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09 / 13 · Drywall partition

Drywall Partition Calculator: Studs, Boards and Screws

A non-load-bearing partition of plasterboard (drywall) on a metal stud frame. Enter the wall, the doors, stud spacing and board size — you get every stud and track piece, how many boards to buy for each side and layer, and the screws, tape, filler and insulation.

Your sizes

Door openings
From startWidthHeight
in
in
in
Rough opening; position = left edge from the start of the wall.
Stud spacing (on centre)
Stud and track width
Common: 4 × 8, 4 × 10, 4 × 12 ft.
Boarded sides
Board layers per side
Stud lengths you can buy
LengthAvailablePrice / pc (optional)
in
$
in
$
in
$
Track lengths you can buy
LengthAvailablePrice / pc (optional)
in
$
Details and consumption rates

Defaults: screws 16 in. apart on 16 in. studs (USG) ≈ 28 per 4×8 sheet; joint compound ≈ 85 lb per 1,000 sq ft (USG powder all-purpose). Use your product's figures.

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Drawing

Board layout shown
38"× 82 1/2"144"96"16"
StudsDoor studs and lintelBoard joints

Result

Boards
6 pcs
Stud profiles
10 pcs
Track profiles
3 pcs
Full-height studs
8 × 95 1/2"
Door studs
2 × 95 1/2"
Short studs above doors
2 × 13"
Lintels (from track)
1 × 50"
Track, floor + ceiling
250"
Screws
134 pcs
Joint tape
315"
Joint filler
12.6 lb
Insulation
74.2 sq ft · 6.9 m²
Sealing tape
442"
Track and wall fixings
24 pcs
Wall area, one side (openings deducted)
74.2 sq ft · 6.9 m²
Board area, all sides and layers
148.5 sq ft · 13.79 m²

Boards per side and layer

  • Side A, layer 13 pcs × 48" × 96"
  • Side B, layer 13 pcs × 48" × 96"

Quantities and layout only — not structural design. Maximum wall height, stud size, door framing, fire and sound ratings must follow the board maker's system and local rules.

Tape length = all joints of the outer layer. Some fillers (e.g. Knauf Uniflott on tapered edges) need tape only on cut ends.

Screws, filler, tape and fixings are estimates without waste; add a reserve.

Studs — cutting plan

Shopping list

  • 1 pcs × 144"
  • 9 pcs × 96"
Bought length
1008"
Waste
2.7 %

Cutting plan

Board 1 · 144"95 1/2"9 × Board 2 · 96"95 1/2"
  1. Board 1 (144"): 95 1/2" + 13" + 13" · offcut 22 1/2"
  2. 9 × Board 2 (96"): 95 1/2" · offcut 1/2"

Optimised plan from several strategies — good, but not mathematically proven to be the best possible.

Track — cutting plan

Shopping list

  • 3 pcs × 120"
Bought length
360"
Waste
16.7 %

Cutting plan

Board 1 · 120"120"Board 2 · 120"66"50"Board 3 · 120"40"24"
  1. Board 1 (120"): 120"
  2. Board 2 (120"): 66" + 50" · offcut 4"
  3. Board 3 (120"): 40" + 24" · offcut 56"

Optimised plan from several strategies — good, but not mathematically proven to be the best possible.

How it works

Studs stand in floor and ceiling track. The first and last stud sit against the side walls, the others on a grid from the start of the wall (e.g. 625 mm or 16 in. on centre). Board edges must land on a stud, so the board width should be a multiple of the spacing.

Each door gets a full-height stud on both sides, a lintel of track across the top and short studs above it where the grid falls into the opening. The floor track is cut out across the opening.

Boards stand upright. The second side and the second layer start shifted by one stud spacing so joints do not line up; when boards are shorter than the wall, end joints of neighbouring columns are staggered by at least the offset you set.

Screws and filler are rates per square metre (or square foot) of board — the defaults come from Knauf (metric) and USG (imperial) and you can change them. Tape is the length of all joints in the outer layer.

What the calculator assumes

  • This is a quantity and layout tool, not structural design. Maximum wall height, stud size and spacing, door framing, fire and sound ratings must follow your board maker's system and local rules.
  • One straight wall between two existing walls, boards fixed vertically, door sizes are rough openings. Offcuts are reused only on the same side and layer.
  • Screws, filler, tape and fixings are estimates without a waste allowance; add a reserve.

Questions

How far apart should drywall studs be?
Common grids are 625 mm with 1250 mm boards (600 or 400 mm with 1200 mm boards) and 16 or 24 in. on centre with 4 ft sheets. The board edge must always fall on a stud. The maximum spacing for your wall height comes from the system you build.
How many screws per square metre of drywall?
Knauf's material table gives about 15 screws per m² for a single layer (screws ≤ 250 mm apart) and about 7 per m² for the inner layer of a double layer. USG's spacing of 16 in. on 16 in. studs gives about 28 screws per 4×8 sheet.
Do all joints need tape?
It depends on the filler. With Knauf Uniflott, factory tapered edges can be filled without tape and tape is used on cut ends; many other systems tape every joint. The calculator gives the length of all joints so you can decide.

Planning aid only. It does not size structural members or check loads — follow the manufacturer's instructions and your local building rules.