Walls of conventional light-frame construction shall be in accordance with this section.
The size, height and spacing of studs shall be in accordance with Table 2308.5.1.
Studs shall be continuous from a support at the sole plate to a support at the top plate to resist loads perpendicular to the wall. The support shall be a foundation or floor, ceiling or roof diaphragm or shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.
Exception: Jack studs, trimmer studs and cripple studs at openings in walls that comply with Table 2308.4.1.1(1) or 2308.4.1.1(2).
TABLE 2308.5.1 SIZE, HEIGHT AND SPACING OF WOOD STUDSc
Studs shall be continuous from a support at the sole plate to a support at the top plate to resist loads perpendicular to the wall. The support shall be a foundation or floor, ceiling or roof diaphragm or shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.
Exception: Jack studs, trimmer studs and cripple studs at openings in walls that comply with Table 2308.4.1.1(1) or 2308.4.1.1(2).
TABLE 2308.5.1 SIZE, HEIGHT AND SPACING OF WOOD STUDSc
| STUD SIZE (inches) | BEARING WALLS | NONBEARING WALLS | ||||
| Laterally unsupported stud heighta (feet) | Supporting roof and ceiling only | Supporting one floor, roof and ceiling | Supporting two floors, roof and ceiling | Laterally unsupported stud heighta (feet) | Spacing (inches) | |
| Spacing (inches) | ||||||
| 2 × 3b | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | ‒ | 10 | 16 |
| 2 × 4 | 10 | 24 | 16 | ‒ | 14 | 24 |
| 3 × 4 | 10 | 24 | 24 | 16 | 14 | 24 |
| 2 × 5 | 10 | 24 | 24 | ‒ | 16 | 24 |
| 2 × 6 | 10 | 24 | 24 | 16 | 20 | 24 |
| For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm. |
| a. Listed heights are distances between points of lateral support placed perpendicular to the plane of the wall. Increases in unsupported height are permitted where justified by an analysis. |
| b. Shall not be used in exterior walls. |
| c. Utility-grade studs shall not be spaced more than 16 inches on center or support more than a roof and ceiling, or exceed 8 feet in height for exterior walls and load-bearing walls or 10 feet for interior nonload-bearing walls. |
Studs shall be placed with their wide dimension perpendicular to the wall. Not less than three studs shall be installed at each corner of an exterior wall.
Exceptions:
1. In interior nonbearing walls and partitions, studs are permitted to be set with the long dimension parallel to the wall.
2. At corners, two studs are permitted, provided that wood spacers or backup cleats of 3/8-inch-thick (9.5 mm) wood structural panel, 3/8-inch (9.5 mm) Type M "Exterior Glue" particleboard, 1-inch-thick (25 mm) lumber or other approved devices that will serve as an adequate backing for the attachment of facing materials are used. Where fire-resistance ratings or shear values are involved, wood spacers, backup cleats or other devices shall not be used unless specifically approved for such use.
Exceptions:
1. In interior nonbearing walls and partitions, studs are permitted to be set with the long dimension parallel to the wall.
2. At corners, two studs are permitted, provided that wood spacers or backup cleats of 3/8-inch-thick (9.5 mm) wood structural panel, 3/8-inch (9.5 mm) Type M "Exterior Glue" particleboard, 1-inch-thick (25 mm) lumber or other approved devices that will serve as an adequate backing for the attachment of facing materials are used. Where fire-resistance ratings or shear values are involved, wood spacers, backup cleats or other devices shall not be used unless specifically approved for such use.
Studs shall have plates and sills in accordance with this section.
Bearing and exterior wall studs shall be capped with double top plates installed to provide overlapping at corners and at intersections with other partitions. End joints in double top plates shall be offset not less than 48 inches (1219 mm), and shall be nailed in accordance with Table 2304.10.1. Plates shall be a nominal 2 inches (51 mm) in depth and have a width not less than the width of the studs.
Where bearing studs are spaced at 24-inch (610 mm) intervals, top plates are less than two 2-inch by 6-inch (51 mm by 152 mm) or two 3-inch by 4-inch (76 mm by 102 mm) members and the floor joists, floor trusses or roof trusses that they support are spaced at more than 16-inch (406 mm) intervals, such joists or trusses shall bear within 5 inches (127 mm) of the studs beneath or a third plate shall be installed.
Exception: A single top plate is permitted, provided that the plate is adequately tied at corners and intersecting walls by not less than the equivalent of 3-inch by 6-inch (76 mm by 152 mm) by 0.036-inchthick (0.914 mm) galvanized steel plate that is nailed to each wall or segment of wall by six 8d [21/2" × 0.113" (64-mm by 2.87 mm)] box nails or equivalent on each side of the joint. For the butt-joint splice between adjacent single top plates, not less than the equivalent of a 3-inch by 12-inch (76 mm by 304 mm) by 0.036-inch-thick (0.914 mm) galvanized steel plate that is nailed to each wall or segment of wall by 12 8d [21/2-inch × 0.113-inch (64 mm by 2.87 mm)] box nails on each side of the joint shall be required, provided that the rafters, joists or trusses are centered over the studs with a tolerance of not more than 1 inch (25 mm). The top plate shall not be required over headers that are in the same plane and in line with the upper surface of the adjacent top plates and are tied to adjacent wall sections as required for the butt joint splice between adjacent single top plates.
Where bearing studs are spaced at 24-inch (610 mm) intervals, top plates are less than two 2-inch by 6-inch (51 mm by 152 mm) or two 3-inch by 4-inch (76 mm by 102 mm) members and the floor joists, floor trusses or roof trusses that they support are spaced at more than 16-inch (406 mm) intervals, such joists or trusses shall bear within 5 inches (127 mm) of the studs beneath or a third plate shall be installed.
