The component method for joint analysis relies on the formulation of stiffness and strength of individual parts to derive the global properties of the joint. One of these components is the web of an open I-section, or the face of a rectangular hollow section, hereby referred to as face plate. It is currently not codified despite its frequent occurrence in the engineering practice. Hereby, a new mechanical model is proposed to estimate the initial stiffness of the face plate component under out-of-plane loading, leading to closed-form analytical expressions. The model is validated against experimental test results and an extensive numerical parametric study, showing excellent agreement.