DIY Triple Bunk Bed (+ Easy Steps with Pictures)

Last Updated on April 2, 2026 by

Looking for a great way to maximize floor space in your kids bedroom? Building a DIY triple bunk bed might be the perfect solution for your small space! After months of research and planning, we finally tackled this woodworking project ourselves, and I’m excited to share our triple bunk bed with you.

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En Nuestra Casa

You could say we really took a risk by getting rid of our third bedroom. When we just had 1 kid, it was fine to put him in his own room. Then we had a second, and moving the baby in with the toddler was a pretty big deal. (Pretty stressful too! If I remember correctly, we made the transition as soon as we got home from a trip and were still jet-lagged–bad idea!) But whatever. We made it work.

But THEN…then we had 3 kids, and for sure by the time you have three children in a 2-bedroom apartment, you’ve officially outgrown your space. But one thing about me is that I’m stubborn as hell and also truly believe humans are adaptable and that we all live with a lot more than we actually need, generally speaking. So I was determined to make 3 kids in a 2-bedroom work, even if people thought we were crazy. (Truthfully, even if my husband thought I was crazy–which he certainly did when I first proposed the idea I’m sharing in this blog post).

And this is where La Casa Almodovar finds her pies de resistance: the triple bunks. Now, maybe in another life we’ll sketch up some triple bunk bed plans for you, but for now we’ll do our best with what we have: a detailed explanation, some photos along the way, and a pretty kickass set of inspiration photos if you ask me. Let’s go!

Minimalist triple bunk bed painted white with natural wood side rails and ladder. A glass-paned door is opening into the room, and there is a charcoal rug on the floor. — View of our DIY triple bunk bed from the living room

Why Build a DIY Triple Bunk Bed?

For the most obvious reason, a triple bunk bed is an incredible use of the space in a small bedroom. Instead of having three separate units taking up precious floor space, you’re building up! This is especially helpful in places like our own relatively small home, where available space is at a minimum.

Before we dive into the build process, let’s talk about a couple of different configurations we considered. You can arrange a triple bunk in different heights and with various ladder sides. You can offset the beds a bit to go for more of a loft bed with space underneath. Based on aesthetics and space constraints, we opted for a corner set-up that gives each level much head room and maximizes our small space.

view of a bottom bunk in a white bed with dinosaur bedding and a yellow and grey stripe on the wall, looking out the glass-paned door of the bedroom into a living room. The living room has a grey sectional couch, a hanging green plant, and exposed brick wall. — View from the bottom bunk into our living room

Important Safety Considerations

Before starting this project, there are some crucial things to consider:

The overall height of the bed needs to account for your ceiling height
Guard rails are non-negotiable for the top bunk and middle bunk
Regular inspections of all joints and support slats are essential
Ensure proper support board placement for each level (bottom bunk, middle bunk, and top bunk)

Middle and top bunk in a wall-mounted white bunk bed with natural wood side rails and ladder and a glass-paned door opening in the room. — We opted for a guard rail running the full length of the top bunk and a little more than half the length of the middle bunk for ease of accessibility.

Materials Needed for your DIY triple bunk beds

Let’s start with a shopping list. You can find most of these common materials at Home Depot. Here’s what you’ll need to build your triple bunk bed:

2×6 boards for the bed frames
1×2 common boards for slats and slat supports
2×2 red oak for the ladder and guard rails (if you want that natural wood accent like we chose)
Wood screws and pocket hole screws
Carriage bolts for extra stability
Waterproof glue
Kreg jig for pocket holes
Circular saw
Level
Wood clamps
Rough sand paper (80 grit, 120 grit, and 150 or 220 grit)
Paint or stain and protective coatings
Nail gun for mattress slats
Router (optional, for rounding edges)
Orbital sander (optional)
Pre-stain for ladder and rails
Structural screws for wall mounting

Before You Start your DIY triple bunk beds

This DIY triple bunk bed is a big woodworking project, but with a little creativity and attention to detail, you can create a beautiful and sturdy triple bunk. The overall dimensions of the bed will depend on your available space and ceiling height, but we’ll walk you exactly how we did ours, and you can always customize according to your needs.

