Understanding your result
The headline is the number of steel studs, with the width, length and gauge to order, and the line under it gives the track pieces and the framing screws. The tiles add the track in linear feet and the spacing.
The table shows how the studs are made up: field studs at the spacing, less those inside door openings, plus king studs and cripples at the doors and a stud at each end or tee. Steel framing has no jack studs: the header is a length of track whose ends are cut and bent down over the king studs and screwed to them. The kings themselves are usually doubled or made 20 gauge so the door frame is stiff enough for a solid door.
The stud length is the next standard length at or above the wall height; steel studs are cut to fit the track, so a 10 ft stud makes a 9 ft 9 in wall. For the drywall, insulation and compound for the same wall, use the partition wall calculator; the equivalent wood count is on the wall stud calculator. Steel studs are also the usual base for resilient channel in sound walls.
How we calculate this
The layout uses the same stud rhythm as wood, from the shared count on the stud calculator, with the steel differences applied. Track is ordered in 10 ft lengths, the common stock length. Each stud is fixed to the track with one screw through each flange at the top and the bottom, four in all; each header takes about eight. Stud sizes, gauges and track lengths are on the standard sizes table.
Light-gauge partitions have a maximum height that depends on the stud width, the gauge, the spacing and the drywall; the makers publish limiting-height tables. A 3-5/8 in, 25 ga stud at 16 in on centre covers ordinary room heights; tall walls need 20 ga or 6 in studs.
The assumptions behind the numbers
| Assumption | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Stud width | 3-5/8 in | The standard steel partition stud, the same depth as a wood 2 × 4 |
| Gauge | 25 ga (non-structural) | Common light-gauge drywall stud; 20 ga at doors and for tall walls |
| Spacing | 16 in on centre | Common practice; 24 in where limiting-height tables allow |
| Track | 10 ft lengths | Standard stock length |
| Framing screws | 4 per stud, 8 per header | Common practice (one screw per flange at each end) |
| Door header | Track, 8 in longer each side | Common steel framing detail |
| Waste | 5% | Steel is straight; waste is mostly offcuts |
Assumptions last reviewed October 8, 2026.
The calculator does not size structural steel framing, check your wall against a maker’s limiting-height table, or count the wood or steel backing you need behind cabinets and grab bars, which on steel walls is a strip of 20 ga steel or plywood fixed across the studs. It does not count the deflection track used under some floors. When steel is the better choice, and when it is not, is in the guide to metal vs wood studs; the order of work for a partition is in the partition framing guide.
Two worked examples
A 30 ft corridor wall, 10 ft tall, two 38 in doors, 20 ga
- Field: 360 ÷ 16 + 1 = 23; 4 inside the openings → 19
- Doors: 4 kings, 4 cripples; ends: 2
- Studs: 29; with 5% 31 studs of 3-5/8 in × 10 ft, 20 ga
- Track: 2 × 30 + 2 × (38 + 16) ÷ 12 = 69 ft → 8 pieces of 10 ft
- Framing screws: 29 × 4 + 2 × 8 = 132
At 10 ft and with two doors, 20 ga throughout is a sensible upgrade from 25 ga; the doors stay square and the wall does not drum.
A 12 ft closet wall at 24 in, no doors
- Field: 144 ÷ 24 + 1 = 7; ends 2
- Studs: 9; with 5% 10 studs of 3-5/8 in × 8 ft, 25 ga
- Track: 24 ft → 3 pieces; 36 framing screws
At 24 in, 1/2 in drywall is fixed at 12 in along each stud with fine-thread screws; a steel closet wall like this is an afternoon’s work for one person.
Where to find your inputs
Length and height. The layout line on the floor and the height to the ceiling or deck above.
Width and gauge. 3-5/8 in, 25 ga for ordinary partitions; 2-1/2 in for closets where space is tight; 6 in for plumbing walls and tall walls; 20 ga at doors.
Doors. The rough opening width of each door; the rough opening calculator gives it from the door size.
Ends and tees. Each end of the wall that meets an existing wall, and each place another wall tees in.
Common mistakes
- Coarse-thread drywall screws. They strip. Fine-thread Type S.
- Studs not seated in the track. Each stud must sit fully in both tracks before it is screwed.
- Studs facing different ways. Hang the open sides of the studs all the same way so each sheet can be screwed to the open edge first.
- Light kings at doors. A solid-core door slamming in a 25 ga frame cracks the drywall. Double or 20 ga kings.
- No backing for cabinets. Steel studs will not hold cabinet screws. Plan 20 ga strap or plywood backing.
- Cutting with an abrasive wheel indoors. Snips or a metal-cutting saw; abrasive dust and sparks are a fire risk.
Questions people ask
- How many metal studs do I need?
- The wall length divided by the spacing, plus one, less the studs that fall inside openings, plus a king stud each side of every door, cripples above the doors and a stud at each end or tee. A 20 ft wall at 16 in with one door and two ends is about 20 studs, 21 with spare.
- How much track do I need for metal studs?
- Twice the wall length for the top and bottom track, plus a piece for each door header cut about 8 in longer each side than the opening so its ends can be bent down and screwed to the king studs. Track comes in 10 ft lengths; a 20 ft wall with one door needs five.
- What gauge metal studs for interior walls?
- Twenty-five gauge (about 0.018 in) for ordinary non-structural partitions, which is light, cuts with snips and takes drywall screws easily. Twenty gauge (about 0.033 in) for king studs at doors, walls that carry cabinets or heavy shelves, and taller walls; check the maker's limiting-height tables.
- What screws for metal studs?
- Pan-head or wafer-head framing screws (#8 × 1/2 in, self-drilling or self-piercing) to join studs to track, and fine-thread Type S drywall screws to fix the board. Coarse-thread drywall screws strip out of light-gauge steel.
- Are metal studs cheaper than wood?
- Per stud, light-gauge steel is often similar to or cheaper than kiln-dried lumber, and it is straight, light and does not rot or burn. It needs more care at doors and for anything hung on the wall, and it is a poorer choice where you will hang cabinets without planning backing.
- Can metal studs be load-bearing?
- Light-gauge drywall studs (25 and 20 ga non-structural) are not. Structural steel framing uses heavier gauges designed by an engineer. This calculator counts non-structural partitions only.