R602.7 Headers

R602.7.1 Single Member Headers

R602.7.2 Rim Board Headers

R602.7.3 Wood Structural Panel Box Headers

R602.7.4 Nonbearing Walls

R602.7.5 Supports for Headers

Related Code Sections

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Los Angeles Residential Code > 6 Wall Construction > R602 Wood Wall Framing > R602.7 Headers

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For header spans, see Tables R602.7(1), R602.7(2) and R602.7(3).

GIRDER SPANS^a AND HEADER SPANS^a FOR EXTERIOR BEARING WALLS (Maximum spans for Douglas fir-larch, hem-fir, southern pine and spruce-pine-fir^b and required number of jack studs)

GIRDERS AND HEADERS SUPPORTING	SIZE	GROUND SNOW LOAD (psf)^e
		30						50						70
		Building width^c (feet)
		20		28		36		20		28		36		20		28		36
		Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d
Roof and ceiling	1-2 × 8	4-6	1	3-10	1	3-5	1	3-9	1	3-2	1	2-10	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	1-2 × 10	5-8	1	4-11	1	4-4	1	4-9	1	4-1	1	3-7	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	1-2 × 12	6-11	1	5-11	2	5-3	2	5-9	2	4-8	2	3-8	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	2-2 × 4	3-6	1	3-2	1	2-10	1	3-2	1	2-9	1	2-6	1	2-10	1	2-6	1	2-3	1
	2-2 × 6	5-5	1	4-8	1	4-2	1	4-8	1	4-1	1	3-8	2	4-2	1	3-8	2	3-3	2
	2-2 × 8	6-10	1	5-11	2	5-4	2	5-11	2	5-2	2	4-7	2	5-4	2	4-7	2	4-1	2
	2-2 × 10	8-5	2	7-3	2	6-6	2	7-3	2	6-3	2	5-7	2	6-6	2	5-7	2	5-0	2
	2-2 × 12	9-9	2	8-5	2	7-6	2	8-5	2	7-3	2	6-6	2	7-6	2	6-6	2	5-10	3
	3-2 × 8	8-4	1	7-5	1	6-8	1	7-5	1	6-5	2	5-9	2	6-8	1	5-9	2	5-2	2
	3-2 × 10	10-6	1	9-1	2	8-2	2	9-1	2	7-10	2	7-0	2	8-2	2	7-0	2	6-4	2
	3-2 × 12	12-2	2	10-7	2	9-5	2	10-7	2	9-2	2	8-2	2	9-5	2	8-2	2	7-4	2
	4-2 × 8	9-2	1	8-4	1	7-8	1	8-4	1	7-5	1	6-8	1	7-8	1	6-8	1	5-11	2
	4-2 × 10	11-8	1	10-6	1	9-5	2	10-6	1	9-1	2	8-2	2	9-5	2	8-2	2	7-3	2
	4-2 × 12	14-1	1	12-2	2	10-11	2	12-2	2	10-7	2	9-5	2	10-11	2	9-5	2	8-5	2
Roof, ceiling and one center-bearing floor	1-2 × 8	3-11	1	3-5	1	3-0	1	3-7	1	3-0	2	2-8	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	1-2 × 10	5-0	2	4-4	2	3-10	2	4-6	2	3-11	2	3-4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	1-2 × 12	5-10	2	4-9	2	4-2	2	5-5	2	4-2	2	3-4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	2-2 × 4	3-1	1	2-9	1	2-5	1	2-9	1	2-5	1	2-2	1	2-7	1	2-3	1	2-0	1
	2-2 × 6	4-6	1	4-0	1	3-7	2	4-1	1	3-7	2	3-3	2	3-9	2	3-3	2	2-11	2
	2-2 × 8	5-9	2	5-0	2	4-6	2	5-2	2	4-6	2	4-1	2	4-9	2	4-2	2	3-9	2
	2-2 × 10	7-0	2	6-2	2	5-6	2	6-4	2	5-6	2	5-0	2	5-9	2	5-1	2	4-7	3
	2-2 × 12	8-1	2	7-1	2	6-5	2	7-4	2	6-5	2	5-9	3	6-8	2	5-10	3	5-3	3
	3-2 × 8	7-2	1	6-3	2	5-8	2	6-5	2	5-8	2	5-1	2	5-11	2	5-2	2	4-8	2
	3-2 × 10	8-9	2	7-8	2	6-11	2	7-11	2	6-11	2	6-3	2	7-3	2	6-4	2	5-8	2
	3-2 × 12	10-2	2	8-11	2	8-0	2	9-2	2	8-0	2	7-3	2	8-5	2	7-4	2	6-7	2
