Palo Alto, CA 94301–94306 • Santa Clara County • Incorporated 1894 • Family-Owned Since 1970 • CSLB #265709
Steel / Metal Stud Framing in Palo Alto, CA
Light-gauge steel and metal stud framing in Palo Alto — interior partitions, tenant-improvement walls, soffits, and fire-rated assemblies. We frame the wall so the drywall stays flat: University Avenue shops, California Avenue suites, Downtown and Midtown offices, El Camino interiors, and house remodels in 94301, 94304, and 94306.
Palo Alto Framing, Fairfield Crew
Ron Hogan Drywall has been family-owned since 1970. We are based in Fairfield, not a Palo Alto storefront. This page is steel / metal stud framing in Palo Alto, CA — University Avenue, California Avenue, El Camino Real, Alma Street, and Middlefield Road.
Text “Palo Alto” with the plans or a photo of the room. If the scope is interior metal studs — or frame-and-hang on the same trip — we schedule it. The street decides the bid.
Metal Stud Work We Do in Palo Alto
Interior partition walls
Track, studs, and bracing for new rooms, office layouts, and non-load-bearing walls in 94301, 94304, and 94306. This is the skeleton the board hangs on.
Tenant improvement framing
Retail, restaurant, medical, and office build-outs on University Avenue, California Avenue, and along El Camino Real. If the drawing says steel studs, that is the bid. Commercial framing →
Downtown, University Ave, and California Ave interiors
Shop partitions, restaurant walls, and rated assemblies on University Avenue, California Avenue, and in Downtown and Midtown Palo Alto inside city limits.
Soffits, bulkheads, and chases
Dropped ceilings, kitchen hood wraps, and framed openings so boxes, ducts, and lights have a home before drywall.
Fire-rated and heavier-gauge walls
Listed assemblies, Type X board later, and heavier studs when the plan or the engineer calls for them. The rating is the whole wall — not the stud alone.
Ranch remodel and ADU partitions
New interior steel walls inside an existing Palo Alto house when the finish needs a straighter plane than bowed lumber. Wood structure stays wood unless the plan says otherwise. Metal vs wood →
Frame and hang together
One crew frames the metal, hangs the board, and can finish it. Split bids leave missing backing and wavy walls. Services →
Which Stud Belongs on a Palo Alto Job
| Stud | Use it when | Skip it when |
|---|---|---|
| Light-gauge metal (what we frame) | University Avenue TI, California Avenue shops, Downtown and Midtown suites, El Camino interiors, rated commercial walls, or a remodel that needs a flat plane for Level 4 / Level 5 | You need beams, columns, or structure that hold the building up — that is a different contractor |
| 25-ga interior studs | Short, non-load-bearing partitions with a normal finish | Tall walls, high-abuse corridors, or a spec that names 20-ga or heavier |
| 20-ga / heavier track and studs | Taller commercial walls, restaurant TIs, office interiors, or engineer notes | A simple closet that never needed the extra gauge |
| Wood studs | Most house walls in Old Palo Alto, Professorville, Midtown, Barron Park, and South Palo Alto with no commercial spec | The plan already says steel, or the finish will show every bow |
| Furring / hat channel on masonry | Concrete or masonry walls that need a cavity for boxes before drywall | Glue-only board on a finished living space |
Compare studs: Metal vs wood → · Cost: Is steel expensive? → · Why it stays flat: Steel benefits →
Palo Alto Streets, ZIPs, and Permits
Palo Alto is an incorporated Santa Clara County city — 1894. City delivery ZIPs on this page are 94301, 94304, and 94306 (94302 and 94309 are Palo Alto PO boxes). 94303 covers parts of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto — East Palo Alto is a different city. 94305 is Stanford. Palo Alto uses the 650 area code. Permits inside city limits run through the City of Palo Alto Building Division at 285 Hamilton Avenue. This page is the City of Palo Alto only. Text the street so the bid matches the address.
University Avenue carries Downtown. California Avenue is the second commercial spine. El Camino Real, Alma Street, Middlefield Road, Embarcadero Road, Page Mill Road, and Charleston Road run the neighborhoods and retail. Occupied shops, downtown TIs, and ranch houses change the layout — not the stud spec.
