The Short Answer
On our estimates, a typical 3m x 2.4m timber stud wall costs about £800 to £1,000, boarded both sides, or £55 to £65 per m². Metal studs come to about £1,000 to £1,400 for the same wall. It's a job of one to three days.
Sockets, a doorway, plastering and decorating are the usual extras. Putting up a new wall normally needs building regulations approval, and if it forms a new room, that room still needs its own ventilation and a safe way out.
Stud wall prices
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Timber stud wall, 3m x 2.4m, boarded both sides | £800 to £1,000 |
| Per m² of wall | £55 to £65 |
| Metal stud wall, 3m x 2.4m | £1,000 to £1,400 |
| Electrics (sockets, switches or lights) | £280 to £450 |
| Plastering the new wall | £150 to £200 |
| Soundproofing a wall | £700 to £1,200 |
Building regulations
The Planning Portal says building regulations will normally apply when you build a new internal wall. The points that matter in a house:
- Sound insulation: a new wall separating a bedroom, or a room with a WC, from another room needs improved sound insulation.
- Ventilation: the new wall mustn't make ventilation worse. If it creates a new room, both rooms need enough ventilation, usually an opening window sized to the floor area plus background ventilation.
- Escape: walls around a staircase protect the escape route, and an inner room (one you can only leave through another room) needs an escape window.
- Conversions: where the wall separates new living space from the rest of the house, it needs fire resistance and insulation, and any door in it should be fire-resisting and self-closing.
Your builder can submit a building notice, or you apply to building control first. Planning permission isn't needed for internal walls, unless the house is listed.
Timber or metal studs?
Timber and metal stud walls cost about the same per m², on our estimates; metal can come out a little dearer for a typical wall. Either takes plasterboard and insulation. I'd go with whichever your builder normally uses and prices best, and spend the difference on sound insulation if the wall is next to a bedroom.
Plan it before the boards go on
- Decide where sockets, switches and lights go, so the cables run before the wall is boarded.
- Ask for insulation in the wall if it's next to a bedroom or bathroom: see soundproofing.
- If you're adding a door, choose it now: see internal doors.
- Check both rooms still have an opening window for ventilation, and think about heating for the new room.
Get stud wall quotes
A stud wall is priced by its length and height, and what goes in it.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to put up a stud wall?
On our estimates, about £800 to £1,000 for a typical 3m x 2.4m timber stud wall, boarded both sides.
Do I need permission to build a stud wall?
Not planning permission, unless the house is listed. Building regulations normally apply, covering sound insulation, ventilation and fire escape.
Can I build a stud wall myself?
You can, but the work still needs building regulations approval, so tell building control before you start.
How long does it take to build a stud wall?
About one to three days, including boarding.
Is a metal stud wall cheaper than timber?
Not usually. They cost about the same per m² on our estimates, and metal can be slightly dearer.
How we priced thisView sources (5, 5 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialWhat building regulations apply to internal walls?, Planning Portal. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialInternal walls: building regulations, sound insulation, Planning Portal. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialInternal walls: building regulations, ventilation, Planning Portal. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialInternal walls: building regulations, fire safety, Planning Portal. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialInternal walls: planning permission, Planning Portal. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
