A framing takeoff turns a floor plan into a lumber list. The quick rule ("one stud per foot of wall") gets you close on simple jobs, but a proper takeoff counts each part.
Walls
- Layout studs: wall length ÷ spacing, plus one.
- Corners and junctions: about two extra studs each. Corners need backing for the board on the inside.
- Openings: king and jack studs each side, plus cripples above and below. Allow about three extra per opening; cripples often come from offcuts.
- Plates: a sole plate and head plate, so twice the wall length; some details double the head plate.
- Headers / lintels sized for each opening.
- Blocking or noggins for board edges, fixtures and fire stopping.
Floors
Joists = floor length ÷ spacing + 1, plus rims, doubled joists under walls and around openings, blocking or strutting, and hangers. Subfloor sheets come from the floor area plus 10%.
Roofs
Rafters come from the span and pitch: run ÷ cos(pitch), plus the overhang. Count them for both slopes, then add the ridge, collars and ties, and hip, valley and jack rafters on hipped roofs.
Choose stock lengths wisely
Buying the right lengths saves more money than any discount. A 3.7 m joist run cut from 4.2 m stock wastes little; cut from 4.8 m stock it wastes a lot. The framing calculators pick the shortest stock that covers each run.
Hardware and sheathing
Don't forget nails or screws, hangers, ties and straps, and OSB or sheathing board, breather membrane and tape. These lines often add up to 15–25% of the framing budget.
This guide is general information for estimating. It is not engineering, legal or tax advice. Check the Building Regulations and Building Control for your project.