Construction glossary · Steel and structural
What is Metal stud (structural) in construction?
A structural metal stud is a cold formed steel (CFS) load bearing stud used to frame exterior walls, load bearing walls, and full mid-rise CFS structures in commercial construction. Unlike non-structural drywall studs, structural studs are rolled from heavier gauge steel, commonly 54 mil (16 gauge) or thicker, and carry designations like 600S162-54 that spell out web depth, flange width, and thickness. They are specified under CSI Division 5 cold formed metal framing, not Division 9 finishes.
Updated June 2026 · Reviewed by the Ruh construction team
How structural metal studs are spaced
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Book a walkthroughStructural metal studs are cold formed steel members rolled into a lipped C shape and used wherever the wall carries load: exterior walls resisting wind, load bearing interior walls, and mid-rise buildings framed entirely in CFS. They appear on the structural sheets and in spec section 05 40 00, cold formed metal framing, usually with a delegated design note requiring a CFS specialty engineer and stamped shop drawings. The designation tells the whole story: 600S162-54 means a 6 inch web (600 hundredths of an inch), S for a lipped stud section, a 1-5/8 inch flange (162 hundredths), and 54 mil base steel thickness, roughly 16 gauge. The framing sub, often the same wall and ceiling contractor handling Division 9 partitions, installs them, but the GC's estimator has to keep the two scopes separate. New estimators predictably blow that split: they price 54 mil structural studs at 25 gauge drywall stud rates, pull counts from architectural partition tags instead of the structural wall schedule, and miss the bridging, strap bracing, and heavy gauge track that ride along with every load bearing run.
Structural studs are taken off by count (each) per wall run and usually converted to linear feet or pieces for pricing, with track measured separately at two times the wall length for the top and bottom runs. Quantities come from the structural framing plans, wall type schedules, and CFS shop drawings when they exist, with elevations giving floor to floor stud lengths. The standard count is wall length divided by stud spacing, plus one stud per run, plus jamb, king, and header members at every opening. Estimators round each run up to whole studs, buy stock lengths, and carry 5 to 10 percent waste on studs, accessories, and bracing. The work lands in the estimate under Division 5 cold formed metal framing, priced apart from Division 9 non-structural framing.
Worked example
Take a load bearing exterior wall 40 ft long and 12 ft tall, framed with 600S162-54 studs at 16 in on center. Step 1, convert the run to inches: 40 ft x 12 = 480 in. Step 2, spaces: 480 / 16 = 30 spaces. Step 3, studs in the run: 30 + 1 = 31 studs. Step 4, openings: two windows with doubled jamb studs each side add 2 x 4 = 8 studs, so 31 + 8 = 39 studs. Step 5, waste at 5 percent: 39 x 1.05 = 40.95, carried as 41 studs at 12 ft each. Step 6, track: top and bottom runs are 40 ft x 2 = 80 lf. Stud footage is 41 x 12 ft = 492 lf, and at an illustrative material price of $3.80 per lf that is 492 x $3.80 = $1,869.60, before track, bridging, fasteners, and labor.
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How Ruh handles Metal stud (structural)
Ruh reads the contractor's structural and architectural sheets, identifies the load bearing wall types, and counts the studs, track, and jamb members run by run the way an estimator would on screen. It then prices those quantities against the contractor's own price book, so the unit costs are their real numbers rather than a generic database. The estimator reviews the counts and gauge calls, adjusts waste and scope assumptions, and signs off before anything reaches the bid.
See construction estimating softwareMetal stud (structural): frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a structural metal stud and a regular drywall stud?+
Thickness, steel strength, and spec section. Structural studs typically run 33 to 97 mil (20 to 12 gauge) in 33 or 50 ksi steel under Division 5 section 05 40 00, while non-structural drywall studs are commonly 15 to 30 mil in lighter steel under Division 9 section 09 22 16. A 54 mil structural stud can cost several times what a light partition stud does, so mixing the two in a takeoff wrecks the price.
How do I read a stud designation like 600S162-54?+
The first number is the web depth in hundredths of an inch, so 600 means a 6 inch web. The letter is the section type: S for a lipped stud or joist, T for track, U for an unlipped channel. The next number is the flange width in hundredths, 162 being 1-5/8 inches, and the number after the hyphen is the minimum base steel thickness in mils, with 54 mil corresponding to 16 gauge.
Who designs and installs structural metal stud framing on a commercial job?+
The engineer of record usually delegates the CFS design to a specialty engineer hired by the framing subcontractor, who submits stamped calculations and shop drawings for review. Installation typically belongs to the wall and ceiling contractor that also frames the Division 9 partitions, but the structural scope is bid and tracked separately. Estimators should confirm which sub carries the bridging, strap bracing, and connectors so nothing falls in the gap between scopes.
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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.