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: one bottom plate and a double top plate, so three times the wall length.
- Headers / lintels sized for each opening.
- Blocking or fire blocking 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, collar ties or rafter 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 13 ft joist run cut from 14 ft stock wastes little; cut from 16 ft 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 sheathing, house wrap 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 local codes and your inspector for your project.