Pilot hole sizes
Find the pilot-hole drill bit for your wood screw by size. Pick a gauge below for the full breakdown across softwood, hardwood, plywood and MDF.
By screw size
Pilot hole for a #4 screwSoftwood 1/16" · Hardwood 5/64"
Pilot hole for a #6 screwSoftwood 5/64" · Hardwood 3/32"
Pilot hole for a #8 screwSoftwood 7/64" · Hardwood 1/8"
Pilot hole for a #10 screwSoftwood 1/8" · Hardwood 9/64"
Pilot hole for a #12 screwSoftwood 9/64" · Hardwood 5/32"
Pilot hole for a #14 screwSoftwood 5/32" · Hardwood 11/64"
Where these numbers come from
Straight-bit pilot sizes for modern wood screws, sized to the screw’s root diameter — a standard woodworking approach for a hole that grips without splitting — and cross-referenced against widely used charts (Bolt Depot, McFeely’s, WorkshopCalc). We lean slightly larger than the strength-optimized minimums, because for most projects not splitting the board matters more than maximum holding power. Plywood follows softwood; MDF follows hardwood / fine-thread practice.