A stud wall, also called a partition wall or stud partition, is the standard way to divide internal space in UK homes. It is a timber or steel frame, clad with plasterboard on both faces, and it can carry standard fixtures such as shelves, picture hooks, and light switches. It does not carry structural loads (it is a non-loadbearing partition), but it can achieve good acoustic and fire performance when correctly specified.

This guide covers a standard domestic timber stud partition from design to boarding, with current material costs and Building Regs requirements where they apply.

Do You Need Planning Permission or Building Regs?

Planning permission: Internal partitions do not require planning permission, provided you are not dividing a dwelling into separate units (which would be a material change of use).1

Building Regs: Most internal stud walls in existing homes do not require Building Regs approval. Exceptions include:

  • Walls that affect structural stability (e.g., trimming an opening in a loadbearing wall)
  • Partitions that enclose a protected stairway, which a house needs once it has a storey more than 4.5 m above ground level: these need at least 30 minutes’ fire resistance (REI 30) under Part B2
  • Work that materially affects the fire safety of a building (flats, HMOs, conversions)
  • Walls in a habitable conversion (e.g., a loft or garage conversion requires Building Regs for everything)3

If uncertain, check with your LABC before starting.

Tools and Materials

Tools required:

  • Tape measure, spirit level, pencil, chalk line
  • Circular saw or mitre saw
  • SDS drill with masonry bits (for fixing to concrete/block) or cordless drill/driver
  • Stud finder or 50 mm nail (to locate existing joists)
  • Hammer and pry bar
  • Knee pad and safety glasses

Materials for a 3 m × 2.4 m stud wall (about 7.2 m²):

ItemSpecificationQuantityApprox. unit costTotal
Sole/head plate38 × 89 mm CLS6 m£3.52/m£21
Studs38 × 89 mm CLS6 × 2.4 m lengths (two end studs and four intermediates)£3.52/m£51
Noggins38 × 89 mm CLSOne row, about 3 m£3.52/m£11
Fixing screws/nailsM6 × 75 mm frame fixings; 3.5 × 75 mm woodscrews1 box each£6–£10£12–£20
Plasterboard12.5 mm standard, 1.2 × 2.4 m boards6 sheets (three each side)£13–£15 each£78–£90
Plasterboard screws3.5 × 38 mm1 box£4£4
Jointing tape and fillerPaper tape + setting compound1 roll, 1 bag£15£15
Acoustic or thermal insulation (optional)75 mm mineral wool slab~7 m²£4–£6/m²£28–£42
Total materials~£190–£210, or ~£220–£255 with insulation

For a 7.2 m² wall, materials cost approximately £25–£35 per m² (£27–£29 without insulation, £31–£35 with it). Add skim plaster coat (or decorator’s finishing) to get the wall paint-ready: typically £15–£25 per m² labour for a plasterer, or use a jointing/tape-and-fill system if you are finishing to a standard suitable for further decoration rather than a smooth skim.

CLS is sold by its nominal size, so a length labelled 50 × 100 mm is 38 × 89 mm finished, and a 3 m length costs about £10.56 including VAT at a builders’ merchant, about £3.52 a metre.4 Standard 12.5 mm tapered-edge plasterboard in 2.4 × 1.2 m sheets costs about £13.50 a sheet including VAT.5

Step-by-Step: Building the Frame

Step 1: Plan and Mark Out

Decide where the wall runs. Mark the floor plate position in pencil. Use a plumb bob or laser level to transfer the line to the ceiling, this is your head plate position. The floor and head plates must be exactly parallel vertically, or the wall will lean.

Mark the position of any door opening in the sole plate, you will not fix this section. Standard door widths are 686 mm, 762 mm, or 838 mm (fin. width); the frame opening must allow for the door lining and packing on each side, so check the lining maker’s recommended opening width for your door.

Step 2: Fix the Sole Plate

Cut the sole plate to length. If fixing to a timber floor, screw into joists below (locate joists with a joist detector or 50 mm nail). If fixing to a concrete screed, use 6 mm × 60 mm frame fixings at 600 mm centres. Remove the sole plate section in the door opening after the frame is complete.

Step 3: Fix the Head Plate

Cut and fix the head plate to the ceiling joists above. Use 100 mm × 4.5 mm structural screws at 600 mm centres. If the head plate runs parallel to joists, you may need to add noggings between joists above to create a fixing surface, check joist direction before starting.