	4-2 × 8	8-1	1	7-3	1	6-7	1	7-5	1	6-6	1	5-11	2	6-10	1	6-0	2	5-5	2
	4-2 × 10	10-1	1	8-10	2	8-0	2	9-1	2	8-0	2	7-2	2	8-4	2	7-4	2	6-7	2
	4-2 × 12	11-9	2	10-3	2	9-3	2	10-7	2	9-3	2	8-4	2	9-8	2	8-6	2	7-7	2
Roof, ceiling and one clear span floor	1-2 × 8	3-6	1	3-0	1	2-8	1	3-5	1	2-11	1	2-7	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	1-2 × 10	4-6	1	3-10	1	3-3	1	4-4	1	3-9	1	3-1	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	1-2 × 12	5-6	1	4-2	2	3-3	2	5-4	2	3-11	2	3-1	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
	2-2 × 4	2-8	1	2-4	1	2-1	1	2-7	1	2-3	1	2-0	1	2-5	1	2-1	1	1-10	1
	2-2 × 6	3-11	1	3-5	2	3-0	2	3-10	2	3-4	2	3-0	2	3-6	2	3-1	2	2-9	2
	2-2 × 8	5-0	2	4-4	2	3-10	2	4-10	2	4-2	2	3-9	2	4-6	2	3-11	2	3-6	2
	2-2 × 10	6-1	2	5-3	2	4-8	2	5-11	2	5-1	2	4-7	3	5-6	2	4-9	2	4-3	3
	2-2 × 12	7-1	2	6-1	3	5-5	3	6-10	2	5-11	3	5-4	3	6-4	2	5-6	3	5-0	3
	3-2 × 8	6-3	2	5-5	2	4-10	2	6-1	2	5-3	2	4-8	2	5-7	2	4-11	2	4-5	2
	3-2 × 10	7-7	2	6-7	2	5-11	2	7-5	2	6-5	2	5-9	2	6-10	2	6-0	2	5-4	2
	3-2 × 12	8-10	2	7-8	2	6-10	2	8-7	2	7-5	2	6-8	2	7-11	2	6-11	2	6-3	2
	4-2 × 8	7-2	1	6-3	2	5-7	2	7-0	1	6-1	2	5-5	2	6-6	1	5-8	2	5-1	2
	4-2 × 10	8-9	2	7-7	2	6-10	2	8-7	2	7-5	2	6-7	2	7-11	2	6-11	2	6-2	2
	4-2 × 12	10-2	2	8-10	2	7-11	2	9-11	2	8-7	2	7-8	2	9-2	2	8-0	2	7-2	2
Roof, ceiling and two center-bearing floors	2-2 × 4	2-7	1	2-3	1	2-0	1	2-6	1	2-2	1	1-11	1	2-4	1	2-0	1	1-9	1
	2-2 × 6	3-9	2	3-3	2	2-11	2	3-8	2	3-2	2	2-10	2	3-5	2	3-0	2	2-8	2
	2-2 × 8	4-9	2	4-2	2	3-9	2	4-7	2	4-0	2	3-8	2	4-4	2	3-9	2	3-5	2
	2-2 × 10	5-9	2	5-1	2	4-7	3	5-8	2	4-11	2	4-5	3	5-3	2	4-7	3	4-2	3
	2-2 × 12	6-8	2	5-10	3	5-3	3	6-6	2	5-9	3	5-2	3	6-1	3	5-4	3	4-10	3
	3-2 × 8	5-11	2	5-2	2	4-8	2	5-9	2	5-1	2	4-7	2	5-5	2	4-9	2	4-3	2
	3-2 × 10	7-3	2	6-4	2	5-8	2	7-1	2	6-2	2	5-7	2	6-7	2	5-9	2	5-3	2
	3-2 × 12	8-5	2	7-4	2	6-7	2	8-2	2	7-2	2	6-5	3	7-8	2	6-9	2	6-1	3
	4-2 × 8	6-10	1	6-0	2	5-5	2	6-8	1	5-10	2	5-3	2	6-3	2	5-6	2	4-11	2
	4-2 × 10	8-4	2	7-4	2	6-7	2	8-2	2	7-2	2	6-5	2	7-7	2	6-8	2	6-0	2
	4-2 × 12	9-8	2	8-6	2	7-8	2	9-5	2	8-3	2	7-5	2	8-10	2	7-9	2	7-0	2
Roof, ceiling, and two clear-span floors	2-2 × 4	2-1	1	1-8	1	1-6	2	2-0	1	1-8	1	1-5	2	2-0	1	1-8	1	1-5	2
	2-2 × 6	3-1	2	2-8	2	2-4	2	3-0	2	2-7	2	2-3	2	2-11	2	2-7	2	2-3	2
	2-2 × 8	3-10	2	3-4	2	3-0	3	3-10	2	3-4	2	2-11	3	3-9	2	3-3	2	2-11	3
	2-2 × 10	4-9	2	4-1	3	3-8	3	4-8	2	4-0	3	3-7	3	4-7	3	4-0	3	3-6	3
	2-2 × 12	5-6	3	4-9	3	4-3	3	5-5	3	4-8	3	4-2	3	5-4	3	4-7	3	4-1	4
	3-2 × 8	4-10	2	4-2	2	3-9	2	4-9	2	4-1	2	3-8	2	4-8	2	4-1	2	3-8	2
	3-2 × 10	5-11	2	5-1	2	4-7	3	5-10	2	5-0	2	4-6	3	5-9	2	4-11	2	4-5	3
	3-2 × 12	6-10	2	5-11	3	5-4	3	6-9	2	5-10	3	5-3	3	6-8	2	5-9	3	5-2	3
	4-2 × 8	5-7	2	4-10	2	4-4	2	5-6	2	4-9	2	4-3	2	5-5	2	4-8	2	4-2	2
	4-2 × 10	6-10	2	5-11	2	5-3	2	6-9	2	5-10	2	5-2	2	6-7	2	5-9	2	5-1	2
	4-2 × 12	7-11	2	6-10	2	6-2	3	7-9	2	6-9	2	6-0	3	7-8	2	6-8	2	5-11	3

