How to Mount a TV: Height, Studs & Cables
Quick answer: center the screen at your seated eye height (42–48 in typical), anchor into two studs, and hide cables with an in-wall kit. The whole job takes an afternoon.
Get the height right
Most TVs end up too high. The fix is simple: sit in your actual viewing seat and measure your eye height — usually 42–48 in. The screen center goes at that height, not higher. The bracket holes then sit at: eye height − half the screen height + the bracket's offset (the distance from the holes to the screen center, usually 0–4 in). A 55-in TV (27-in screen) at 44-in eye height puts the holes around 31 in and the bottom edge near 30 in.
If the TV must clear a console or fireplace, keep the center within 10° above eye level — and add a tilting mount to reclaim the angle.
Pick the bracket
- Fixed: thinnest profile, best at true eye level. Cheapest.
- Tilt: 10–15° of adjustment — for TVs above eye level or glare-prone rooms.
- Full-motion: swings and pulls out — for corner layouts and fireplace TVs you pull down for movie night.
Check the VESA pattern (the bolt spacing on the back of your TV, e.g. 200×200) and the weight rating. 55-in+ TVs are a two-person lift — recruit help, don't improvise.
Find the studs
Never trust drywall alone. Run a stud finder across the wall and mark the center of two studs at your hole height. Studs are 16 in apart on center in most walls. If your height lands between studs, shift the bracket within its slot range — most brackets have 10+ in of horizontal adjustment, so you can center the TV even if the studs aren't.
Hang it level
- Mark the bracket's hole positions with a pencil using the level — a TV that's 1° off looks broken from the couch.
- Drill pilot holes into the studs (use a bit slightly smaller than the lag bolts).
- Bolt the bracket with the supplied hardware — at least two lag bolts into studs for TVs over 30 lb.
- Hang the TV on the bracket hooks, then re-level and tighten everything.
Hide the cables
The professional look is an in-wall cable kit: a power inlet box behind the TV, a low-voltage outlet near the floor, and the HDMI/signal cable running between them in the wall. Never route a standard extension cord inside the wall — that's a fire code violation. If you can't cut the wall, a surface raceway painted to match is the clean compromise.
Common mistakes
- Mounting to drywall alone — the TV ends up on the floor and the wall with holes.
- Eye-level math skipped — "about 60 in" is the classic too-high.
- Skipping the level — a tilted TV is unfixable without re-drilling.
- One person, big TV — you will drop it. Get help or a helper strap.
- Extension cord in the wall — fire hazard and code violation.
- No tilt over the fireplace — neck strain and glare you can't adjust away.
Mount it once, right
Get your exact hole height from the TV mount height calculator, find two studs, and take your time with the level. A TV mounted at eye level is something you feel every single night.