How to Mount a TV on the Wall

Before you buy a mount

Three things on the TV decide which mount you need. They’re in its manual, and the first is on its back.

• The VESA pattern. VESA, the display industry’s standards group, set the hole layout most TVs use: four holes in a square or rectangle, measured center to center in millimeters, across then up. A 200 × 200 TV has holes 7⅞ in apart each way. Sanus’s rule is that the mount’s pattern must be the same as the TV’s or larger. Bigger TVs tend to have wider patterns, but it varies by model: on the real TVs on our 65-inch TV dimensions page, three 65-inch sets use 400 × 300, 300 × 200 and 300 × 200.
• The weight. Check the TV’s weight without its stand against the mount’s rating. VESA’s standard for TVs from 31 to 90 inches covers up to 250 lb, but each mount has its own, lower limit.
• The size. Mount boxes list a range of screen sizes; the pattern and weight matter more, but the TV should be inside the range.

Fixed, tilting or full-motion?

Sanus’s guide to TV mount types. A full-motion arm holds the TV farther from the wall, so it sticks out into the room.

Find the studs

A TV mount goes into the wooden studs behind the drywall, not the drywall itself. Echogear’s manual says it plainly: “DO NOT install into drywall alone.” In US houses the studs are usually 16 in apart, center to center, and sometimes 24 in: those are the spacings the International Residential Code allows, and the ones Sanus and Hisense give. A mount’s wall plate spans two studs; Echogear’s fits studs 16 to 24 in apart.

Find the studs with a stud finder, then find the edges of each one so you can drill in the middle: Echogear suggests an awl or a thin nail. Its manual also asks for studs of at least 2 × 4 and drywall no thicker than ⅝ in.

How to mount a TV, step by step

Tools, from Sanus’s and Echogear’s instructions: a stud finder, a drill with a 7/32 in bit for pilot holes, a ½ in socket wrench, a level, a tape measure, a pencil and a screwdriver. A hammer only for concrete.

1. Choose the height. Most people sit with their eyes about 42 in off the floor, so aim the center of the screen there; our TV mounting height guide gives the bottom edge for every size. Then work out where the wall plate goes: measure from the TV’s mounting holes to its bottom edge, and allow for the brackets.
2. Attach the brackets to the TV. Lay the TV face down on something soft and screw the two vertical brackets to its VESA holes with the screws that fit it. Vizio’s manual, for example, uses M6 screws, which aren’t included.
3. Mark and drill. Hold the wall plate on the wall, level it, and mark the holes over the center of each stud. Drill pilot holes, 7/32 in wide and 3 in deep for Echogear’s 5/16 in lag bolts; your mount’s manual gives its own sizes.
4. Bolt the plate on. Drive the lag bolts with their washers, tightening only until the washers are pulled firmly against the plate (Echogear): overtightening can strip the wood.
5. Hang the TV. With a helper, lift the TV, hook its brackets over the plate and fit the locking screws or latches. Samsung asks for at least two people, and four for TVs of 82 inches or more.

Sanus puts the whole job at about 30 minutes for its mounts. Plan longer the first time, and for a big TV.

Drywall without studs, steel studs, brick and concrete

• Drywall without studs: a standard mount can’t go into drywall alone. Some mounts are made for it: Echogear’s drywall mount hangs on 32 nails and holds TVs up to 77 inches and 100 lb. Follow that mount’s own limits.
• Steel studs: they need special hardware. Sanus says a steel-stud kit “is a must” and doesn’t recommend full-motion mounts on steel studs, because they can twist.
• Concrete: Echogear’s heavy-duty kit uses a ⅜ in masonry bit, holes 3 in deep and concrete anchors with the same lag bolts.
• Brick, stone and tile: use the mount maker’s masonry hardware and instructions. LG notes that some wall types, such as marble or tile, can limit where a TV goes, and it recommends a professional.

Hiding the cables

The TV’s own power cord can’t run inside the wall. The National Electrical Code (NEC 400.12) doesn’t allow flexible cords to run through holes in walls or be hidden inside them. Use a recessed power kit made for in-wall use, or have an electrician put an outlet behind the TV. A cord cover on the surface of the wall is the simple alternative.

How much it costs to have a TV mounted

Thumbtack puts the US average at $121 to $234, with jobs from $76 to $393 (updated October 2026). Brick, concrete and stone walls take more labor and cost more, and the mount itself is usually extra.

Mounting over a fireplace or in a rental

Over a fireplace, heat and viewing angle both count: Samsung’s support pages say a TV shouldn’t go over a fireplace, while fireplace makers sell models designed for it. Our TV above a fireplace guide has the details. In a rental, check the lease first: bolt holes in the wall can count as damage when you move out (Seattle’s renter guidance lists “holes in the wall” as damage, not wear and tear). A stand or a no-drill drywall mount avoids the question.