Timber frame calculator
Count the timber for a framed wall: studs at the spacing, extra studs and a header at every opening, a bottom plate and two top plates. The pieces are laid out on stock boards the way a carpenter plans the cuts, so you buy whole boards with little waste.
You need
17 boards
47×150 mm · of 4.8 m
- Wall
- 13 studs · every 600 mm
- Running metres
- 54.4 m
- Volume
- 0.384 m³
- Studs every 600 mm, one more, two at each opening6.00 ÷ 0.60 → 10 + 1 + 2 × 1 = 13
- Running metres and volume54.4 m × 0.047 × 0.15 = 0.384 m³
- Cut list on 4.8 m boards + 5 %16 × 1.05 → 17 boards
- Board 1 · offcut 0.00 m4.80 m
- Board 2 · offcut 0.00 m4.80 m
- Board 3 · offcut 0.00 m4.80 m
- Board 4 · offcut 0.79 m2.70 + 1.30 m
- Board 5 · offcut 0.89 m2.70 + 1.20 m
- Board 6 · offcut 0.89 m2.70 + 1.20 m
- Board 7 · offcut 0.89 m2.70 + 1.20 m
- Board 8 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 9 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 10 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 11 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 12 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
The calculator gives an estimate by the usual norms. Consumption depends on the product and the surface: check the manufacturer’s data before you buy.
How it’s calculated
- 1
Studs = wall length ÷ spacing, rounded up, plus one at the end, plus two at every window or door.
- 2
Plates: one bottom and two top plates along the wall, joined from several boards when the wall is longer than a board.
- 3
Header over each opening = opening width + 100 mm (50 mm bearing on each side).
- 4
Running metres × section = volume of timber.
- 5
Cut list: the longest pieces first, each into the first board that still has room; then a 5 % reserve.
Worked example
A wall 6 m long and 2.7 m high with one 1.2 m wide opening, in the region’s usual timber:
The input
- Length, m
- 6
- Height, m
- 2.7
- Openings
- 1
- Opening width, m
- 1.2
- Section, mm
- 47×150
- Board length
- 4.8 m
The result
17 boards
47×150 mm · of 4.8 m
- Wall: 13 studs · every 600 mm
- Running metres: 54.4 m
- Volume: 0.384 m³
The calculation
- Studs every 600 mm, one more, two at each opening6.00 ÷ 0.60 → 10 + 1 + 2 × 1 = 13
- Running metres and volume54.4 m × 0.047 × 0.15 = 0.384 m³
- Cut list on 4.8 m boards + 5 %16 × 1.05 → 17 boards
- Board 1 · offcut 0.00 m4.80 m
- Board 2 · offcut 0.00 m4.80 m
- Board 3 · offcut 0.00 m4.80 m
- Board 4 · offcut 0.79 m2.70 + 1.30 m
- Board 5 · offcut 0.89 m2.70 + 1.20 m
- Board 6 · offcut 0.89 m2.70 + 1.20 m
- Board 7 · offcut 0.89 m2.70 + 1.20 m
- Board 8 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 9 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 10 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 11 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
- Board 12 · offcut 2.10 m2.70 m
How many studs for a wall?
At 600 mm spacing a 6 m wall takes 6 000 ÷ 600 = 10 spaces, so 11 studs; every window or door adds two more. At 400 or 406 mm spacing the same wall needs 16.
Why plan a cut list?
Counting running metres alone hides the offcuts: a 2.7 m stud cut from a 6 m board leaves 3.3 m, enough for one more stud but not two. Laying out the pieces board by board gives the real number of boards to buy.
Questions
Why two top plates?
A doubled top plate ties the wall together and carries the joists or rafters between the studs. One bottom plate is enough.
What is counted for an opening?
Two extra studs on its sides and a header 100 mm longer than the opening. Sills and cripple studs under a window are short and usually come from the offcuts.
How is the volume used?
Timber is often priced per cubic metre: running metres × width × depth of the section gives it.
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