Pilot Hole Size for #12 Wood Screws
#12 screws (0.216″ shank) turn up in framing-adjacent work and heavy brackets. Here are the three bits to chuck before driving one.
- Pilot — hardwood 5/32″0.156″ — receiving piece
- Pilot — softwood 1/8″0.125″
- Clearance 7/32″0.219″ — top piece
- Countersink 1/2″flat head flush
Rule Pilot matches the screw’s root so the threads cut instead of split; clearance clears the 0.216″ shank so the head can clamp. Size the pilot up 1/64″ in hard maple, hickory, white oak, or tropical hardwoods — and always for brass screws.
#12 screw questions
What size pilot hole for a #12 screw in hardwood?
Drill a 5/32″ (0.156″) pilot hole for a #12 wood screw in hardwood — oak, maple, cherry, walnut. In very hard stock like hard maple or hickory, go up 1/64″.
What size pilot hole for a #12 screw in softwood?
Use 1/8″ (0.125″) in pine, cedar, fir, and other softwoods — one size under the hardwood bit, because soft fibers compress around the threads.
What clearance hole does a #12 screw need?
7/32″ (0.219″) through the piece being fastened, just over the #12 shank’s 0.216″, so the screw slides through and clamps the joint instead of holding it apart.
What countersink fits a #12 flat head screw?
A 1/2″ countersink lets a #12 flat head sit flush. A #12 combination pilot-countersink bit drills pilot, clearance, and countersink in one pass.
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