The usual mismatch is treating a University Avenue tenant wall like a bedroom 2×4 — or hanging a Level 5 commercial finish on ranch framing that only needed wood hang-only. Interior metal studs do not hold a house up. Occupied houses, open shops, and after-hours offices need a clean layout, backing for cabinets and TVs, and a stud plane the finish can live with. Matching the spec still beats guessing the gauge. Send the plan sheet or a wide shot of the room. That photo decides wood hang-only vs new metal studs faster than a ZIP code.
How a Palo Alto Metal-Stud Job Runs
1. Photos + place
Text (925) 791-9099 Palo Alto, the street, and the plans or a photo of the wall.
2. Name the wall
Partition, TI layout, soffit, rated assembly, University Avenue shop, California Avenue suite, or frame-and-hang. We will say if the existing framing can take the finish.
3. We frame it
Protect the space. Track, studs, backing, hang if scoped. Ready for inspection and board. 12-month warranty on our work.
Palo Alto, CA
This page is steel and metal stud framing in Palo Alto — ZIPs 94301, 94304, and 94306 — from our Fairfield shop. Permits inside city limits run through the City of Palo Alto at 285 Hamilton Avenue. Need the board hung and finished on the same job? Services → · Framing basics: Framing guide →
Office: 2380 Palmer Circle, Fairfield, CA · CSLB #265709 · Check the number on cslb.ca.gov.
Not on This Page
No fake Palo Alto address. No structural steel building. No promise that metal studs hold a house up. We frame interior light-gauge walls and hang drywall on wood or steel. A closet does not need a shaft-wall spec. Stanford campus (94305) and East Palo Alto are not this page. This page is the City of Palo Alto.
Palo Alto Metal Stud FAQs
Do you do steel / metal stud framing in Palo Alto?
Yes. Interior light-gauge metal stud framing in Palo Alto, CA from our Fairfield shop — partitions, University Avenue and California Avenue TIs, Downtown and Midtown interiors, El Camino suites, soffits, heavier-gauge spec walls, and frame-and-hang.
Is this structural steel?
No. We frame interior light-gauge studs, track, headers, and soffits. Beams, columns, and structure that hold the building up are a different contractor.
Do Palo Alto houses use metal studs or wood?
Most house walls here are still wood. Metal wins on University Avenue and California Avenue TIs, Downtown and Midtown interiors, rated partitions, and remodels that need a straighter plane for a smooth finish. If the drawing names the stud, that wins.
Can you frame a shop Downtown, on University Avenue, or California Avenue?
Yes. Occupied retail and restaurant TIs on University Avenue, California Avenue, along El Camino Real, and in Downtown Palo Alto are a usual request — new partitions, soffits, and backing, then hang if the scope includes board.
Do you work occupied Palo Alto buildings?
Yes. Floors are protected and the layout is planned around an occupied house, an open University Avenue shop, or an after-hours office. A full TI is still a construction job — plan rooms.
Do you work Downtown, Midtown, University Avenue, and California Avenue?
Yes. Downtown Palo Alto, University Avenue, California Avenue, Midtown, El Camino Real, Alma Street, Middlefield Road, and other addresses inside city limits are on this framing page. Text the street with the photos.
What ZIPs does this Palo Alto page cover?
94301, 94304, and 94306. 94302 and 94309 are Palo Alto PO boxes. 94303 includes East Palo Alto as well as parts of Palo Alto. 94305 is Stanford. Text the street with the photos so the bid matches the address inside the city.
Who issues the permit in Palo Alto?
The City of Palo Alto Building Division at 285 Hamilton Avenue.
How much does metal stud framing cost in Palo Alto?
It follows the gauge, wall height, how cut-up the layout is, fire rating, access, and whether we only frame or also hang and finish. Photos or plans first. Written scope — no hidden fees.
Are you licensed in California?
Yes. CSLB #265709. Look it up before you book us or anyone else.
Need Palo Alto Walls Framed Straight — Then Hung?
Call the family-owned crew that has been framing interiors and hanging board since 1970.
Call / Text (925) 791-9099
