How Far Apart Are Studs?

The short answer

In most US and Canadian houses, wall studs are spaced 16 in on center. That means the distance from the center of one stud to the center of the next is 16 in, leaving a gap of about 14½ in between standard 2×4 studs. Some walls, especially 2×6 exterior walls and newer energy-efficient homes, use 24 in on center. In Australia, 450 mm and 600 mm stud centers are common.

Spacing at a glance

Older houses do not always follow these rules. Pre-war homes, additions and remodeled walls can have irregular spacing, so confirm before you drill.

Why 16 inches?

Sixteen divides evenly into 48 and 96 in, so 4 × 8 sheets of drywall and sheathing always have an edge on a stud. It also gives ample support for standard drywall and a nailing surface every 16 in for trim and cabinets. Most tape measures mark every 16 in, often in red, for this reason.

Spacing at 24 in uses fewer studs and leaves more room for insulation. Building codes allow it for many walls, depending on stud size, wall height and the load the wall carries. Check local code before you change the spacing of a load-bearing wall.

How to find studs in a finished wall

1. Start from a known point. Outlets and switches are usually fastened to the side of a stud. Measure 16 in from there to find the next one.
2. Use a stud finder to locate edges, and mark both edges so you can find the center.
3. Use a strong magnet to find the drywall screws or nails, which line up vertically along each stud.
4. Look at the trim. Nail holes in baseboard often show where the studs are.
5. Confirm with a small nail in a spot that will be hidden, such as behind where a shelf will hang.

Before drilling or nailing, think about what may run inside the wall: electrical cables, pipes and gas lines. Avoid the areas directly above and below outlets and switches, and use a detector or shut off power when in doubt.

How many studs a wall takes

Divide the wall length in inches by the spacing, round up and add one. Then add studs for corners, openings and waste.

Worked example

A 14 ft exterior wall in a 2×6 addition, with a corner at each end and two windows. At 16 in on center it needs 12 layout studs. Adding 2 studs per corner and 2 per window makes 20, and 10 percent for culls brings the order to 22 studs, plus 42 linear feet of plate. At 24 in on center the wall needs 8 layout studs and the order drops to 18 studs, while the wider bays leave more room for insulation. The stud calculator handles any length and the metric 400 and 600 mm layouts.

What about joists?

Floor joists and ceiling joists follow similar spacing: 16 in on center is common, with 12, 19.2 and 24 in also used. The odd-looking 19.2 in fits exactly five spaces into 96 in, so an 8 ft sheet still lands on a joist; many tape measures mark it with a small black diamond. Joist size and spacing come from span tables in your local code.

Laying out a new wall

• Hook your tape on the end of the plate and mark at 15¼ in, then every 16 in after that (31¼, 47¼ and so on). Each mark is the edge of a stud, so the stud's center lands on 16, 32 and 48 in, where the sheet edges fall.
• Mark the top and bottom plates together so the studs stand plumb.
• Lay out openings and corners after the regular marks, then add king and jack studs. Keep the regular layout going through openings so cripples line up with the studs above and below.

Frequently asked questions