How To Find A Stud In A Wall

So here you are, several holes in your wall and the studs remain elusive. It all sounded easier when you decided to begin your project. But have no fear, we’re here to help you find a stud in a wall!

How Do You Find a Stud in the Wall

It isn’t all that difficult to Locate a stud behind the sheetrock when you break it down. And sure, you can get yourself a handy-dandy stud finder. But let’s be honest, how often are you going to use it? 

After years of being in the construction industry, primarily framing and drywall, I have a lot of knowledge about what lies beneath your walls and how to find a stud.

Because I’ve seen so many different configurations of rooms, buildings, and various types of material materials, I can pretty much walk into a room and locate a stud on any wall within seconds.

I can find a stud in any kind of framing. From metal framing to wood framing, and even structural foam blocks with plastic “studs” in them. But that’s a story for a different day.

Things To Know About Walls

• 99% of homes are made with wood studs, so today we’re focusing on wooden construction and finding wood studs behind the drywall. 
• You might ask a key question — “How far apart are wall studs?” Standard stud spacing is 16″ center to center. This is true with both new construction and old construction. However, older construction can vary and be spaced slightly further apart.
• Doors and windows will always have a stud next to them.
• Each wall at the corner of each room will have a stud—kind of forming an L shape in the corner.
• A stud can always be found running vertically on one side of an electrical outlet.

How Do I Find a Stud in the Wall

Let’s think about what might already be nailed to the stud, things we can see on the surface.

Find Wall Studs in the Drywall

Oftentimes drywall will have some ‘flashing’, meaning the paint flashes a bit and you can see where the screws in the drywall attach it to the stud. You can also achieve flashing by holding a flashlight against the wall at a 45-degree angle.

You may be able to locate the drywall screws and see where it attaches the drywall to the studs.

Otherwise, a poor drywall job will give you these same results, meaning you’ll be able to locate the stud by looking closely at the drywall.

Find Wall Studs in the Trim

What else is nailed to the stud? Any baseboard (over 3″ tall), chair rails, and crown molding are often nailed to the stud.

Inspect the baseboard for hints of nails that are 2″ off the floor. Anything below the 2″ line could easily be nailed into the base plate of the wall.

Then, look at your chair rails to see if you can find evidence of nails and where the chair rail is attached to the wall. 

The same goes for crown molding, take a peek and see if you can figure out where the nails are holding it to the studs.

Find the Studs Next to Electrical Outlets and Switches

No luck with the baseboard or trim pieces? Then, the next place to try is next to an electrical outlet or switch.

I prefer the outlet approach because light switches don’t always follow the 16″ on center rule.

Locate an outlet on the wall where you need to find the stud. Tap on either side of the outlet with your finger. One side will sound and feel more hollow than the other.

Using the knock test will help you determine which side of the outlet the stud is on. The harder sounding is the stud. Set your tape measure about 3/4″ off the outlet to find the center of that stud and measure 16″ in either direction from there to find the studs along that wall.

From The Corner

Remember how I said each corner has a stud on either side of it, forming an L shape. Well, that’s true, but what they don’t tell is that not each room is divisible by 16″. What does this mean? It means from one corner, the studs will be 16″ apart, but from the other, they won’t be.

So, this is my least favorite method and last resort. Actually, I’d rather buy a stud finder than use this method. But a lot of people want to find studs manually, so we’ll talk about it anyway.

Measure 16″ from one corner and use the knock test. You might get lucky and find the stud right there at the 16″ mark! I hope you do.

Otherwise, you can chase the stud, or go back and use the outlet method. The outlet method is my favorite because it’s almost foolproof!

Pro Tips

• If you’re renovating your home and removing the drywall, snap photos! You’ll then know where the stud placements are for when you go to decorate your room.
• Replacing the drywall yourself? Always hang the ceiling drywall first. Then use a pencil (not ink or marker) to mark where the wall studs are on the ceiling drywall. If you’re down to the subfloor, you can also mark the floor to indicate where the studs are. This will help you find the studs when hanging the drywall!

What is a Stud Finder?

No worries, a stud finder is a nice tool and worth it if you’re just not into the find-a-stud game. And the good news is they’ve become quite affordable. 

Truth be told, there are a million reasons to find a stud while working on your home.

From hanging pictures to building floating shelves, hanging a hat rack or coat rack, or even during your bathroom renovation. So go ahead, treat yourself!

Buy A Stud Finder Here »

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