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 pound per square foot = 0.0479 kPa.

Spans are given in feet and inches.
No. 1 or better grade lumber shall be used for southern pine. Other tabulated values assume #2 grade lumber.
Building width is measured perpendicular to the ridge. For widths between those shown, spans are permitted to be interpolated.
NJ = Number of jack studs required to support each end. Where the number of required jack studs equals one, the header is permitted to be supported by an approved framing anchor attached to the full-height wall stud and to the header.
Use 30 psf ground snow load for cases in which ground snow load is less than 30 psf and the roof live load is equal to or less than 20 psf.

TABLE R602.7(2)

GIRDER SPANS^a AND HEADER SPANS^a FOR INTERIOR BEARING WALLS (Maximum spans for Douglas fir-larch, hem-fir, southern pine and spruce-pine-fir^b and required number of jack studs)

HEADERS AND GIRDERS SUPPORTING	SIZE	BUILDING Width^c (feet)
		20		28		36
		Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d	Span	NJ^d
One floor only	2-2 × 4	3-1	1	2-8	1	2-5	1
	2-2 × 6	4-6	1	3-11	1	3-6	1
	2-2 × 8	5-9	1	5-0	2	4-5	2
	2-2 × 10	7-0	2	6-1	2	5-5	2
	2-2 × 12	8-1	2	7-0	2	6-3	2
	3-2 × 8	7-2	1	6-3	1	5-7	2
	3-2 × 10	8-9	1	7-7	2	6-9	2
	3-2 × 12	10-2	2	8-10	2	7-10	2
	4-2 × 8	9-0	1	7-8	1	6-9	1
	4-2 × 10	10-1	1	8-9	1	7-10	2
	4-2 × 12	11-9	1	10-2	2	9-1	2
Two floors	2-2 × 4	2-2	1	1-10	1	1-7	1
	2-2 × 6	3-2	2	2-9	2	2-5	2
	2-2 × 8	4-1	2	3-6	2	3-2	2
	2-2 × 10	4-11	2	4-3	2	3-10	3
	2-2 × 12	5-9	2	5-0	3	4-5	3
	3-2 × 8	5-1	2	4-5	2	3-11	2
	3-2 × 10	6-2	2	5-4	2	4-10	2
	3-2 × 12	7-2	2	6-3	2	5-7	3
	4-2 × 8	6-1	1	5-3	2	4-8	2
	4-2 × 10	7-2	2	6-2	2	5-6	2
	4-2 × 12	8-4	2	7-2	2	6-5	2

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm.

