Framing
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.
Non-load-bearing only
A partition divides space and carries only its own weight and the drywall on it. A wall that holds up joists, a floor, a roof or a beam is a bearing wall: its studs, headers and connections come from the span tables in the building code (IRC R602) and, where in doubt, an engineer. Everything on this page, and in the framing calculators, is for partitions. If you are not sure which kind a wall is, find out before cutting into it or building under a load.
The parts of a wall
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bottom plate | The 2 × 4 on the floor the studs stand on; pressure-treated on concrete |
| Top plates | One or two 2 × 4s across the stud tops; the second ties wall sections together |
| Studs | Vertical members, 16 or 24 in on centre |
| King studs | Full-height studs each side of an opening |
| Jack (trimmer) studs | Shorter studs inside the kings that carry the header |
| Header | The piece across the top of an opening; a flat or doubled 2 × 4 in a partition |
| Cripples | Short studs above the header (and below a window sill) |
| Nailers | Extra studs where another wall tees in, to give the drywall something to land on |
| Blocking | Short pieces between studs, for backing and fireblocking |
Counting the studs
Start with a stud at each end and one at every spacing between, take out the ones that would fall inside openings, then add the kings, jacks, cripples and nailers:
A 14 ft partition, 8 ft high, studs at 16 in, one 32 in door, a wall teeing in at each end
- Field studs: 168 ÷ 16 + 1 = 11
- Inside the door opening: −2
- Kings 2, jacks 2, cripples above the door 2, nailers 2
- 17 studs, 19 with 10% waste, all 92-5/8 in precuts
- Plates: one bottom and two top, 3 × 14 = 42 ft, bought as 2 pressure-treated 12 ft pieces for the bottom and 5 × 12 ft for the top plates, joints offset
- Rough opening for the pre-hung door: 34 × 82-1/2 in, header 37 in long
The wall stud calculator, the plates and blocking calculator and the rough opening calculator each do one part of this.
Studs and plates
Precut studs are sized so a stud plus a bottom plate and two top plates, 4-1/2 in in all, makes the wall height: 92-5/8 in studs for an 8 ft wall, 104-5/8 in for 9 ft, 116-5/8 in for 10 ft. A single top plate works for a partition that does not need to tie into other walls, but most framers double it.
The bottom plate on a concrete floor must be pressure-treated or naturally durable lumber (IRC R317.1), fastened with concrete screws or powder-actuated pins. The top plate is fastened to the joists above; where the wall runs parallel to the joists and between them, blocking between the joists gives it something to hold.
Doors and openings
The rough opening for a pre-hung interior door is the slab width plus 2 in and the slab height plus about 2-1/2 in: 34 × 82-1/2 in for a 32 × 80 in door. That leaves room for the jambs, shims and the gap under the door. The maker’s installation sheet always has the last word; some list slightly different sizes. The header in a partition is a flat 2 × 4 or a doubled 2 × 4 on edge over the jacks, with short cripples above it to the top plate.
The bottom plate runs through the door opening while you frame and is cut out afterwards, which keeps the wall straight as it goes up.
Blocking
Walls up to 10 ft tall need no mid-height fireblocking: the top and bottom plates close the cavities. Blocking still earns its place as backing for cabinets, handrails, grab bars, TV mounts and heavy shelving, and wherever a drywall edge has nothing to land on. Mark where each piece goes before the board covers it.
From framing to a finished wall
The same 14 ft wall, boarded both sides, insulated, Level 4
- Studs 19, plates 42 ft, one 37 in header
- Drywall: 93 sq ft a side after the door, 185 sq ft in all, 7 sheets of 4 × 8
- 196 screws, 129 ft of tape (1 roll), 1 pail of compound
- 2 packs of 3 in mineral wool for sound
The partition wall materials calculator lists everything in one go.
Insulation in a partition is for sound, not heat: it raises a single-stud wall from about STC 33–35 to about 34–39. For more, the guide to soundproofing a wall sets out the options. The drywall count follows the method in how many sheets of drywall.
Wood or steel
Light-gauge steel studs are an alternative for partitions: straight, light, and immune to rot and termites, but harder to hang things on. The guide to metal vs wood studs compares them, and the metal stud calculator counts studs, track and screws.
Building it
- Snap lines for the bottom plate on the floor, and plumb up to mark the top plate on the joists.
- Cut the plates and mark the stud layout on both together, so the studs line up.
- Fasten the bottom plate, then the top plate, plumb above it.
- Toe-screw or toe-nail the studs in between, measuring each one: floors and ceilings are rarely parallel.
- Frame the door: kings, jacks, header, cripples; cut out the bottom plate.
- Add nailers and blocking where walls meet and where things will hang.
- Check plumb and straight before the board goes on.
Common mistakes
- Treating a bearing wall as a partition. Check before you build or cut.
- Untreated bottom plate on concrete. It must be pressure-treated.
- Stud layout not marked on both plates together. The studs wander.
- No nailers where walls meet. The drywall has nothing to land on.
- Rough opening framed to the slab size. The door will not fit.