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A loft bed's whole job is making the floor under it useful — totes under a low loft, a play space under a mid, a desk under a standard-height. This design builds all three from the same drawings: the only real variable is leg length (31-3/4", 45", or 70-1/2"), and the cut list carries all three versions. The one sized here is the low loft; the notes hold the other numbers.
Two details make this plan smarter than the average screwed-together loft. First, the ladder has doubled legs — an extra 2x4 behind the ladder rail on the free side — because the ladder takes more abuse than any other part of a kid's bed and a single-2x4 ladder leg eventually works loose. Second, the bed is designed to come apart: the long 2x6 rails unscrew from the end panels, breaking the bed into two flat sides and a stack of boards. That's not a convenience footnote — a loft bed that can't be disassembled can't leave the room it was built in.
Pre-finish the 2x4s and 2x6s before cutting (the source plan is emphatic, and it's right: finishing an assembled loft bed means staining a jungle gym from the inside). If you build the standard height, note step 10's extra leg bracing — the tall version needs its legs supported at the bottom, and the shopping list already includes the material.
As with any lofted bed: add a guardrail before a kid sleeps up top. The upper rails here give you something to bolt one to.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ftLegs and ladder. Mid height needs 4; standard height needs 7. | 3 each |
| 2x6, 10 ftRails — cut the 75" pieces first so the offcuts yield the 41" ends. Standard height needs 6. | 4 each |
| 2x2, 8 ftSlat cleats. | 2 each |
| 1x4, 8 ftBed slats. | 5 each |
| Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star driveMain construction; up to 3" is fine. Standard height wants ~100. | 70 each |
| Self-tapping screws, #7 x 1-5/8", star driveSlats only. | 40 each |
| Stain or paintApplied to the boards BEFORE cutting — the plan's tip, and the only sane order for a loft. | 1 quart |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Long rails2x6Cut these first. Standard height uses 4. | 3 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 75" |
| End rails2x6From the 10-footers' offcuts. Standard height uses 6. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 41" |
| Top end rail2x6Approximate — measure and cut to fit your assembled bed. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 55" |
| Legs and ladder sides2x431-3/4" (not the diagram's 32") so all seven fit the shopping list. Mid loft: 45". Standard: 70-1/2". | 7 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 31 3/4" |
| Ladder rungs2x4Standard height uses 4. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 18" |
| Slat cleats2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 75" |
| Bed slats1x4 | 10 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 38" |
Buy 17 boards at 8 ft.
6 boards
4 boards
2 boards
5 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Attach the legs to the 41" 2x6 end rails, leaving a 3-1/2" space between the two horizontal boards. Build two identical ends.
Drive these screws with disassembly in mind — they're the ones that come out if the bed ever moves house, so no glue, and don't strip the heads.
Attach the 75" 2x6s to the leg sets with screws driven from the inside at a slight angle into the legs, keeping a 3-1/2" gap between rails.
The lower rails carry the mattress: give them three screws per end. The upper rail is a guard, not a beam — two is enough. Add reinforcing screws from the outside at final assembly, once the bed is in its room.
Screw the 18" rungs between two ladder sides with the longer screws. Set rung spacing for the kid who'll climb it — evenly spaced, and think about bare feet: ease the rung edges with the sander now.
Decide which side of the bed the ladder lives on. Then screw the remaining 2x4 leg to the back of the ladder on the side that will NOT be attached to a bed leg.
This doubled leg is deliberate over-building: the ladder is the most-stressed part of any loft bed, and the free side needs the extra section the bed leg would otherwise provide.
Screw the ladder to the bed from the back side. Climb it yourself before any kid does — an adult's weight is the test a kid's never should be.
Measure the remaining top-end opening — it should be about 55", but cut to YOUR bed — and screw the last 2x6 in from the inside.
Screw the 2x2 cleats to the inside of the long rails, flush with the bottom edge of the lower 2x6s. These carry the mattress; screw them like you mean it.
The low loft usually fits through a door assembled. The taller versions won't. To break the bed down, remove ONLY the long 2x6 rails — the bed separates into two flat end panels and a stack of rails, which is the entire point of the screw-only construction.
In the bedroom, lay the ten 1x4 slats across the cleats and screw each end down with the 1-5/8" screws, two per end. Even spacing, roughly 2–3" gaps.
The 70-1/2"-leg version needs the additional bottom-of-leg supports shown in the plan's final diagram — the shopping and cut lists already include the material. A six-foot lever needs a wider foot; don't skip this on the tall build.
Whatever the height: add a guardrail before a child sleeps up top.
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