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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow
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Home and Garden
Furniture
Building Bedroom Furniture
How to Put Together a Metal Bed Frame Download Article Co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle
Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Fact Checked
Download Article
Assembling the Essentials
|
Adding the Finishing Touches
|
Expert Interview
|
Tips
|
Things You'll Need
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle. Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 140,888 times.
You’ve got your metal bed frame lying in pieces on your bedroom floor—now what? Though each bed frame is a little different, metal bed frames mostly all follow a few certain steps. It might help to grab a friend to help you put the frame together. Assembling your bed frame is quick and easy, and soon you'll be ready for a good night's sleep.
Steps
Part 1 Part 1 of 2:
Assembling the Essentials
Download Article
1 Set the side rails on the floor apart from each other. The side rails are the two longest metal pieces in your pack of bed frame materials. These will form the sides of your bed, so line them up with the ends facing the wall. You should leave a mattress-sized space in between them, though you can always adjust this later.
Some side rails come with a headboard bracket on one side, which shows you where the top of the bed is.
2 Put on the feet or wheels. These go at the corners of your bed and normally attach to the side rails. You can probably just pop the wheels or the feet onto the little rods that are poking down near the edges of the side rails. Most feet or wheels don’t require you to use screws or a wrench, but you can check your instruction manual if they don’t seem to be fitting on properly.[1]XResearch source Advertisement
3 Swing the cross arms perpendicular to the frame legs. The cross arms are often attached to the side rails, so you will just need to pull them out. If they are packaged separately, you will have to attach them to the side rails.
4 Put end caps on the side rails. End caps are small pieces that slide onto the end of the side rails and help protect you from sharp metal edges. They also help protect the walls and your mattress, so don’t skip this step![2]XResearch source
If your bed frame doesn’t seem to have end caps and the edges seem sharp, you can wrap them with fabric or duct tape.
5 Overlap the side arms to the right width and lock them together. If you have an adjustable bed frame, make sure you are connecting it at the spot that fits your mattress. Some side arms come with little holes and nubs that click together, but for others you’ll have to attach them together with screws, nuts, or metal plates.
If you’re not sure what kind of mattress you have, the standard US bed widths are: Twin — 38 inches (97 cm), Full — 54 inches (140 cm), Queen — 60 inches (150 cm), and King —76 inches (190 cm).
Advertisement Part 2 Part 2 of 2:
Adding the Finishing Touches
Download Article
1 Check that your bed frame is the right size before adding any finishing touches. Just line up your mattress with the edge of the frame. The mattress should be just slightly narrower than the frame so that it can fit inside it. If the widths don’t match, you’ll have to readjust the side arms to the right length.
This is important if you have a queen or full size mattress, because those sizes are easy to mistake for one another.
2 Put on the center support beam if your bed frame comes with one. If a center support beam isn’t included in the materials, don’t worry—that just means it isn’t necessary. The center support goes halfway between the side rails, but before you put it on, you should add wheels or feet, depending on your bed. Slide the center beam into the slots on the side arms. If there’s no place to slide it into, you probably need to screw it in.
3 Add a headboard if you want. Move the frame away from the wall so you don’t leave scuff marks as you work. You might want to grab a friend to help with this, so you don’t drop the headboard as you try to attach it. Many metal bed frames have a headboard bracket, in which case you just need to slide the headboard into that. Some headboards attach with hooks, while others you’ll have to bolt on.
You don’t need a headboard, but they can add a friendly and personal touch to your bedroom.
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Expert Q&A
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Things You’ll Need
Side rails
Cross arms
Feet or wheels
Center beam (optional)
Headboard (optional)
Screws, nuts, bolts (some bed frames don’t require these)
Tips
If you ever get confused about what a part is, you can consult the manual that comes with the bed frame. Most manuals have illustrated guides to the parts and instructions that can help you if you get lost.[3]X Expert Source Ryaan TuttleHome Improvement SpecialistExpert InterviewThanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
Before starting any assembling project, make sure to look at the instruction manual and see if you have all the necessary tools and hardware.[4]X Expert Source Ryaan TuttleHome Improvement SpecialistExpert InterviewThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about home improvements, check out our in-depth interview with Ryaan Tuttle.
References
↑ https://youtu.be/13Tp1M5DiFM?t=77
↑ https://youtu.be/13Tp1M5DiFM?t=102
↑ Ryaan Tuttle. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview
↑ Ryaan Tuttle. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview
About This Article
Co-authored by: Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist This article was co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle. Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. This article has been viewed 140,888 times. 19 votes - 63% Co-authors: 4Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 140,888 Categories: Building Bedroom Furniture In other languagesJapanese
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 140,888 times.
Reader Success Stories
Bonita G.
May 1, 2021
"I couldn't figure out which end of my frame was for the head and which was for the foot of the bed. The photos helped a lot."..." more
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story
Did this article help you?
Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist 19 votes - 63% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 4Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 140,888
Bonita G.
May 1, 2021
"I couldn't figure out which end of my frame was for the head and which was for the foot of the bed. The photos helped a lot."..." more
Samantha Huewe
Dec 31, 2022
"Thank you helping me put the frame in steps." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Download Article Co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle 
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Co-authored by: Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist This article was co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle. Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. This article has been viewed 140,888 times. 19 votes - 63% Co-authors: 4 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 140,888 Categories: Building Bedroom Furniture In other languagesJapanese 
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1 Set the side rails on the floor apart from each other. The side rails are the two longest metal pieces in your pack of bed frame materials. These will form the sides of your bed, so line them up with the ends facing the wall. You should leave a mattress-sized space in between them, though you can always adjust this later. 
2 Put on the feet or wheels. These go at the corners of your bed and normally attach to the side rails. You can probably just pop the wheels or the feet onto the little rods that are poking down near the edges of the side rails. Most feet or wheels don’t require you to use screws or a wrench, but you can check your instruction manual if they don’t seem to be fitting on properly.[1] Advertisement 
3 Swing the cross arms perpendicular to the frame legs. The cross arms are often attached to the side rails, so you will just need to pull them out. If they are packaged separately, you will have to attach them to the side rails. 
4 Put end caps on the side rails. End caps are small pieces that slide onto the end of the side rails and help protect you from sharp metal edges. They also help protect the walls and your mattress, so don’t skip this step![2] 
5 Overlap the side arms to the right width and lock them together. If you have an adjustable bed frame, make sure you are connecting it at the spot that fits your mattress. Some side arms come with little holes and nubs that click together, but for others you’ll have to attach them together with screws, nuts, or metal plates. 
1 Check that your bed frame is the right size before adding any finishing touches. Just line up your mattress with the edge of the frame. The mattress should be just slightly narrower than the frame so that it can fit inside it. If the widths don’t match, you’ll have to readjust the side arms to the right length. 
2 Put on the center support beam if your bed frame comes with one. If a center support beam isn’t included in the materials, don’t worry—that just means it isn’t necessary. The center support goes halfway between the side rails, but before you put it on, you should add wheels or feet, depending on your bed. Slide the center beam into the slots on the side arms. If there’s no place to slide it into, you probably need to screw it in. 
3 Add a headboard if you want. Move the frame away from the wall so you don’t leave scuff marks as you work. You might want to grab a friend to help with this, so you don’t drop the headboard as you try to attach it. Many metal bed frames have a headboard bracket, in which case you just need to slide the headboard into that. Some headboards attach with hooks, while others you’ll have to bolt on. 