Basics: How to Drill A Pilot Hole

A pilot hole is slightly smaller than the screw drilled before driving in a screw. The pilot hole creates a path for the screw to follow and clears the hole so the screw doesn’t exert as much pressure on the wood around the screw, which can lead to splits and cracks.

Pilot holes make it easier to drive in the screw, either with a drill or a good old fashioned screwdriver. Also, they are perfect when a project requires a screw eye which may be difficult without the pre-drilled hole. Pilot holes are a good idea when working with hardwood, thin boards or near an edge to prevent the wood from splitting or cracking.

Drilling pilot holes can feel time-consuming if you are working with one drill and have to change from the drill bit to screwdriver bit. But the result is worth the extra time and hassle. Reduce the annoyance factor by planning ahead and drilling a couple pilot holes at a time, then exchanging for the screwdriver bit. Don’t work too far ahead

We’ve used pilot holes on several projects, including building a shoe rack out of 1/2″ plywood, hanging a TV mounting bracket on sheetrock, joining pressure treated lumber for a raised garden bed and inserting screw eyes in a kid art display frame.

Interested in more basics? Check out how to repair small holes with spackle.

Drill A Pilot Hole – Materials

• drill with drill bit and screwdriver bit
• painter’s tape
• pencil
• screwdriver
• screw

How to Drill a Pilot Hole

1. Mark Location of Pilot Hole

Determine location of the screw and mark the spot with a pencil.

Press screw into the pencil mark to create an indentation to hold the drill bit in place. This prevents the drill from moving or “dancing.”

2. Select Drill Bit

Use a drill bit slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw post. If you know the diameter of the screw, this step is easy. If you’re using a random, unmarked screw (which seems to happen to me quite often), hold the screw and bit end to end and compare the diameters. The bit should be slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the screw, excluding the threads. This can feel a bit like Goldilocks and The Three Bears…this bit it too big, this bit is too small.

3. Mark Hole Depth on Drill Bit

Hold screw next to the drill bit and mark depth by wrapping blue tape around bit.

Mark slightly shorter than thread length of the screw.

4. Drill Hole

Place drill bit in indentation and drill a straight hole. Watch drill bit and stop when the blue tape reaches the top of the wood, then back out the drill.

If joining two pieces of wood, make sure to clamp and secure the pieces together before drilling pilot hole

5. Insert Screw

Use a screwdriver or drill (after changing to screwdriver bit) to drive in the screw, following the path of the pilot hole. Adjust the size of the drill bit if necessary. If the wood starts to split or the screw is very difficult to insert, then try a larger pilot hole. If the screw feels loose or doesn’t get a good bite in the wood, try a smaller pilot hole.