Wall header: what it means on an inspection

Rafter Tie editorial teamUpdated 25 Oct 20263 min read

A header is the horizontal framing member over a wall opening that carries the load from above and passes it to the studs on each side. It is the beam of the wall. Its size depends on the width of the opening and on what bears on it, so one header size does not suit every opening.

A framed wall with a window opening, a thick header above the opening, load arrows from above, short supporting studs at each end of the header, and full-height studs beside them — The header spans the opening and delivers its load to the studs at each end.

How to check a header

Decide if the wall carries load. A header in a bearing wall holds up floors or roof above. A header in a wall that carries nothing but itself has lighter rules. Settle the wall type first.
Measure the opening. The header must clear the full rough opening and bear on supports at both ends. Wider openings need deeper members.
Identify what bears on it. The code's header tables, in R602.7 in both the 2021 and 2024 editions, are organized by the width of the building, the load from above such as roof and floors, and the span of the opening. Find the row that matches the case instead of picking the nearest size.
Look at the supports. Under each end sit short studs that carry the header, called jack studs. The span and load decide how many each end needs, and the table says so.
Check the material. A header may be built from several pieces of lumber, a solid timber or an engineered product. An engineered member needs its own approval and installation instructions, not a lumber table.

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Common mix-ups

Header versus lintel. Lintel is the word for masonry or steel over an opening. In wood framing the word is header.
Header versus top plate. The top plates tie the wall together along its length. They do not replace the header, which is the member sized to span the opening.
Rough opening versus window size. The header spans the rough opening, which is larger than the window unit that sits inside it. The two numbers are on different drawings; read the right one.
Looks heavy is not a test. The question is whether the member and its supports match the table row for the actual case.

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Headers on the B1

Headers show up in wall construction, the largest B1 area at 27%. The tables in R602.7 are open-book material, and the skill is reading the right row and column fast. Practice with the span table guide so you know which table you are in before you start reading numbers.

Practice it

The span table guide walks through header tables step by step. For the studs on each side, read king stud versus jack stud, and to see how bearing walls change the answer, read bearing wall versus non-bearing wall. The IRC terms glossary lists the rest.

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Sources

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B1 Residential Building Inspector Content Outline, International Code Council.
2021 IRC contents and 2024 IRC contents, International Code Council. Chapters are named, not quoted; open your own copy for the text.

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