Stud Calculator
A 20 ft wall at 16 in on center is 16 layout studs. The starting extras, two corners, one opening, and one intersection, add 10, for 26 studs. Three plates are 60.00 ft, or 4 sticks of 16 ft stock.
Last updated . Length starts at 20 ft. Spacing opens on 16 in, with 12 and 24 also listed. The extra-stud boxes and the three plates are starting counts.
A stud calculator for one wall. Layout studs are floor(length ÷ spacing) + 1. Extras are whatever you type per corner, per opening, and per intersection. Plates are a count you choose, turned into sticks by the stock length.
The rafter on the plate: rafter calculator. Nominal measure of one stick: board foot calculator. Sheets on the studs: drywall calculator.
Wall studs
16 inches on center is the starting spacing, not a code rule. The layout count already includes a stud at each end. The 2 extra studs per corner finish a three-stud corner. The 4 extra studs per opening are 2 king studs and 2 jack studs. The 2 extra studs per intersection make a channel. Cripple studs are not included. Three plates and 16 ft stock are starting numbers you can change. Offcuts may be used on another plate.
Results
How the studs and plates are counted
Layout studs = floor(length ÷ spacing) + 1. At 20 ft and 16 in that is 16, and both ends are already inside that 16. Extra studs = corners × studs per corner + openings × studs per opening + intersections × studs per intersection. The boxes open at 2, 2, 1, 4, 1, and 2, so the extras are 4 + 4 + 2 = 10 and the total is 26. The 2 per corner is a starting allowance for a built-up corner. The 4 per opening is a starting pair of kings and a pair of jacks. The 2 per intersection is a starting channel. Cripples are outside this total. Layout studs that land in an opening stay in the layout count.
Plate length = number of plates × wall length. Sticks = ceil(plate length ÷ stock length). Three plates of a 20 ft wall are 60.00 ft, and 60 ÷ 16 rounds up to 4 sticks. Two plates are 40.00 ft and 3 sticks of 16 ft. The same 60.00 ft in 8 ft stock is 8 sticks. One rounding covers the whole plate run, so an offcut from the first plate can finish another.
Nothing on this page is a span table or a required spacing. 16 in is where the menu opens. 12 in and 24 in are the other choices. The plate count opens at 3 and the stock length opens at 16 ft. No price is shown.
Counts for the 20 ft wall
| Case | Layout | Extra | Total | Plate length | Sticks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 in, 3 plates, 16 ft stock | 16 | 10 | 26 | 60.00 ft | 4 |
| 12 in, same extras and plates | 21 | 10 | 31 | 60.00 ft | 4 |
| 24 in, same extras and plates | 11 | 10 | 21 | 60.00 ft | 4 |
| 16 in, 2 plates, 16 ft stock | 16 | 10 | 26 | 40.00 ft | 3 |
| 16 in, 3 plates, 8 ft stock | 16 | 10 | 26 | 60.00 ft | 8 |
Worked example
Leave 20 ft, 16 in, two corners at 2, one opening at 4, one intersection at 2, three plates, and 16 ft stock. Total studs reads 26. Plate length reads 60.00 ft. Plate sticks reads 4.
Stud questions
How many studs are in a 20 ft wall at 16 inches on center?
Leave length at 20 ft and spacing at 16 in. Leave corners at 2 with 2 extra studs each, openings at 1 with 4 extra studs, intersections at 1 with 2 extra studs, plates at 3, and stock at 16 ft. Layout studs reads 16. Extra studs reads 10. Total studs reads 26. Plate length reads 60.00 ft. Plate sticks reads 4.
Why is the layout 16 and not 15?
16 in is 1.333333 ft. floor(20 ÷ 1.333333) + 1 = floor(15) + 1 = 16. The added one is the stud at the far end. The extras sit on top of that layout: 2 corners × 2, plus 1 opening × 4, plus 1 intersection × 2, which is 10. Total studs are 16 + 10 = 26. Those extras are starting counts in the boxes, not a code table.
What are the 4 extra studs at the opening?
The opening field starts at 4, labeled as 2 king studs and 2 jack studs. Cripple studs are not in the total. Change the 4 if the opening needs a different count. The layout studs that fall inside the opening are still in the 16. This page does not remove them.
What does 24 in on center change?
Set spacing to 24 in and leave the extras alone. Layout studs reads 11, because floor(20 ÷ 2) + 1 = 11. Extra studs stays 10. Total studs reads 21. Plate length stays 60.00 ft. Plate sticks stays 4. At 12 in, layout studs reads 21 and total studs reads 31, and the plates stay 60.00 ft and 4 sticks.
How many plate sticks at two plates, or at 8 ft stock?
Set plates to 2 and leave stock at 16 ft. Plate length reads 40.00 ft. Plate sticks reads 3, because 40 ÷ 16 rounds up. Put plates back to 3 and set stock to 8 ft. Plate length reads 60.00 ft. Plate sticks reads 8, because 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 and that rounds up. Offcuts can be used on another plate, which is why the stick count is one ceil of the whole plate length, not a ceil per plate.
Is 16 inches on center required?
No. The menu offers 12, 16, and 24 in, and it opens on 16. That is a starting spacing. A code maximum depends on stud size, wall height, and the loads, and this page does not check any of that. The plate count opens at 3 and the stock length opens at 16 ft, and both can be replaced.
What if the length or the stock is blank?
Clear the wall length and every result line reads —. The note reads: Enter a wall length greater than zero. A blank stock length, with the wall filled in, reads: Enter a plate stock length greater than zero. Corners, openings, and intersections can be zero, and then the extras are zero.