How to find a stud in a wall

In most US homes studs sit 16 inches apart, center to center.

Anything heavy needs to hang from structure, not from drywall. In typical North American framing, studs run vertically at 16 inches on center, sometimes 24. Find one and you can usually measure to the rest.

Start at a corner, a window frame or a door frame, because there is always framing there. Electrical outlets and switch boxes are nailed to the side of a stud, so a box tells you a stud is immediately beside it. Tapping along the wall gives a duller, less hollow sound over a stud once your ear is calibrated.

An electronic stud finder speeds this up but will also react to pipes, cables, insulation and joins in the board. Treat the first reading as a hypothesis. Sweep from both directions to find the two edges, mark the middle, then confirm with a small pilot hole somewhere it will be hidden. Never assume a single beep is a stud, and never drill blind into a wall above or below a kitchen or bathroom fitting.

Part of the Stalwart guides. See all guides.