Solve backwards
How long a wall will my studs frame?
- 30 studsThe example worked below
- Stud CalculatorEvery figure is its own
You have
How much wall studs?
Worked by the Stud Calculator at the settings below.
The settings it uses
- Stud spacing
- 16 in / 400 mm centres
- Doors and windows
- 1
- Corners and intersections
- 2
What it will do
Enough for 29.3 ft of framed wall.
One framed wall. Enough for 29.3 ft of framed wall.
Or several. About 1 framed wall of the size the Stud Calculator opens on: 19.5 ft of framed wall.
Check it forwards
- Wall length
- 29.3 ft
- It asks for
- 30 studs
- You have
- 30 studs
The Stud Calculator asks for 30 studs at that size, and 31 studs one step larger.
If you had more, or less
Around your amount
Each worked by the Stud Calculator at the same settings.
Half
15 studs
9.3 ft of framed wall
Yours
30 studs
29.3 ft of framed wall
Half as much again
45 studs
49.3 ft of framed wall
Double
60 studs
69.3 ft of framed wall
Common amounts
What each amount of wall studs covers
The sizes it is usually sold in, each worked by the Stud Calculator at the settings above.
| You have | It covers | As one framed wall | Average framed walls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 studs | — | 9.3 ft of framed wall | under 1 |
| 30 studs | — | 29.3 ft of framed wall | 1 |
| 60 studs | — | 69.3 ft of framed wall | 2 |
| 100 studs | — | 123 ft of framed wall | 4 |
Sixteen inches, or four hundred millimetres
Sixteen inches (400 mm) is the default for load-bearing walls and where a sheet finish needs support; 24 inches (600 mm) is common for non-load-bearing partitions where the sheathing is rated for it, and frames half as much again per stud. Check what the drawing and your code require before choosing the wider spacing.
Openings and corners come off first
Each opening takes king studs, jack studs and cripples — three extra studs in the calculator for a standard door or window in a single-storey wall — and each corner or intersection two more for nailing on both faces. With one opening and two corners, seven of your studs are spoken for before the first centre.
A plain, single-storey wall
The count assumes a regular single-storey wall. Raked walls, gable ends and multi-storey stacks need a takeoff from the drawing, and the header over an opening is a structural question the stud count does not answer. Plates — a single bottom and a double top — are separate lengths of timber.
How the answer is worked
Nothing here is a second formula. The Stud Calculator runs forwards — a size in, a quantity out — and this page grows its own starting framed wall in proportion until the quantity it asks for is what you have. Where it rounds up to whole containers, the answer is the largest size before the next one would be needed.
Where the calculator adds an allowance for cuts or breakage when you order, the same allowance comes off here, because it is the same calculator: a stack you already own finishes less than its face value. Where it adds none, neither does this page — the settings beside the answer say which.
Stud Calculator
runs it forwardsCount the studs, plates and corner framing for a wall run at 16 or 24 inch (400 or 600 mm) centres, including openings.
Work out what to buy insteadSolve backwards
Other things you might already have
How much floor will my tiles cover?
Floor tile, worked by the Floor & Wall Tile Calculator.
How big a patio will my pavers make?
Pavers, worked by the Paver Calculator.
How much wall will my bricks build?
Bricks, worked by the Brick Calculator.
How much wall will my concrete blocks build?
Concrete blocks, worked by the Concrete CMU Block Counter & Grout Infill Calculator.
How long a retaining wall will my blocks build?
Retaining wall blocks, worked by the Retaining Wall Block Calculator.
How big a deck will my deck boards cover?
Deck boards, worked by the Deck Board Calculator.
Solve backwards
Start from what is already in the yard
Paint, sheets, rolls, bags and pieces, each read the other way by the calculator that orders it.
The calculator's own figures
Nothing is estimated twice: the page runs the same calculator you would order with.
The largest size that fits
Where a calculator rounds up to whole containers, the answer stops before the next one.
Both unit systems
Gallons and litres, square feet and square metres, side by side.
Frequently asked questions
- How much framed wall does 30 studs of wall studs cover?
- At the Stud Calculator's own settings: Enough for 29.3 ft of framed wall. That is about 1 framed wall of the size the calculator opens on: 19.5 ft of framed wall. Every figure follows the settings, which you can change in the calculator.
- How many studs do I need for a 12 foot wall?
- At 16 inch centres a 12 foot wall has 9 bays and 10 field studs. Add three for a door or window and two for each corner or intersection — about 17 for a wall with one opening and two corners. At 24 inch centres, 7 field studs before the extras.
- Should studs be 16 or 24 inches apart?
- Sixteen inches (400 mm) for load-bearing walls and where the wall finish needs the support; 24 inches (600 mm) is common for non-load-bearing partitions with sheathing rated for it. The code and the drawings decide — IRC R602.3 in the US, AS 1684.2 and BS 8103 give the equivalents.
- How many extra studs does a door or window need?
- Usually three for a standard opening in a single-storey wall — a king and a jack stud each side share with the field studs, and cripples fill above and below. Wide openings and multi-storey walls need more, and the header sizing is a separate structural question.