Framing Guide • Family-Owned Since 1970 • CSLB #265709
Metal Framing vs. Wood Framing
For interior walls, the question is light-gauge metal studs versus wood studs. Structural steel and house posts are a different bid.
We Hang on Both
Ron Hogan Drywall has been family-owned since 1970. We frame interior metal studs and hang drywall on wood or steel in the Bay Area and Northern California. If the drawing names the stud, that wins. If it does not, we will tell you which one the finish can live with.
Side by Side
Straightness
Metal: stays in plane better for long commercial runs and Level 5.
Wood: fine when it is straight; bows show after paint. Wood problems →
Typical use
Metal: offices, TI, rated commercial partitions.
Wood: most houses and simple residential walls.
Fire
Metal: non-combustible studs. The rating is still the listed wall.
Wood: used in many rated residential assemblies when the listing says so. Type X →
Cost
Wood: often cheaper on a simple house wall.
Metal: often required on commercial work. Compare the same scope. Cost →
Moisture and pests
Metal: no termites in the stud; still rusts if it stays wet.
Wood: can rot or move if it is wet when we hang.
Comfort
Neither stud is the insulation. Metal conducts. Batts go in before board either way.
A Simple Picker
- House bedroom, no spec: wood is usually enough
- Office TI or the plan says steel: metal studs
- Smooth dark paint on a long wall: metal is easier to keep flat
- Need concrete or structure: not this page — wood vs. steel vs. concrete →
Get a Stud Bid
1. Send the Plan
Text (925) 791-9099 the city and whether it is a house or TI.
2. Wood, Metal, or Both
Frame only or frame plus drywall.
3. We Build It
Licensed crews. 12-month warranty.
Framing FAQs
Can you mix wood and metal in one house?
Yes. Existing wood walls plus a new metal partition is common.
Does metal framing make a quieter wall?
Not by itself. Board, seals, and the assembly do. QuietRock →
Need Wood, Metal, or Both?
Send the plan. The family-owned Bay Area crew since 1970 will frame the studs and hang the board.
Call / Text (925) 791-9099