Metal Stud Estimator — Steel Stud Wall Calculator

Steel studs count the same way wood studs do — linear feet of wall times the spacing factor — but the track and fastener lines are where steel takeoffs differ. For a 40-foot wall at 16″ O.C., the stud count is 40 × 0.75 = 30 studs, plus one extra at every end, corner, and intersection (typically +10%). Track comes in top and bottom runs: 80 linear feet of track, which at 10-foot stock means 8 track pieces per run. Weight matters for steel because it drives delivery and handling: multiply total stud linear footage by the gauge's pounds-per-foot (25GA ≈ 0.32, 20GA ≈ 0.41, 18GA ≈ 0.51, 16GA ≈ 0.64). The steel stud calculator above adds screw counts (one screw per flange crossing, both faces) and board area for drywall ordering.

Match gauge to load class, not habit. 25GA (18 mil) is for non-bearing interior partitions and basement walls — it cannot carry axial load. 20GA (33 mil) is the commercial workhorse: 1-hour rated partitions, 10–12 foot heights, and light axial loads like ceiling-supported assemblies. 18GA (43 mil) handles tall non-bearing curtain wall to 14 feet and heavy fixture walls. 16GA (54 mil) is the floor for structural load-bearing walls in mid-rise construction — plan reviewers reject 20GA bearing walls on principle. Two forces pull the choice: wind deflection (L/175) sizes curtain wall studs, and fire rating does not care about gauge at all — 5/8-inch Type X board carries the rating, the studs just hold it.

Count screws by flange crossings, not sheets: one screw per board flange crossing at each stud — at 16″ O.C. with 4×8 board, that is 4 crossings × 2 sides = 8 screws per stud per run, or roughly 12–14 screws per sheet per face when layout lands clean. Add #7 coarse-thread screws at every track-to-stud connection (2 per flange pair), and double-screw jamb and corner locations. A practical box math: one 1,000-count box covers about 35 sheets, or about 175 linear feet of finished 8-foot partition wall. Commercial crews budget 1 box per 40 linear feet of wall including waste and backout replacement.

At 2026 commercial rates ($55–75 per hour for a two-person crew), labor lands at $4.00–5.50 per linear foot for straight 8-foot partitions, $5.50–7.50 with multiple openings, and $7.00–9.50 for rated walls with blocking. The efficiency driver is repetition: commercial TI crews frame the same partition type dozens of times and hit 20 linear feet per crew-hour, while a residential crew on a one-off basement runs 13–15 linear feet per crew-hour on identical walls — a 33% productivity gap that shows up entirely as labor cost. This page compares hours only; for installed pricing including board and finish, see the metal stud framing cost page.

Yes, but only in 16GA (54 mil) and heavier sections, and only with an engineer's stamp. Structural C-studs in 6-inch to 12-inch webs carry axial loads of 8,000–20,000+ pounds per stud depending on height and gauge — enough for mid-rise construction up to 10 stories, which is why light-gauge steel dominates hotel and dormitory building in North America. What fails without engineering is the interaction check: axial load combined with wind moment at parapets and corners. If your wall carries roof, floor, or second-story load, the gauge selection in this calculator is a starting reference and the stamped drawing is the final word.

The steel itself is galvanized — G40 to G60 coating on framing gauges — and will not rust in a dry interior. The basement failure mode is contact corrosion and moisture wicking at the track: steel in direct contact with a damp concrete slab creates a trapped-moisture zone, and uncoated fasteners rust first. The correct assembly is a pressure-treated wood bottom plate under the steel track (or a self-adhering membrane break), galvanized or ceramic-coated screws, and closed-cell foam at the slab edge. With that break installed, a steel partition outlives the house; without it, the track line is where the first inspection photograph gets taken.