Step 4: Erect the End Studs

Fix a vertical end stud to each existing wall at the partition ends. Use a 600 mm spirit level to ensure both are perfectly plumb. For masonry or block walls, use 6 mm × 80 mm frame fixings at 600 mm centres. For existing timber stud walls, screw directly into the studs.

Step 5: Install Intermediate Studs

Mark stud centres on both sole and head plates. For 12.5 mm standard plasterboard, 600 mm centres are standard; for heavier plasterboard or acoustic/fire boards, 400 mm centres give stiffer boards and better fixity.

Measure each stud position separately, because floor-to-ceiling heights vary, and cut each intermediate stud to fit snugly between the plates. Fit between plates with 90 mm × 3.4 mm ring-shank nails (skew-nailed at 45°) or frame cramps and screws. The stud must be tight against both plates.

Step 6: Add Noggins

Fit horizontal noggins between studs at mid-height to stiffen the frame and provide fixings for heavy items (radiators, wall-mounted TVs). Use lengths of the same timber, alternating the position slightly so you can skew-nail from both sides. At 1,200 mm height, noggins also provide the horizontal joint support for plasterboard sheets fixed in a horizontal (landscape) orientation.

Step 7: Install Services

Run cables and plumbing (first-fix) through the frame before boarding. Drill cable holes at the centre of the stud’s depth and fit steel protection plates wherever a screw could reach a cable. Cables buried less than 50 mm deep in a wall, as they are in a stud wall, must run in the safe zones set out in BS 7671, the wiring regulations, and be protected by a 30 mA RCD unless they have earthed metal protection.6 A new circuit, or any addition or alteration to a circuit close to a bath or shower (a special location), is notifiable under Part P, so leave that work to a registered electrician.7

For partitions between heated and unheated spaces (e.g., between a house and an integral garage), insulation is required under Part L.8 For internal partitions, 75 mm mineral wool batts between studs significantly improve airborne sound insulation and are worth fitting even if not strictly required.

Step 9: Board and Finish

Fix 12.5 mm plasterboard with 3.5 × 38 mm drywall screws, long enough to go at least 25 mm into the timber, at no more than 300 mm centres along each stud, or closer if the board maker’s instructions ask for it. Stagger board joints between each face of the wall. Apply joint tape and filler (or arrange a skim plaster coat) before decorating.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

MistakeConsequence
Not checking the head plate is directly above the sole plateWall leans; boards bow
Fixing sole plate before checking for underfloor servicesNailing through pipes or cables
600 mm centres with heavy tiles or cabinetryInsufficient board fixity; sagging or cracking
No noggins at board joint heightVertical board joints unsupported; cracking
Forgetting first-fix services before boardingBoards must be removed to run cables
Ignoring fire separation requirements in conversionsBuilding Regs non-compliance; certificate not issued

When to Call a Professional

Stud walls are well within the capability of a competent DIYer, but call a professional if: the wall is in a loft conversion or garage conversion (Building Regs compliance must be certified); the new partition connects to a loadbearing wall or affects an existing opening; you need fire compartmentation (Part B) compliance; or the wall will sit over underfloor heating pipes or mats, which fixings must not pierce.

References (8)

Figures in this note were checked against the sources below on 2 October 2026. Superscript numbers in the text point to them. Every source the site cites, by topic.

