Calculators
Wall framing calculators
Studs, plates and blocking, metal framing, resilient channel, whole partition walls, rough openings and soffits.
These calculators count the framing for walls that only carry drywall: partitions, closet walls, basement finishing walls, soffits and bulkheads. A stud count is the wall length divided by the spacing plus one, then the extra studs at each end, at every corner and on both sides of every opening; the plates and the blocking follow from the length. The framing calculators show each of those additions as its own line.
They stop at structure. Headers over openings in bearing walls, the size of a beam, rafter and joist spans and anything that holds up a floor belong to span tables, the building code and an engineer, and every page in this group says so.
7 calculators
Wall Stud Calculator
Studs for a non-load-bearing wall at 16 or 24 in: field studs, kings, jacks, cripples, corners and nailers, with the precut length.
Plates & Blocking Calculator
Top and bottom plates in stock lengths with offset joints, fireblocking for tall walls and backing blocks for fixtures.
Metal Stud Framing Calculator
Steel studs, track and framing screws for a light-gauge partition, with the door framing done the steel way.
Resilient Channel Calculator
Rows and pieces of resilient channel for a wall or ceiling, the screws into the framing and the short screws for the board.
Partition Wall Materials Calculator
Everything for a new interior wall in one list: studs, plates, headers, drywall both sides, screws, tape, compound and insulation.
Door & Window Rough Opening Calculator
The rough opening for a pre-hung or slab door, a pocket door or a window, with the header length and the king, jack and cripple studs.
Soffit & Bulkhead Framing Calculator
Ladder framing, drywall and corner bead to box in a duct, beam or pipes along a ceiling.
Guides for this topic
Framing a non-load-bearing partition wall: studs, plates and openings
A partition wall is the most common framing job in a basement or a remodel, and the simplest. The count is a little arithmetic around a door.
Metal vs wood studs for interior walls
Steel studs are the norm in commercial interiors and still unusual in houses. Each has a place, and the drywall goes on both, with different screws.
Soundproofing a ceiling: clips, channel, insulation and double layers
Ceilings carry two kinds of noise, voices and footsteps, and footsteps are the harder one. Decoupling the ceiling from the joists deals with both.
Soundproofing a wall: mass, damping, decoupling and the STC numbers
A soundproof wall is built from four ideas: more mass, a damping layer, decoupled sides and sealed edges. The numbers show what each buys.
Questions people ask
- How many studs for a 20 ft wall at 16 in on centre?
- Twenty feet is 240 in; 240 ÷ 16 = 15, plus one for the end stud, gives 16 studs for the field. Add two more at each corner that meets another wall and one extra at each end for a nailing surface, so a free-standing wall with two corners takes about 20 studs. Each door opening adds a king and a jack stud on each side and the cripples above the header.
- How many plates does a wall need?
- One bottom plate and two top plates in most framed walls, so three times the wall length in plate stock. A non-load-bearing partition can use a single top plate where the code allows it, which brings it to twice the length. Buy plate stock in lengths that cover the wall with the fewest joints, and keep top-plate joints at least 4 ft from each other.
- How many metal studs do I need?
- The same count as wood: the wall length divided by the spacing, plus one, plus the extras at corners and openings. Metal framing also needs top and bottom track equal to twice the wall length, and about four framing screws per stud, two at each end.
- What is the rough opening for a 32 in door?
- For a pre-hung interior door the rough opening is usually 2 in wider and 2 to 2-1/2 in taller than the door slab: 34 in wide by 82 to 82-1/2 in tall for a 32 × 80 in door. That leaves room for the jambs and about 1/2 in of shims on each side. Always check the manufacturer's sheet; some units need more.
- How do I frame a soffit for drywall?
- A simple box soffit is a ladder: a ledger on the wall, a ledger on the ceiling, and vertical and horizontal pieces every 16 in that form the drop and the depth, with drywall on the two visible faces and corner bead on the outside edge. The soffit calculator counts the framing pieces, the sheets and the bead from the length, drop and depth.
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