Header/Opening Material Calculator

Chained door/window openings

Run the framing calculator first (with at least one door or window entered) to prefill real openings here.

Wall heightftHeight of the wall from bottom plate to top plate.Stud spacinginStud-to-stud spacing. 16 or 24 in is standard framing.

Jack studs per sidestudsFull-height studs on each side of the opening that support the header.Header bearing allowanceinHow far the header runs past the rough opening onto the jack studs, both ends together. Blank uses 1-1/2 in per jack stud per side.Header plies per openingpliesPieces of 2x stock in each header. 2 if left blank -- a doubled 2x with a spacer, the ordinary stud-wall assembly. An estimated practice figure, not a code requirement: the plies a header needs follow from its span and load, which this screen does not ask for.Rough opening allowanceinExtra clearance added to the door/window size for the framed opening. 2 in if left blank -- an estimated shim allowance, not a manufacturer figure; check the spec for the unit you are ordering.Assumed header depthinAssumed thickness of the header stock, e.g. 8 in for doubled 2x8s.

You'll need headers for 0 opening(s) and — cripple studs.

You'll need

Header/opening material list

Warnings

INFO No door/window openings are saved in the active project yet, so example openings are shown below.
ERROR Enter at least one door or window opening.
ERROR Enter a wall height greater than zero.

Detail values

Assumptions

Jack studs per side: 1
Header bearing allowance: 3 in total, both sides (1-1/2 in per jack stud, and the header spans the rough opening rather than the bare unit width)
Header plies per opening: 2. Estimated -- a doubled 2x with a spacer is the ordinary stud-wall assembly for an average project, NOT a code requirement and no span table is cited for it. Three plies is ordinary in a 2x6 wall; the plies a given header needs follow from its span and load, which this screen does not ask for.
Rough opening allowance: 2 in. Estimated -- the common shim allowance for an average project, NOT read from any manufacturer's rough-opening spec. The tolerance is set per product; verify against the door or window you are ordering.
Assumed header depth: 8 in (independent of Framing's header rough-estimate)
Top plate allowance: 3 in off the wall height (double 2x top plate; the bottom plate is not deducted -- the rough opening is measured from the subfloor)
Rough sill plies per window: 1 (doors take no sill; 2 is common under a wide opening)

Included: king studs, jack studs, header stock, cripple studs above header.

Not included: labor, delivery, permits, disposal of waste material.

Formula details

Jack studs per opening: 2 x jackStudsPerSide
Default 1 per side; use 2 per side for wider openings -- verify against your header span.
Header length (one ply): roughOpeningWidth + headerBearingAllowance
The header crosses the ROUGH opening, not the bare unit width, and runs out past it to land on the jack studs -- 1-1/2 in of dressed 2x per jack, both sides. This is the length of ONE piece; the purchase line multiplies it by the ply count.
Header stock to buy: sum(headerLength) x headerPliesPerOpening
A header is normally built up from more than one ply. Estimated -- a doubled 2x with a spacer is the ordinary stud-wall assembly, not a code requirement, and no span table or fastening schedule is cited for it. The plies a given header needs follow from its span and load, which this screen does not ask for.
Rough opening width: openingWidth + roughOpeningAllowance
Estimated -- the default 2 in is the common shim allowance on an average project, NOT a figure read from any manufacturer's rough-opening spec. The tolerance is set per product by the door or window's own installation instructions, so verify it against the unit you are ordering.
Cripple studs above header: ceil(roughOpeningWidth / spacing) + 1, and none unless wallHeight - topPlate - openingHeight - headerDepth > 0
Cripples stand side by side across the opening on the wall's stud layout, so the width sets the count; the space above the header only sets how long each one is cut.
Rough sill (windows only): roughOpeningWidth x sillPlies, per WINDOW
The sill closes the bottom of a window opening between the jack studs, which is the same clear span the header crosses -- so it is the rough opening width, not the longer header length. A door runs to the floor and takes no sill.

Material List

About this calculator

Pulls door and window openings from the active project's framing calculator. This is a real material list, distinct from Framing's header size rough-estimate.

How is this different from Framing's header size estimate?

Framing's headerEstimates output is a rough header depth estimate. This calculator consumes that as context but focuses on the material list around the opening -- jack/king stud counts, header length, rough opening width, and cripple studs.

Why isn't there a below-sill cripple stud count for windows?

Sill height isn't part of the current opening input (width and height only), so below-sill cripples aren't computed -- flagged as an info warning rather than guessed.

Disclaimer

Jack stud count, header bearing allowance, and rough opening allowance are editable defaults, not code minimums -- verify against your header span and manufacturer rough-opening spec.