How much lumber does it take to frame a garage?

It scales with the garage footprint and wall height. Count one stud per spacing interval around the perimeter plus extras around the garage door, three plate lengths around the perimeter, and one sheathing sheet per 32 square feet of wall minus the door opening. Enter your dimensions above.

How much lumber for a 24x24 garage?

A 24 by 24 garage has a 96 ft perimeter. At 16 in on center that is 72 studs, plus 4 corners and 2 per opening. Plate boards: 96 x 3 / 12 = 24 twelve-foot boards. Sheathing: 96 x 9 = 864 sq ft, minus a 16 by 7 door (112 sq ft) = 752 sq ft, or about 24 sheets, plus 10 percent waste.

What size studs are used to frame a garage?

Detached garages are typically framed with 2 by 4 studs at 16 in on center for walls up to 9 or 10 ft. Taller walls or heavier roof loads may call for 2 by 6 studs, closer spacing or engineered headers over the door opening.

How thick should garage wall sheathing be?

Wall sheathing for a detached garage is commonly 7/16 or 1/2 inch OSB or plywood in 4 by 8 sheets. The count on this page assumes 4 by 8 sheets covering 32 square feet each.

Garage Lumber Calculator

This garage lumber calculator estimates the wall framing lumber and sheathing sheets for a rectangular garage from its length, width and wall height, with the main garage door opening subtracted from the sheathing count. Enter your dimensions and stud spacing to get a material list.

A garage is a shed scaled up, and the material math is the same: studs around the perimeter, three plate lengths and one 4 by 8 sheathing sheet per 32 square feet of wall. The difference is the large garage door opening, which is subtracted from the sheathing area before rounding. This tool applies the same standard framing formula and reports each count separately.

Garage length(ft)Garage width(ft)Wall height(ft)Stud spacingPlate board lengthGarage door width(ft)Garage door height(ft)Other openings (service door, windows)(count)

Wall studs74

Perimeter: 88 ft
Plate boards: 22 x 12 ft boards
Wall sheathing (4 x 8 sheets): 22
Garage door opening removed: 112 sq ft
Net wall area: 680 sq ft

Header stock over the garage door is an engineered member and is not included. Add 10 percent to sheathing for waste and confirm sizing against local code.

What This Calculator Estimates

Wall studs, top and bottom plate boards (a bottom plate plus a doubled top plate), and wall sheathing sheets, with the garage door opening removed from the sheathing area. Openings for a service door and windows can be added as extra openings. Roof, floor and slab work are not included.

How to Use It

Enter the garage length, width and wall height, pick a stud spacing, and set the garage door width and height. Add a count for any other openings (service door, windows). Change the plate board length if your yard sells longer plates. Every count is rounded up.

The Formula This Calculator Uses

Perimeter equals two times length plus width. Studs equal perimeter in inches divided by stud spacing, plus four for corners, plus two per opening (including the main garage door). Plate boards equal three times the perimeter divided by the board length. Sheathing area equals perimeter times wall height, minus the garage door area, minus a rough allowance for other openings. Sheets equal that area divided by 32, rounded up. The math scales cleanly from a one-car to a three-car garage.

What the Calculator Does Not Cover

This tool covers wall framing and sheathing only. It does not size the floor slab, footings, roof rafters or trusses, roof sheathing, siding, doors, windows or hardware. For the slab, use the concrete calculator; for the roof, use the roofing calculator. Confirm sizing against your local building code, since garage wall heights and headers for wide door openings are regulated.

How to Use the Numbers on Site

Order a few extra studs and one spare plate board for miscuts, and add 10 percent to the sheathing count for waste around the garage door header, corners and any windows. Header stock over the garage door is usually a separate engineered member and is not included here.

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Frequently asked questions

How much lumber does it take to frame a garage?: It scales with the garage footprint and wall height. Count one stud per spacing interval around the perimeter plus extras around the garage door, three plate lengths around the perimeter, and one sheathing sheet per 32 square feet of wall minus the door opening. Enter your dimensions above.
How much lumber for a 24x24 garage?: A 24 by 24 garage has a 96 ft perimeter. At 16 in on center that is 72 studs, plus 4 corners and 2 per opening. Plate boards: 96 x 3 / 12 = 24 twelve-foot boards. Sheathing: 96 x 9 = 864 sq ft, minus a 16 by 7 door (112 sq ft) = 752 sq ft, or about 24 sheets, plus 10 percent waste.
What size studs are used to frame a garage?: Detached garages are typically framed with 2 by 4 studs at 16 in on center for walls up to 9 or 10 ft. Taller walls or heavier roof loads may call for 2 by 6 studs, closer spacing or engineered headers over the door opening.
How thick should garage wall sheathing be?: Wall sheathing for a detached garage is commonly 7/16 or 1/2 inch OSB or plywood in 4 by 8 sheets. The count on this page assumes 4 by 8 sheets covering 32 square feet each.