Minimalist triple bunk bed painted white with natural wood side rails and ladder. There is a charcoal rug on the floor. — We left enough space underneath the bottom bunk for storage (you can see our Pikler triangle tucked under there!).

Step-by-Step Instructions for a DIY Triple Bunk Bed

We all know what you’re really here for–let’s get into it!

1. Planning and Measuring

First, measure your available space to determine the dimensions of the bed. For twin beds in a triple bunk layout, you’ll need to consider:

Ceiling height (we have 9′ ceilings)
Space between bunks (standard recommendation is 33-36″, though we went with less and it works great!)
Whether the bottom bunk will rest on the floor, or if you want room underneath for storage or for a potential trundle
Twin size mattresses dimensions (plus 2″ extra on each side)

PRO TIP: Pick your exact mattresses before you start! Yes, all USA twin mattresses have a standard measurement, but the depth is important here too. We wanted a minimal look with a slim mattress to maximize our space, so we went with the IKEA Minnesund twin mattress, which measures 38″ x 75″. Add 2″ to both the width and length of your mattress for the interior bed frame measurement – this gives you enough space to make the bed and tuck blankets around the edges.

2. Preparing the Bed Boxes

The end boards and side boards will create three separate bed frames – bottom bunk, middle bunk, and top bunk. Here’s what you’ll need to cut:

For each bed frame:

2 long side boards (2×6’s cut to 78 1/2″ long)
2 short head- and footboards (2×6’s cut to 39 1/4″ long)
20 mattress slats (1×2 common boards cut to 39 long)
2 slat supports (1×2 common boards cut to 75 1/4″ long)
Important measurement note: When measuring for the footboard, don’t forget to subtract the width of each side piece from your total width. Getting these interior vs exterior measurements right is crucial for a clean look.

Man painting wood pieces white in a dining room with mirrors behind — Paint all your pieces first; you can always touch up later! Say hi to my big ol’ pregnant belly in the mirror.

3. Preparation and Assembly

Before assembling your triple bunk plan, you’ll need to:

Sand all pieces (working through different grits: start with 80 grit, then 120 grit, then 150 or 220 grit)
Paint or finish the wood (we painted the bedframe pieces and stained the ladder pieces)
Drill pocket holes on the inside of each end piece (foot board and headboard). We did three at each corner.
Install support board pieces
PRO TIP: If you want a really clean finish, consider planing your boards. We didn’t do this and wish we had!

Wooden bed frame assembled, sitting on an open city rooftop with a sunset in the background — The bed frame itself is very simple! Just four pieces of wood.

4. Building the Bed Frames

After preparing your frame pieces, follow these steps:

Drill pocket holes on the inside of each end piece (three at each corner)
Use wood clamps to hold the pieces together
Assemble each bed frame using wood screws through the pocket holes
Install the slat supports along the bottom edge of each frame

Toddler sitting on a step ladder with a man helping him hold a cordless drill. They are inside a wall-mounted bed frame, working on a DIY project. — Installing the slat support piece can be a little tricky; when in doubt, ask your 1-year-old for help.

For the slat support installation:

Measure the thickness of your mattress plus the thickness of the slats to determine where to place the slat support piece.
We wanted our mattress to rise 1″ above the bed frame, so we nested the support piece down 3 11/16″ into the frame.
Use wood clamps to hold the support piece in place.
Check to make sure it’s level.
Drill it into place using wood screws and wood glue.

PRO TIP: Check that everything is square before the glue dries!

5. Installation Process

Installing a triple bunk bed requires careful attention to ensure stability. These DIY plans match our exact triple bunk with 9 1/4″ of space underneath the bottom bunk and 27 7/8″ of space in between each bunk. While the standard recommendation for space between bunks is 33-36″, we find that ours feel quite spacious with less than that. (Though, truthfully, adults cannot sit upright inside the bunks. But I promise it doesn’t feel claustrophobic! I think it’s because we went with low-profile mattresses.)