Spans are given in feet and inches.
No. 1 or better grade lumber shall be used for southern pine. Other tabulated values assume #2 grade lumber.
Building width is measured perpendicular to the ridge. For widths between those shown, spans are permitted to be interpolated.
NJ = Number of jack studs required to support each end. Where the number of required jack studs equals one, the header is permitted to be supported by an approved framing anchor attached to the full-height wall stud and to the header.

TABLE R602.7(3)

GIRDER AND HEADER SPANS^a FOR OPEN PORCHES (Maximum span for Douglas fir-larch, hem-fir, southern pine and spruce-pine-fir^b)

SIZE	SUPPORTING ROOF						SUPPORTING FLOOR
	GROUND SNOW LOAD (psf)
	30		50		70
	DEPTH OF PORCH^c (feet)
	8	14	8	14	8	14	8	14
2-2 × 6	7-6	5-8	6-2	4-8	5-4	4-0	6-4	4-9
2-2 × 8	10-1	7-7	8-3	6-2	7-1	5-4	8-5	6-4
2-2 × 10	12-4	9-4	10-1	7-7	8-9	6-7	10-4	7-9
2-2 × 12	14-4	10-10	11-8	8-10	10-1	7-8	11-11	9-0

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 pound per square foot = 0.0479 kPa.

Spans are given in feet and inches.
Tabulated values assume #2 grade lumber, wet service and incising for refractory species. Use 30 psf ground snow load for cases in which ground snow load is less than 30 psf and the roof live load is equal to or less than 20 psf.
Porch depth is measured horizontally from building face to centerline of the header. For depths between those shown, spans are permitted to be interpolated.

Single headers shall be framed with a single flat 2-inch-nominal (51 mm) member or wall plate not less in width than the wall studs on the top and bottom of the header in accordance with Figures R602.7.1(1) and R602.7.1(2) and face nailed to the top and bottom of the header with 10d box nails (3 inches × 0.128 inches) spaced 12 inches on center.

FIGURE R602.7.1(1)
SINGLE MEMBER HEADER IN EXTERIOR BEARING WALL

FIGURE R602.7.1(2)
ALTERNATIVE SINGLE MEMBER HEADER WITHOUT CRIPPLE

Rim board header size, material and span shall be in accordance with Table R602.7(1). Rim board headers shall be constructed in accordance with Figure R602.7.2 and shall be supported at each end by full-height studs. The number of full-height studs at each end shall be not less than the number of studs displaced by half of the header span based on the maximum stud spacing in accordance with Table R602.3(5). Rim board headers supporting concentrated loads shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.

For SI: 25.4 mm = 1 inch.
FIGURE R602.7.2
RIM BOARD HEADER CONSTRUCTION

Wood structural panel box headers shall be constructed in accordance with Figure R602.7.3 and Table R602.7.3.

TABLE R602.7.3

MAXIMUM SPANS FOR WOOD STRUCTURAL PANEL BOX HEADERS^a

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm.

Spans are based on single story with clear-span trussed roof or two story with floor and roof supported by interior-bearing walls.
See Figure R602.7.3 for construction details.

Load-bearing headers are not required in interior or exterior nonbearing walls. A single flat 2-inch by 4-inch (51 mm by 102 mm) member shall be permitted to be used as a header in interior or exterior nonbearing walls for openings up to 8 feet (2438 mm) in width if the vertical distance to the parallel nailing surface above is not more than 24 inches (610 mm). For such nonbearing headers, cripples or blocking are not required above the header.

Headers shall be supported on each end with one or more jack studs or with approved framing anchors in accordance with Table R602.7(1) or R602.7(2). The full-height stud adjacent to each end of the header shall be end nailed to each end of the header with four-16d nails (3.5 inches × 0.135 inches). The minimum number of full-height studs at each end of a header shall be in accordance with Table R602.7.5.

TABLE R602.7.5

MINIMUM NUMBER OF FULL HEIGHT STUDS AT EACH END OF HEADERS IN EXTERIOR WALLS

HEADER SPAN (feet)	MAXIMUM STUD SPACING (inches) [per Table R602.3(5)]
HEADER SPAN (feet)	16	24
≤ 3'	1	1
4'	2	1
8'	3	2
12'	5	3
16'	6	4

HEADER CONSTRUCTION^b

HEADER DEPTH (inches)

HOUSE DEPTH (feet)

HEADER CONSTRUCTION^b

HEADER DEPTH (inches)

Wood structural panel—one side

Wood structural panel—one side

Wood structural panel—both sides

Wood structural panel—both sides

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