A stud wall is the standard way of building any non-loadbearing internal wall in an Australian home. This guide covers the difference between timber and metal stud walls, when each is used, how they're built, and what soundproofing and finishing decisions matter most.
What is a stud wall?
A stud wall is a framework of vertical members (studs) running between horizontal top and bottom plates, lined on each side with plasterboard. The wall encloses a cavity that can hold insulation, plumbing, electrical, or sound-deadening material.
Almost every internal wall in a modern Australian home that isn't loadbearing is a stud wall — adding a room, splitting a space, building wardrobe walls, partitioning a study from a living area.
Timber stud wall vs metal stud wall
Timber stud walls
Traditional, easy to work with, takes screws and nails anywhere along the stud, slightly cheaper for short single walls. The downside: timber moves with humidity, can warp, and is heavier.
Standard timber stud wall framing in Australian residential work is 90×35mm or 90×45mm pine, with studs at 450mm or 600mm centres.
Metal wall studs (steel framing)
Increasingly common in modern Australian residential work and standard in commercial. Light, dimensionally stable, won't warp, and faster to install in long runs. Slightly trickier when it comes to fixing heavy items to the wall — wall fixings need to land on a stud or use cavity anchors rated for the load.
Standard metal wall studs in residential are 64mm or 92mm wide cold-rolled steel sections, also at 450mm or 600mm centres.
Which one's better?
Both work. Metal studs win on long straight runs, warehouse-style spaces, and any project where build speed matters. Timber wins on small jobs, retrofits, and anywhere you want easy nailing for built-in joinery or fittings later.
Stud wall framing — how it's built
The sequence for any stud wall:
- Set out the bottom plate — fixed to the floor along the wall's length.
- Set out the top plate — fixed to the ceiling, in line with the bottom plate.
- Cut studs to length — vertical members between the two plates.
- Fix studs at correct centres — usually 450mm or 600mm, depending on plasterboard sheet width and the load the wall carries.
- Add nogging (timber) or noggings (metal) — horizontal bracing between studs at mid-height, locking the frame square.
- Install services — electrical conduit, plumbing, data — before lining.
- Insulate the cavity — if sound or thermal performance matters.
- Line one side — plasterboard fixed to studs.
- Final services check, then line the second side.
- Tape, set, sand — three-coat set, Level 4 finish, paint-ready.
Door openings in stud walls
Door openings need a header (lintel) across the top of the opening, supported by jack studs each side. For standard internal doors in non-loadbearing walls, a simple timber header is enough. For wider openings, the header sizing increases.
Soundproofing a stud wall
Stud walls between bedrooms or between a bedroom and a living area are where sound transmission matters most. Three things make a real difference:
- Insulation in the cavity — acoustic-rated batts (rockwool or polyester) absorb sound in the wall.
- Resilient mounting — fixing one side of the plasterboard with resilient channel decouples the two faces of the wall acoustically.
- Heavier or doubled-up plasterboard — sound-rated plasterboard (CSR Soundchek or similar) on at least one face.
The full combination of all three gives a stud wall that genuinely separates rooms acoustically — somewhere around STC 50–55, which is enough that you don't hear voice conversation through it.
Loadbearing vs non-loadbearing
Critical: if you're removing or modifying an existing wall, find out whether it's loadbearing first. A loadbearing stud wall carries weight from above (roof, second floor, ceiling joists). Removing one without a structural engineer's input causes catastrophic failure.
Non-loadbearing stud walls — like the ones we install in renovation work — just enclose space. They can be added and removed freely without structural implications.
Stud wall cost in Australia
Standalone stud wall pricing depends on length, height, finishings, services, and whether it includes a door. A simple short internal stud wall in a residential renovation typically costs in the low thousands installed. Longer walls, doors, sound-rating, or feature work add proportionally.
Frequently asked
The framing, yes, if you're comfortable with timber work. The set-and-sand finish to paint-ready is the harder part for DIY — most homeowners hire that step out.
A standard 3-metre internal stud wall is 2–3 days from framing to paint-ready, including set drying time.
For non-structural internal partitions in your own home, usually no separate approval is needed. Always check with your local council if in doubt.
Timber framing on standard 450/600mm centres with 10mm plasterboard. Cheap doesn't mean low quality — this is the standard build for most residential work.
Standard stud walls aren't very soundproof. For real acoustic separation, you need insulation, resilient mounting, and sound-rated plasterboard — significantly more involved than the standard build.
Need this work done in Perth?
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