Consult with a contractor to make sure the existing structure can support the weight of your climbing wall while you or others are on it. A common place to build a climbing wall is in a garage, but account for any storage space you need or space to park your car. Check if there are electrical outlets in the space you want to build your wall. If so, make sure you can still easily access them if you need to.

A free-standing wall is best if you want to transport it or if you’re renting. Free-standing walls tend to cost and weigh more since you need to build supports that can handle the weight of the wall and the climbers. Outdoor walls need to be weatherproofed or else the holds will not last as long.

Consider putting walls at angles or inclines rather than flat against the wall. Look online for photos of how others have built climbing walls at home to see the best way to make use of your space.

Keep your wall at or below 8 feet (2. 4 m) tall, or else falling off the wall could cause serious harm. You can build a scale model using cardboard or computer software if you want to visualize the wall in 3D. Typical angles for a climbing wall tend to be between 30-40 degrees from the wall.

Double check for any outlets, vents, or light fixtures that you may need to access when you build the wall. Use a stud finder on your walls to find anchoring points if you plan on attaching your climbing surface directly to the wall.

Frames can vary in shape and weight depending on the shape and height of the wall you plan on building. For example, if you want an 8 ft (2. 4 m) wall, your 2 bases would be 16 ft (4. 9 m) and your 4 angled boards would be about 18 ft (5. 5 m).

Purchase your boards from your local lumberyard or building supply store. Aim to have the width of your wall around 4 feet (1. 2 m) and the height around 8 feet (2. 4 m). .

If your wall is in a corner, make a frame for each climbing surface. You can also use screws and a drill to make your frames. If you want a wall that’s 8 ft × 4 ft (2. 4 m × 1. 2 m), the outline of your frame will be the same size.

The term “on center” refers to spacing the center of each board at the specific distance. In this case, the center of each support board should equal 16 in (41 cm). For a wall that’s 4 ft (1. 2 m) wide on the bottom, you would place 2 more support beams that are 7 2⁄3 feet (2. 3 m) in the middle of your frame.

Make sure you know where anything may be behind your walls, such as wiring or pipes. Avoid drilling into them. [11] X Research source For a free-standing wall, make sure the support holds the full weight of the frame without tipping over. If there is any wobbling, add more weight to the base with extra boards.

Standard plywood sizes tend to be either 4 ft × 8 ft (1. 2 m × 2. 4 m) or 3 ft × 8 ft (0. 91 m × 2. 44 m). Purchase enough to cover all of the framework.

How you drill the holes is a matter of preference. Either way will work for installing the handholds.

T-nuts serve as an anchor point to attach each of the handholds.

Handholds can be purchased online or at specialty climbing stores. Some handholds can be attached with screws without a T-nut on the back. Make routes on the wall using different colored handholds. For example, space red handholds farther apart to make a difficult route or place green handholds close together to make an easy route.

Use thicker padding or double-layer what you have if you have a wall going higher than 8 feet (2. 4 m).