In nonload-bearing walls and partitions, that are not part of a braced wall panel, studs shall be spaced not more than 24 inches (610 mm) on center. In interior nonload-bearing walls and partitions, studs are permitted to be set with the long dimension parallel to the wall. Where studs are set with the long dimensions parallel to the wall, use of utility grade lumber or studs exceeding 10 feet (3048 mm) is not permitted. Interior nonload-bearing partitions shall be capped with not less than a single top plate installed to provide overlapping at corners and at intersections with other walls and partitions. The plate shall be continuously tied at joints by solid blocking not less than 16 inches (406 mm) in length and equal in size to the plate or by 1/2-inch by 11/2-inch (12.7 mm by 38 mm) metal ties with spliced sections fastened with two 16d nails on each side of the joint.
Openings in exterior and interior walls and partitions shall comply with Sections 2308.5.5.1 through 2308.5.5.3.
Headers shall be provided over each opening in exterior bearing walls. The size and spans in Table 2308.4.1.1(1) are permitted to be used for one- and two-family dwellings. Headers for other buildings shall be designed in accordance with Section 2301.2, Item 1 or 2. Headers shall be of two pieces of nominal 2-inch (51 mm) framing lumber set on edge as permitted by Table 2308.4.1.1(1) and nailed together in accordance with Table 2304.10.1 or of solid lumber of equivalent size.
Wall studs shall support the ends of the header in accordance with Table 2308.4.1.1(1). Each end of a lintel or header shall have a bearing length of not less than 11/2 inches (38 mm) for the full width of the lintel.
Wall studs shall support the ends of the header in accordance with Table 2308.4.1.1(1). Each end of a lintel or header shall have a bearing length of not less than 11/2 inches (38 mm) for the full width of the lintel.
Headers shall be provided over each opening in interior bearing partitions as required in Section 2308.5.5.1. The spans in Table 2308.4.1.1(2) are permitted to be used. Wall studs shall support the ends of the header in accordance with Table 2308.4.1.1(1) or 2308.4.1.1(2), as applicable.
Openings in nonbearing partitions are permitted to be framed with single studs and headers. Each end of a lintel or header shall have a bearing length of not less than 11/2 inches (38 mm) for the full width of the lintel.
Foundation cripple walls shall be framed of studs that are not less than the size of the studding above and not less than 14 inches (356 mm) in length, or shall be framed of solid blocking. Where exceeding 4 feet (1219 mm) in height, such walls shall be framed of studs having the size required for an additional story. See Section 2308.6.6 for cripple wall bracing.
Unless covered by interior or exterior wall coverings or sheathing meeting the minimum requirements of this code, stud partitions or walls with studs having a height-to-least-thickness ratio exceeding 50 shall have bridging that is not less than 2 inches (51 mm) in thickness and of the same width as the studs fitted snugly and nailed thereto to provide adequate lateral support. Bridging shall be placed in every stud cavity and at a frequency such that no stud so braced shall have a height-to-least-thickness ratio exceeding 50 with the height of the stud measured between horizontal framing and bridging or between bridging, whichever is greater.
Stud partitions containing plumbing, heating or other pipes shall be framed and the joists underneath spaced to provide proper clearance for the piping. Where a partition containing piping runs parallel to the floor joists, the joists underneath such partitions shall be doubled and spaced to permit the passage of pipes and shall be bridged. Where plumbing, heating or other pipes are placed in, or partly in, a partition, necessitating the cutting of the soles or plates, a metal tie not less than 0.058 inch (1.47 mm) (16 galvanized gage) and 11/2 inches (38 mm) in width shall be fastened to each plate across and to each side of the opening with not less than six 16d nails.
In exterior walls and bearing partitions, wood studs are permitted to be cut or notched to a depth not exceeding 25 percent of the width of the stud. Cutting or notching of studs to a depth not greater than 40 percent of the width of the stud is permitted in nonbearing partitions supporting no loads other than the weight of the partition.
Bored holes not greater than 40 percent of the stud width are permitted to be bored in any wood stud. Bored holes not greater than 60 percent of the stud width are permitted in nonbearing partitions or in any wall where each bored stud is doubled, provided not more than two such successive doubled studs are so bored. In no case shall the edge of a bored hole be nearer than 5/8 inch (15.9 mm) to the edge of the stud. Bored holes shall not be located at the same section of stud as a cut or notch.
Except where stucco construction that complies with Section 2510 is installed, the outside of exterior walls, including gables, of enclosed buildings shall be sheathed with one of the materials of the nominal thickness specified in Table 2308.5.11 with fasteners in accordance with the requirements of Section 2304.10 or fasteners designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice. Alternatively, sheathing materials and fasteners complying with Section 2304.6 shall be permitted.
TABLE 2308.5.11 MINIMUM THICKNESS OF WALL SHEATHING
TABLE 2308.5.11 MINIMUM THICKNESS OF WALL SHEATHING
| SHEATHING TYPE | MINIMUM THICKNESS | MAXIMUM WALL STUD SPACING |
| Diagonal wood boards | 5/8 inch | 24 inches on center |
| Structural fiberboard | 1/2 inch | 16 inches on center |
| Wood structural panel | In accordance with Tables 2308.6.3(2) and 2308.6.3(3) | ‒ |
| M-S "Exterior Glue" and M-2 "Exterior Glue" particleboard | In accordance with Section 2306.3 and Table 2308.6.3(4) | ‒ |
| Gypsum sheathing | 1/2 inch | 16 inches on center |
| Reinforced cement mortar | 1 inch | 24 inches on center |
| Hardboard panel siding | In accordance with Table 2308.6.3(5) | ‒ |
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.