Wood Screw Pilot Hole Sizes
Lookup pilot and clearance drill sizes for common wood screw gauges in softwood and hardwood.
#8 wood screw =
0.125 in softwood / 0.1562 in hardwood
Representative value from the Wood Screw Pilot Hole Sizes reference table.
Reference Values
Browse 12 reference values with individual detail pages for quick lookup.
Pilot Hole Size Calculator
Select a screw gauge and wood type to get recommended pilot and clearance diameters.
Pilot Hole Result
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Reference Table
Use this complete table for quick lookup and internal linking to specific value pages.
| Screw Gauge | Softwood Pilot (in) | Hardwood Pilot (in) | Clearance (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2 wood screw | 0.0625 | 0.0781 | 0.0938 |
| #3 wood screw | 0.0781 | 0.0938 | 0.1094 |
| #4 wood screw | 0.0938 | 0.1094 | 0.125 |
| #5 wood screw | 0.1094 | 0.125 | 0.1406 |
| #6 wood screw | 0.1094 | 0.1406 | 0.1562 |
| #7 wood screw | 0.125 | 0.1406 | 0.1719 |
| #8 wood screw | 0.125 | 0.1562 | 0.1719 |
| #9 wood screw | 0.1406 | 0.1562 | 0.1875 |
| #10 wood screw | 0.1406 | 0.1719 | 0.2031 |
| #12 wood screw | 0.1562 | 0.1875 | 0.2188 |
| #14 wood screw | 0.1719 | 0.2031 | 0.25 |
| #16 wood screw | 0.1875 | 0.2188 | 0.2813 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wood Screw Pilot Hole Sizes, formulas, and typical use cases.
Why use different pilot holes for hardwood and softwood?
Hardwoods split more easily, so they usually need a larger pilot hole than softwoods for the same screw gauge.
What is a clearance hole?
A clearance hole is drilled through the top piece so screw threads do not bite that layer, helping pull parts tightly together.
Should I always drill pilot holes?
Pilot holes are strongly recommended near board ends, in hardwoods, and for larger screws to reduce splitting and improve driving accuracy.
Do these values replace manufacturer guidance?
Use these as practical defaults, then adjust to screw type, wood moisture, and manufacturer recommendations for critical work.
Methodology and Review
This page combines a live calculator, precomputed reference values, and FAQ content from the same conversion definition to reduce mismatch between calculator output and lookup tables.
Editorial metadata (author, reviewer, and update date) is rendered on the page and in structured data. See our editorial policy, review process, and corrections policy.
For compliance-sensitive work, verify final values against project requirements, governing standards, and manufacturer documentation.