  1. 1technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-M6VJS2Section 55(1) defines development as the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or other land. Section 55(2)(a) excludes works to a building which affect only the interior of the building or which do not materially affect the external appearance of the building, which is why internal renovation does not need planning permission.
  2. 2technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-J0UZDBApproved Document B Volume 1, fire safety in dwellings, 2019 edition with the 2020, 2022 and 2025 amendments and the forthcoming 2026 and 2029 changes collated in. Covers means of warning and escape, internal fire spread through linings and structure, external fire spread and access for the fire service. This is the document behind escape window sizes, protected stairways, the 4.5 metre rule and the fire doors a loft conversion needs.
  3. 3technicalvery strongThe National Archives, legislation.RN-ZCMRHVRegulation 3 of the Building Regulations 2010, the meaning of building work. Lists what counts: erecting or extending a building, providing or extending a controlled service or fitting, material alteration, work required by a material change of use, and inserting insulation into a cavity wall. If a job is not on this list it is not building work, so this is the first place to check whether approval is needed at all.
  4. 4costsupplier figureLawsons (Whetstone) Ltd.RN-C1YQYAA price, true at 2026-09. A builders' merchant product page for 3 m of CLS studwork sold as 50 x 100 mm nominal and 38 x 89 mm finished, priced at £10.56 including VAT (£8.80 ex VAT) in September 2026.
  5. 5costsupplier figureToolstation.RN-VSSI1EA price, true at 2026-09. Toolstation's product page for a standard Knauf 12.5 mm tapered-edge plasterboard sheet, 2,400 x 1,200 mm, showing its price of £13.49 including VAT (£11.24 ex VAT).
  6. 6technicalstrongThe Institution of Engineering and Technology, guidance.RN-HHQV7IIET note on regulation group 522.6: cables concealed less than 50 mm deep need 30 mA RCD protection unless earthed metal covering or conduit is used.
  7. 7technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-JYJ3I5The document that decides what electrical work a homeowner may legally do themselves, and the exact list of notifiable jobs. Regulation 12(6A), reproduced at paragraph 2.5, makes only three things notifiable: the installation of a new circuit, the replacement of a consumer unit, and any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location. Regulation 12(9) defines special location as, in a room containing a bath or shower, the zone extending vertically from finished floor level to 2.25 metres (or the shower head position if higher) and horizontally 600mm from the edge of the bath tub or shower tray. Paragraph 2.7 states that all other electrical installation work is not notifiable, namely additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere. Paragraph 2.8 gives worked examples: a built-in cooker is not notifiable unless a new cooker circuit is needed, and connecting an electric gate or garage door to an existing isolator is not notifiable but running a new circuit from the consumer unit to that isolator is. Paragraph 2.2 confirms Part P reaches outdoor work including fixed garden lighting, pond pumps and outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and domestic greenhouses. Notifiable work must be certified by self-certification by a registered competent person, third-party certification, or a building control body (paragraph 3.1), with the compliance certificate issued within 30 days (paragraph 3.4). Note that Approved Document P is a source of guidance rather than a ban: non-notifiable work still has to comply with BS 7671.
  8. 8technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-L0FCJXThe in-force U-value tables a DIY insulation or door note must quote, with the exact numbers. Table 4.2, limiting U-values for new fabric elements in existing dwellings, sets roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, swimming pool basin 0.25, window 1.4 or Window Energy Rating Band B minimum, rooflight 2.2, doors with more than 60 per cent of the internal face glazed 1.4 or Doorset Energy Rating Band C minimum, and other doors 1.4 or Doorset Energy Rating Band B minimum. Table 4.3, for existing elements, gives a roof threshold of 0.35 and an improved value of 0.16, which is the figure a loft insulation note needs: paragraph 4.12 says a retained element whose U-value is higher than the column (a) threshold, for example through a loft or garage conversion, should be upgraded to the column (b) value. Paragraph 4.13 allows a lesser upgrade only where the improved value is not technically or functionally feasible or would not achieve a simple payback of 15 years or less. Paragraph 4.8 requires a replacement element to be no worse than the one it replaces as well as meeting Table 4.2. Paragraph 4.10 gives the heritage exception: where character must be maintained, a centre pane U-value of no more than 1.2 or low-emissivity secondary glazing. Note 9 records that the timber window concession of 1.6 or Band C ended on 14 June 2023. The 2021 edition came into force on 15 June 2022; a 2026 edition exists at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c122a6cfa346b9d4704a55/ADL1_2026.pdf.

  1. Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 55: Meaning of development, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  2. Approved Document B (fire safety) volume 1: Dwellings, 2019 edition incorporating 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026 amendments, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 14 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  3. The Building Regulations 2010, regulation 3: Meaning of building work, The National Archives, accessed 14 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  4. 3.0m 50x100mm CLS Kiln Dried with Eased Edges (38x89mm Finished), Lawsons (Whetstone) Ltd, accessed 30 September 2026. Priced at 2026-09 and left there. lawsons.co.uk

  5. Knauf Wallboard Tapered Edge 2400 x 1200 x 12.5mm, Toolstation, accessed 1 October 2026. Priced at 2026-09 and left there. toolstation.com

  6. Change to requirements for RCD protection of cables concealed in walls or partitions, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, accessed 2 October 2026. electrical.theiet.org

  7. Approved Document P: Electrical safety, dwellings, 2013 edition, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 30 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  8. Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 14 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk