Wall framing calculator

How it is worked out

• Studs stand 16 in on centre from the wall’s start, on a sole plate and under a doubled top plate, with a stud at each end.
• A door has a king stud each side, a jack stud inside each king, and a header across the jacks. The header is two boards on edge with plywood between them to make up the wall’s depth, and short studs stand over it on the 16 in marks.
• The sole plate is cut out across a doorway.
• A window, in an outside wall, is framed as a door is, with a sill between its jacks and short studs under the sill.
• Plates come up to 20 ft long. A longer wall’s plates are jointed over a stud, and the upper top plate’s joints sit 4 ft or more from the lower one’s.
• A door or window needs room beside it for its king and jack studs. One set too near the wall’s end is turned down, and we say why.

We lay out and count the sizes you pick, close enough to plan a weekend and price the lumber. Span tables, your local code and, on a bigger job, an engineer settle what size each board has to be.

Questions

How many studs do I need for a wall?

More than the wall’s length divided by 16 in. Each end, each side of every opening, and the short studs over a header and under a sill all add to the count, and the list has every one.

Where do I add a window?

Choose Outside for the wall. Windows go in outside walls, and inside walls take doors.

How long are the studs?

Each is cut to stand between the sole plate under it and the two top plates over it. The list gives their length for the height you choose.