Drywall partition calculator
Drywall partition
calculator
Estimate UW floor and ceiling tracks, CW studs, drywall sheets for one or both sides, mineral wool insulation, screws, tape and compound for a new partition wall with doors.
Enter measurements ↓Optional
What will it cost?
Every material the calculator worked out gets its own price. Each field starts at a typical US figure so you have something to work from — change any of them to what your own supplier charges.
These prices are approximate. They are national US retail figures, and what you actually pay varies with your region, your supplier, the season and how much you buy at once. Treat them as a starting point, not a quote — always price the job from your own supplier's current figures before you order.
Your prices
Same wall, two names
Partition wall, stud wall or interior stud wall
A partition wall is any non-loadbearing wall that divides a space. In the US the same wall is usually called an interior stud wall or simply a stud wall; in the UK, Ireland and Australia, partition wall is the standard term and covers both timber-stud and metal-stud construction. This partition wall calculator counts either.
The framing module is the real difference. US walls are framed at 16 in centres, occasionally 24 in for non-loadbearing work, in nominal 2×4 timber that actually measures 1.5 × 3.5 in. Metric partitions run at 400 or 600 mm centres in 70 or 92 mm metal studs. Sixteen inches is 406 mm, so the two systems land close enough to confuse a materials list without ever quite matching.
Board sizes diverge the same way: 4 × 8 ft sheets against 1200 × 2400 mm, and 1⁄2 in board against 12.5 mm. Switch the units in the form and every figure — studs, track, sheets, screws and compound — converts with it.
Tools for the job
What makes this job easier
Tools and materials that suit this kind of job. These are affiliate links: if you buy through one, Renovimo may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the figures on this page.
Dovoh
360° laser level with plumb dots
Transfers the floor track straight up to the ceiling, so a new wall stands plumb.
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Garvee
Drywall panel cart
Moves a stack of sheets from the door to the room without carrying them one by one.
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Garvee
Drywall lift, 11 ft
Holds a full sheet against the ceiling while you screw it off — one person can hang a ceiling.
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Garvee
Panel dolly, 600 lb
Wheels full sheets of drywall and plywood through the house on edge.
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Garvee
20V cordless hammer drill
Drills masonry and concrete for anchors, and drives screws everywhere else.
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Garvee
Putty knife set, 1–5 in
Taping knives for mudding joints and filling holes before paint.
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Not the tool you were after? Browse the whole range at Dovoh or Garvee — the stores these picks come from.
Based on your result
What you'll need
Quantities update after every calculation. Choose compatible UW and CW profiles from the same system size.
- Drywall sheets
- Boards for the selected sides and layers
- Calculate above
- UW guide profiles
- Floor and ceiling perimeter guides
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- CW stud profiles
- Vertical load-bearing frame studs
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- Mineral wool
- Acoustic and thermal infill
- —
- Drywall screws Amazon
- Fix boards to CW studs
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- Joint tape Amazon
- Reinforces board seams
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- Joint compound Amazon
- Fills and smooths the joints
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The maths
How we work out your partition
One face of the partition is measured and the door openings are cut out, then multiplied by the number of sheeted sides and board layers. We pad that by 10% and divide by the sheet size. The frame — a UW track top and bottom with CW studs in between — is sized from the length, height, stud spacing and the doors, which each need their own studs.
board = one face × sides × layers
sheets = ⌈ board × 1.10 ÷ sheet size ⌉
CW studs = ⌈ length ÷ spacing ⌉ + 1 + 2 per door
UW track = length × 2 + door widths
- +10%
- board offcuts
- +5%
- profile cutting
- 1 or 2
- sheeted sides
- 16 / 24 in
- stud spacing
- +2 CW
- studs per door
- ft ↔ m
- converted automatically
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01
Size the partition
Length times height gives one face, then each door opening is cut out of it.
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02
Sheet one side or both
Boarding both faces doubles the board, screws and finishing — one side is used for service or lining walls.
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03
Add layers and waste
The face area is multiplied by the layers per side, then padded 10% for cuts and breakage.
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04
Build the metal frame
UW track runs along the floor and ceiling, CW studs stand at your spacing, and each door gets extra studs to frame the opening.
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05
Fill and finish
Optional mineral wool fills the cavity for sound, then screws, tape and compound close up the joints.
Good to know
Partition questions, answered
A dividing wall between two rooms is boarded on both sides, which is the default. Board one side only when you are lining an existing wall or leaving the cavity open for services. Both sides doubles the board and fixings.
For a plain divider it is optional, but a mineral-wool infill makes a big difference to sound between rooms and adds a little fire resistance — which is why it is standard between bedrooms, bathrooms and offices. Untick it and the wool drops out of the list.
UW is the U-shaped track screwed to the floor and ceiling that the wall sits in; CW are the C-shaped vertical studs that slot into it and carry the board. They are bought in the same system size, e.g. 75 mm, so they fit together.
Each door is cut out of the board area and gets its own pair of studs to frame the sides of the opening, plus track over the head. That is why adding a door increases both the CW count and the UW track a little.
24 inches (600 mm) is the usual centre for a non-load-bearing partition and keeps the frame economical. Drop to 16 inches (400 mm) for a double-boarded, higher or more robust wall, or where fixings need extra support.
One layer per side is fine for a standard room divider. Two layers per side is used where you want a proper acoustic or fire-rated wall — it doubles the board, screws and compound on the sheeted faces.
Yes. Switch the toggle and the sheet sizes, UW/CW profile sizes and stock lengths swap between metric (mm) and North American stud/track sizes, with results in your chosen units.