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• R602.6

  Drilling and Notching of Studs

  • Notches are at most 25% of stud depth in exterior or bearing walls and 40% in partitions; holes are at most 60% of depth, 5/8 in from the edge, and not where there's a notch.
  • Holes over 40% in exterior or bearing studs need doubled studs, and no more than two doubled studs in a row may be bored that way.

  International Residential Code, 2024 · Chapter 6, Wall ConstructionRead the full text (opens UpCodes in a new tab)

• R602.6.1

  Drilling and Notching of Top Plate

  • Cutting a bearing wall's top plate more than halfway for pipes or ducts needs a 16-gauge, 1-1/2 in steel tie with eight 10d nails each side, running 6 in past the cut.

  International Residential Code, 2024 · Chapter 6, Wall ConstructionRead the full text (opens UpCodes in a new tab)

Searches all 4,276 IRC 2024 sections, 5,532 IBC 2024 sections and defined terms (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 so far) and each city's local rules as they are added. Section numbers and titles from the International Residential Code and International Building Code, 2024 editions, copyrighted by the International Code Council; the IRC's electrical chapters (34 to 43) follow NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code. Requirements are summarized in our words (IRC Chapters 3 to 43, IBC Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33); read the full text at the link on each result. Local values come from each city's published documents.