100% money-backBook a walkthrough
Construction glossary · Steel and structural

What is girt in construction?

A girt is a horizontal wall framing member, usually a cold formed Z or C section in a pre-engineered metal building, that spans between columns and supports the exterior wall panels. It is the wall counterpart of the roof purlin and is sized and spaced by the building manufacturer. Estimators take girts off in linear feet per wall: wall height divided by girt spacing gives the number of rows, and rows times wall length gives the footage.

Book a walkthrough Get a Free Takeoff

Free 30-minute walkthrough on your own drawings. No card.

Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by the Ruh construction team

Supports wall panelsRuns horizontallyWall version of a purlin

How wall girts are spaced

6 ft o.c.wall framinghorizontal on columns
The definition

Girt, explained.

Girts are the wall sibling of the purlin: cold formed Z or C sections, typically 8 to 10 in deep, running horizontally between primary frame columns to carry the metal wall panels. On a pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) project they appear on the manufacturer's erection drawings, in the wall framing elevations and the secondary framing schedule, rather than on the stamped structural sheets you would see for conventional steel. The metal building manufacturer designs and supplies them, the steel erector hangs them, and the GC's estimator has to confirm the takeoff matches what the building package quote actually includes. New estimators get burned three ways: counting the eave strut and base angle as girt rows when they are separate line items, missing the flush versus bypass girt condition that changes wall depth and insulation details, and forgetting to deduct girts at overhead doors, windows, and louvers while adding back the jamb and header framing around those openings.

How it is measured

Girts are taken off in linear feet per wall and summarized by section size and gauge. The working formula: wall height / girt spacing = number of rows, then rows x wall length = lf for that wall, repeated for each sidewall and endwall. Quantities come from the PEMB wall framing elevations and the secondary framing schedule; on conventional steel they show up on the framing plans and shop drawings. Deduct framed openings and add back the jamb and header members around them. Continuous bypass girts lap at column lines, so carry a lap allowance of a few percent or round the total up. The footage lands in the estimate priced per lf, or converted to weight where the supplier quotes secondary framing by the pound.

Worked example

A worked girt example.

Worked example

Take a PEMB warehouse 150 ft long by 60 ft wide with a 20 ft eave height and girts spaced at 5 ft. Step 1, rows per wall: 20 ft / 5 ft = 4 lines of secondary framing; the top line is the eave strut, taken off separately, so carry 3 girt rows. Step 2, sidewalls: 3 rows x 150 ft = 450 lf per wall, and 450 lf x 2 walls = 900 lf. Step 3, endwalls: 3 rows x 60 ft = 180 lf per wall, and 180 lf x 2 walls = 360 lf. Step 4, total: 900 lf + 360 lf = 1,260 lf. Step 5, deduct one 14 ft wide by 12 ft tall overhead door that interrupts the rows at 5 ft and 10 ft: 2 rows x 14 ft = 28 lf, so 1,260 lf - 28 lf = 1,232 lf, carried as 1,250 lf to cover laps at column lines. At an illustrative $4.80 per lf furnished and erected, 1,250 lf x $4.80 = $6,000.

How Ruh handles it

How Ruh handles girt.

100%

Try Ruh on a real bid. 100% money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.*

*Scoped delivery, terms apply. Read the guarantee terms

Start with a walkthrough

Girt: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a girt and a purlin?+

Same family of cold formed Z and C sections, different plane: girts run horizontally on the walls and carry the wall panels, while purlins run across the roof and carry the roof panels. They are often rolled from the same depths and gauges, but keep them as separate takeoff line items because erection labor, lap conditions, and design loading differ between the wall and the roof.

What is the difference between bypass and flush girts?+

Bypass girts run continuously across the outside face of the columns and lap at each column line, while flush girts frame between the column flanges on clips so the inside face stays flat. The choice changes overall wall depth, liner panel and insulation details, and the takeoff itself: bypass girts need lap footage added, while flush girts are cut to fit between columns with no laps.

Are girts priced in linear feet or by weight?+

Take them off in linear feet per wall, because that is how the elevations present them, then price either way. Metal building suppliers commonly quote secondary framing by weight, so multiply the footage by the section's pounds per foot to get total pounds; erectors more often price the same footage per lf. Keeping both numbers visible lets you check the package quote against your own takeoff.

Still measuring by hand? Your next takeoff can run while you review this one.

See it on your plans

Related terms

PurlingirdersSteel channelmetal deckingMetal stud (structural)

Keep going: read the full guide or explore structural steel estimating software.

The Steel and structural estimating cheat sheet
Every unit, waste factor, and conversion on one page. Free PDF.
Previous term
Girder
Next term
Gusset plate

Figures on this page are illustrative. Construction estimates depend on project-specific conditions, source documents, market pricing, and professional judgment. Ruh's AI assists the estimator and does not replace professional review: your team reviews, validates, and approves every estimate, bid, and pricing decision.

100% money-back guarantee

Try Ruh on a bid you are pricing now.

Put your next takeoff on Ruh.