PreConstruct AIFree calculator
Metal stud wall calculator — studs and track
Type the wall length, the stud length and the spacing from the partition type, then the openings and corners. Get the studs, the track in pieces, and the arithmetic to check it.
125 studs, 27 pieces of track.
Studs
125
10 ft (3.05 m)
Track
27 pcs
240 LF (73.15 m) before waste
Layout studs
91
before openings and corners
Stud LF
1,250 LF
381 m
The working
- layout 120 LF × 12 ÷ 16" = 90, + 1 = 91 studs
- openings 4 × 4 + corners and tees 6 × 2 = 28
- (91 + 28) × waste of 5 per cent = 125 studs at 10 ft
- track 120 LF × 2 (top and bottom) = 240 LF × waste of 10 per cent ÷ 10 ft = 27 pieces
A starting figure, not an engineered quantity. Sizes, reinforcing and code requirements come from your drawings, your specifications and your engineer — check them before you order.
Where a calculator stops
This does one run, from numbers you type. A bid is every run on every sheet.
- — It doesn't read the drawing set or its schedules
- — It doesn't measure on the PDF or keep the lengths
- — It doesn't show what an addendum changed
- — It doesn't price, add labour or build a proposal
How to do a metal stud takeoff
Take each wall's length from the plan, its stud size and spacing from the partition type, and its height from the type or the sections. Studs are the length in inches divided by the spacing, rounded up, plus one, plus the extra studs at each opening and corner. Track runs at the top and the bottom, so it is twice the wall length. Add your waste to each, then turn the track into pieces by its length.
Carried through the worked wall below (30 ft at 16 in, 2 doors and 1 tee): 24 layout studs and 8 extras are 34 studs with 5 per cent waste, and 60 LF of track is 7 pieces of 10 ft with 10 per cent waste.
Layout studs
Wall length in inches divided by the spacing, rounded up, plus one to close the run: LF × 12 ÷ o.c. + 1. A 20 ft wall at 16 in is 240 ÷ 16 = 15, plus 1 = 16 studs. Figure each wall on its own if they are separate runs; one long total undercounts the ends.
Openings, corners and tees
Each opening adds jamb studs and often a king, a header and cripples; each corner and each tee where a partition meets another adds one or two. How many depends on the detail and the door frame, so the calculator asks you. The drawings and the framing details govern.
Track
Two runs of track for every foot of wall, top and bottom: LF × 2 ÷ piece length. Track comes in 10 ft lengths. It takes more waste than studs because it is cut at every door and every corner; a common starting allowance is 8 to 10 per cent for track and 5 per cent for studs.
A worked wall
A 30 ft partition (9.14 m) at 16 in (406 mm) centres, with 2 doors and 1 tee where another partition meets it.
- Layout: 360 ÷ 16 = 22.5, rounded up and plus one to close the run: 24 studs.
- Extras: 2 doors × 3 and 1 tee × 2 = 8 studs, from the door and wall details on the drawings.
- With 5 per cent waste: (24 + 8) × 1.05, rounded up = 34 studs.
- Track: 30 ft × 2 = 60 LF, with 10 per cent waste 66 LF, in 10 ft pieces = 7 pieces.
Type the same wall into the calculator above and it gives the same counts, with the working beside each.
What this does not choose
Gauge, width, spacing and height limits come from the partition type on the drawings and the stud maker's limiting-height tables. What the gauges mean in mils and millimetres is in our steel stud gauges and sizes guide. This counts pieces; it does not check whether a stud works at that height.
Questions estimators ask
- How many metal studs do I need for a 10 ft wall?
- At 16 inches on centre, 9 studs: 120 ÷ 16 = 7.5, rounded up to 8, plus one to close the run. At 24 inches, 6. Then add the studs at doors, corners and tees, and your waste.
- What spacing do metal studs use?
- Usually 16 inches (406 mm) or 24 inches (610 mm) on centre, and sometimes 12 inches for tall walls or heavy finishes. The partition type on the drawings sets it, so read it there rather than assuming.
- How many metal studs do I need per linear foot?
- At 16 inches on centre, 0.75 a foot plus one per run; at 24 inches, 0.5 a foot plus one. Add studs at openings, corners and tees, then waste.
- How much track do I need for a metal stud wall?
- Twice the wall length — a top and a bottom track — divided by the piece length, usually 10 ft, plus waste for the cuts at doors and corners.
- How many extra studs per door opening?
- Commonly two to four: a jamb stud each side, sometimes doubled or with a king, plus cripples over the header. Door frames, heavy doors and the detail change it, so use what the drawings show.
- Does this tell me which gauge to use?
- No. Gauge, depth and spacing come from the partition schedule and the manufacturer's limiting heights. This counts the pieces for the stud you choose.
Stop retyping sizes into a calculator
On PreConstruct AI you measure on the PDF, type the sizes the drawings print, and the concrete, forms, bars, board and stringers come out with the arithmetic beside every line — in imperial, metric or both. Your first bid is free, with no card.