Man drilling into wall to attach a bed frame — The most thrilling part of the project — attaching these things to the wall! Notice the temporary support piece up close (with the blue tape).

Wall Mounting Steps:

Locate and mark wall stud. (PRO TIP: Verify these are actually studs by drilling a small hole and making sure a screw grabs onto wood!)
Have one or two people hold up the bottom bed frame
Use structural screws to attach the frame to studs
Check for level as you go
If you’re creating bunks like ours, you’ll attach the headboard and one sideboard to the wall
Support the floating corner with a stack of books or sturdy board until the ladder is in place
Repeat for middle bunk and top bunk
Situate a piece of wood between the floating corner of each bunk for extra support until the ladder is installed

Man climbing step ladder inside a bed frame for DIY triple bunk beds in a children's bedroom — We put some temporary support pieces in place to hold everything up before installing the ladder.

6. Creating the Ladder

The ladder is not just functional – it’s a key design element of your DIY triple bunk bed. We chose to make ours from 2×2 red oak for a beautiful accent against the white bed frames.

Three empty bed frames mounted to a wall for a DIY triple bunk bed. Some wood slats are inside the bottom bunk frame but are not evenly space or attached yet. A woman is bent down in the corner by the bottom corner of the bed. — Double- and triple-checking the ladder measurements. It was a bit of a headache to figure out, but we’re happy with the end result!

Materials for ladder:

Two 75 15/16″ pieces for front sides
One 85 3/8″ piece for back side
Seven 13 13/16″ pieces for rungs
NOTE: Our ladder sticks up 3 13/16″ from the top of the top bunk bed frame

Assembly steps:

Cut your pieces to size.
Join the 85 3/8″ piece to one 75 15/16″ piece with screws and wood glue, ensuring they’re even at the top.
Round the edges of all ladder pieces (for both style and comfort of climbing up the rungs).
- We used a router, but you can use sandpaper or an orbital sander
- IMPORTANT: DO NOT round the top 1 1/2″ of each ladder side rail (This is where the top bunk side rail and foot rail will attach, and if it’s rounded, it won’t look as clean.)
Sand all ladder pieces
Apply finish in this order:
1. Pre-stain
2. Stain
3. Sealer
4. (Give plenty of drying time between each step)

Man climbing step ladder outside a wall-mounted bed frame for DIY triple bunk beds in a children's bedroom. Several wood clamps are visible, and the man is holding a long piece of wood to start building the bunk bed ladder. — We used wood clamps to hold the first rung in place and screw in the ladder side rails. You can also see here how few mattress slats we thought we’d need at first! Fortunately they weren’t secured in place at this point.

Man standing in front of a DIY wall-mounted triple bunk bed, using a drill to screw the side rail of a ladder into its rungs. A step ladder is visible behind the man's back. — We used wood clamps to hold the first rung in place and screw in the ladder side rails. You can also see here how few mattress slats we thought we’d need at first! Fortunately they weren’t secured in place at this point.

Ladder Installation:

We assembled the ladder piece by piece in place on the bed frames to provide support, since we had one corner of each bunk floating with makeshift supports. Here’s how we did it:

Use structural screws to attach the long 85 3/8″ piece to the bed frame, making sure the leg rests on the floor. The attached 75 15/16″ ladder side rail here should sit out from the bed, making sure there’s enough sticking out for them to butt up against the end of each rung without any overhang.
Drill each rung into place on the 75 15/16″ ladder side rail (the one that’s already glued to the long piece) using screws and wood glue.
Drill the last side rail into each rung to complete the ladder.
Screw from inside each bed frame into the side rail and rung.

PRO TIP: All your screws should be hidden inside the bed frame. All of your screws should be hidden inside the bed frame.

7. Safety Rails on your Triple Bunk Bed DIY

Any top bunk or middle bunk needs proper guard rails. We created these using:

3 Long sides cut to 61 3/4″, 37 1/8″, and 39 3/8″
4 Support pieces cut to 4 1/4″ each
Matching finish to ladder for a cohesive look

I’ll repeat these measurements in the next step so you know exactly what goes where.

