plus one for the end. A 20-foot wall at 16 inches on centre is 240 ÷ 16 = 15, plus one, 16 studs in the run. Then add two per corner or intersection (a three-stud corner), a king and a jack each side of every door and window, and 10% for waste, culls and cripples: 27 for that wall with two corners and one opening.
16 or 24 inches on centre?
16 is standard for exterior and load-bearing walls with ½-inch sheathing and drywall; 24 is allowed for 2×6 walls in many cases and saves about a third of the studs, but needs ⅝-inch drywall or it waves. Both land on the 4-foot sheet module; 12-inch spacing is for tile walls, tall walls and some engineered layouts.
How many plates?
Three: a bottom plate and a doubled top plate, so three times the wall length in linear feet. Plates are usually 16-footers; the chart counts them. Pressure-treated for the bottom plate on concrete.
What length are studs?
Pre-cut 92⅝ inches for an 8-foot wall (three plates plus 92⅝ plus drywall makes the ceiling land at 8 feet 1 inch), 104⅝ for 9 feet, 116⅝ for 10. Buying pre-cuts avoids cutting every stud.
What about headers and cripples?
Every opening gets a header sized from the span table (a doubled 2×6 to about 4 feet, 2×8 to 5, 2×10 to 6, 2×12 to 8 feet for a single-storey bearing wall, roughly), plus jack studs under it and cripple studs above it and below the sill at the regular spacing. The calculator's 10% covers cripples on ordinary walls; add a stud per opening for big windows.
Charts are computed from the formulas and code figures stated on the page (International Residential Code limits where cited). They are planning and take-off numbers, not engineering: species, grade, span tables and local amendments govern anything structural. Confirm with your inspector before you cut.