Framing Material Calculator — Lumber List for Any Framing Job
Build the complete lumber list for a framing project: enter each member type with its cross-section, quantity and length, and get total running metres or feet, estimated weight and cost. Works for walls, floors, roofs and decks.
Add materials and lengths to see calculation
Save to project
Free to try — no sign-up
Plan the whole job — not just this calculation
Save results to a project: budget and shopping list build themselves, and the whole plan exports as a PDF. Draw your floor plan and room sizes pre-fill the calculators.
How the framing list is calculated
- 1Enter each framing member as a line: cross-section (2×4, 2×6, 48×98…), quantity, length
- 2Running length per line = quantity × length
- 3Total = sum of all lines, rounded up per line (lumber sells by the running length)
- 4Weight = cross-section area × length × density (≈ 500 kg/m³ softwood) — matters for delivery
- 5Cost = running metres × your local price per metre for each cross-section
- 6Add 10–15% waste for cuts, culls and splits
Worked example
Partition wall package: 2 plates × 6 m, 16 studs × 2.4 m, 10 blocking pieces × 0.55 m — all 48×98 mm (≈ 2×4).
Total: 12 + 38.4 + 5.5 = 55.9 running metres; with 10% waste order 62 lm. Estimated weight ≈ 131 kg (2.35 kg per metre of 48×98).
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate framing material for a wall?
Count studs (wall length ÷ spacing + 1, plus doubles at openings and corners), add two plate lengths (three if load-bearing), headers over openings, and blocking. The stud calculator does the counting; this calculator turns the counts into a priced lumber list.
What lumber sizes are used for framing?
2×4 (38×89 mm actual, ≈ 48×98 metric) for most walls; 2×6 for exterior walls needing deeper insulation; 2×8 to 2×12 for joists, rafters and headers, sized from span tables.
How much does framing lumber weigh?
Softwood averages ~500 kg/m³: a metre of 2×4 weighs ≈ 2 kg, a metre of 2×10 ≈ 4.5 kg. A full wall package often lands at 100–200 kg — worth knowing before hand-carrying it upstairs.
How much waste should I add to a lumber order?
10% for straightforward walls, 15% for cut-heavy work like roofs. Part of the allowance is culling: some yard sticks arrive bowed or split and end up as blocking.
Should I order framing lumber by the piece or by length?
By the piece, in stock lengths that minimise offcuts: 2.4 m studs cut clean from 2.4 m stock, 6 m plates from 6 m stock. The calculator's per-line totals map directly to a yard order.