DIY triple bunk bed frame with various building materials visible. A baby's crib is full of random materials during the DIY construction process. — Originally we thought we’d want a really long guard rail, but then we realized it would be difficult to get in and out of the bunk because of how close the rail would come to the ladder.

Building the Side Rails and Top Bunk Foot Rail:

The top bunk side rail and foot rail are the full length/width of the top bunk frame for safety reasons. For the middle bunk, we had to leave a small section open so you can easily get into the bunk. Here’s our process:

Cut four more pieces of wood, each 4 1/4″ long. These will be your side/foot rail supports.
Measure from the top of the ladder to the wall for the top bunk side piece, and subtract the thickness of the 1 1/2″ support piece. Our final measurement here (for the top bunk side rail is 61 3/4″ long.
Measure from the top of the ladder to the wall for the top bunk end piece, and subtract the thickness of the 1 1/2″ support piece. Our final measurement here (for the top bunk foot rail is 39 3/8″ long.
Measure from the wall to a spot on the middle bunk side board where you’d like the side rail to extend. We went a little further than halfway down its length. Find your measurement, and then subtract the thickness of the 1 1/2″ support piece x2 (since you’ll have a support at each end–this side rail does not attach to the ladder). Our final measurement here (for the middle bunk side rail is 37 1/8″ long.
Round the edges, sand, and finish these the same way you did the ladder.

PRO TIP: Do not round the edges that will butt up against each other – you want clean joints for both aesthetics and stability.

Attaching the SAFETY Rails:

Use wood glue and clamps to attach each side/foot rail to its support piece.
- PRO TIP: Sand away the paint where you’ll be putting the wood glue for a stronger hold.
- Let dry for 24 hours.
Use wood glue and clamps to attach each side/foot rail to the top edge of the bed frame.
- Let dry for 24 hours.
For extra strength, screw into the end of each side/foot rail where the two wood pieces meet. (We skipped this on the front of the ladder for aesthetic purposes.)

8. Final Assembly

The last steps bring everything together!

Attaching the Bed Slats:

Evenly space all 20 slats inside each bed frame.
Use a nail gun to nail the end of each slat into the slat support piece underneath.

Final Safety Checks:

I’m not gonna lie–the first time we sat in these bunk beds (and the first night our kids slept in them!), I was a little, um…terrified. But do your safety checks, use common sense, and you should have a strong piece of furniture!

Check all screw heads
Verify all joints are secure
Test stability of ladder and rails
Ensure proper spacing between bunks

View inside a white bunk bed with the slats of the above bunk visible. — We started with a lot less slats and realized we needed a lot MORE. Each slat is spaced about 3/4″ apart and gives a nice support to the mattress.

Safety and Maintenance for your Triple Bunk Bed DIY

Remember these key points for long-term use of your triple bunk bed:

Perform regular inspections of all joints.
Check stability of ladder and guard rails regularly.
Ensure proper air flow between bunks.
Consider overall height of the bed when choosing ceiling fans or light fixtures and/or position the bed far enough from these things that you don’t have any collision issues!

Summary

Building a DIY triple bunk bed is a rewarding project that maximizes your small bedroom space while creating a unique piece of furniture for your kids bedroom. With these free bunk bed plans and a bit of patience, you can create a sturdy, beautiful triple bunk version that suits your exact needs and available space.

Remember to take your time with each step, especially the most important step – planning and measuring. The end result will be worth all the careful attention to detail!

PRO TIP: Take pictures of your process – not just for sharing on social media (but tag us if you do!), but really to document where support boards and structural elements are located for future reference.

A black man sitting on the middle bunk of a DIY wall-mounted triple bunk bed with a minimal aesthetic. — The maiden voyage! We’re all so proud of our Petey.

CONCLUSION

Good luck with your build! We’d love to see how your triple bunk bed turns out – be sure to share photos with us!

Have questions about our DIY triple bunk bed? Comment below and we’ll help you troubleshoot. And if you found this post helpful, please share it with a friend who might be looking for bunk bed plans too!