Pilot Hole Size for #3 Wood Screws
#3 screws (0.099″ shank) turn up in small hinges, boxes, and knobs. Here are the three bits to chuck before driving one.
- Pilot — hardwood 5/64″0.078″ — receiving piece
- Pilot — softwood 1/16″0.063″
- Clearance 7/64″0.109″ — top piece
- Countersink 7/32″flat head flush
Rule Pilot matches the screw’s root so the threads cut instead of split; clearance clears the 0.099″ 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.
#3 screw questions
What size pilot hole for a #3 screw in hardwood?
Drill a 5/64″ (0.078″) pilot hole for a #3 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 #3 screw in softwood?
Use 1/16″ (0.063″) 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 #3 screw need?
7/64″ (0.109″) through the piece being fastened, just over the #3 shank’s 0.099″, so the screw slides through and clamps the joint instead of holding it apart.
What countersink fits a #3 flat head screw?
A 7/32″ countersink lets a #3 flat head sit flush. A #3 combination pilot-countersink bit drills pilot, clearance, and countersink in one pass.
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