Wall Framing Calculator

Enter a wall's length and height and get everything to build and finish it — studs, top and bottom plates, drywall sheets, screws, joint compound and paint, all at once.

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How the wall framing estimate works

Give the calculator a wall length and height and it works out the whole materials list. Studs are the wall length in inches divided by the spacing (16 or 24 inches on center), plus one for the end. Plates assume a single bottom plate and a double top plate — the standard build — so plate lumber is about three times the wall length. Drywall is the wall area (length × height × the number of sides) divided by 32 square feet per 4×8 sheet, plus 10% for waste.

Screws, compound and paint

Plan on roughly 35 drywall screws per sheet, about 4.5 gallons of joint compound and 370 feet of tape per 1,000 square feet, and paint at about 300 square feet per gallon per coat in real-world use. These are all rounded working figures — buy a little extra rather than run short mid-job.

What this does not include

This is a quick estimate for a straight wall. It doesn't size headers over doors and windows, the king and jack studs around openings, corner and T-intersection studs, fire blocking, or framing nails and construction adhesive. Add those for your actual layout, and always check your local building code — spacing, fire blocking and header sizing are code-driven.

This is a planning aid, not an engineering or code document. Stud counts, plate lengths and finishing quantities are standard rules of thumb; your real job will vary with openings, corners and local code. Confirm structural details with a builder or your building department.