For metal framing subs and owner-estimators

Send us a metal framing plan set. We send back your counts.

Stud and track LF by gauge and wall type, with every count traced to the wall it came from. Your first plan set is free, no card needed.

Updated October 2026

Continue — send my plan setFree first plan set · no card needed

See a real test first

  • Tested on a real 21-page set (Freeport Square Apartments): 68.9% of walls matched automatically, 99.8% after one "Confirm all".
  • Auto-takeoff can miss on sets it hasn't seen, so we check and hand-finish your counts before you get them. Anything uncertain is flagged for review.
  • First plan set free, no card needed. No call, no sales pitch.
Isometric illustration of steel stud and track metal wall framing with a connection detail
30-second overview (sample project numbers)
How it works

How do you count metal studs and track from a plan set?

1

Measure the real wall length

Every partition and exterior wall is measured directly from the vector geometry in your plan set, calibrated to the sheet's own printed scale — not eyeballed off a screen.

2

Match gauge and spacing from the legend

Each wall's measured thickness is cross-referenced against the wall-type legend your architect drew, identifying the stud gauge (like 20-ga or 25-ga) and spacing (typically 16" or 24" o.c.) actually specified for that assembly.

3

Convert to studs and track

Wall length and spacing convert into a stud count, and track is derived from the same run — top and bottom of every wall — grouped by assembly and labeled matched, ambiguous, or needs confirmation.

What it looks like

How are metal studs and track grouped by wall assembly?

No single blended "steel stud" line — each gauge-and-spacing combination gets its own row, so you can see which walls drove which quantity.

Material summary — metal framing
3-5/8" 20-ga steel stud @ 16" o.c.Matched
12,452 LF wall9,422 studs24,904 LF track
6" 18-ga steel stud @ 24" o.c.Matched
2,180 LF wall1,090 studs4,360 LF track
Unlabeled partition, 3.6"Confirm
142 LF wallgauge & spacing not found on legend
Being upfront

What can't automated metal framing takeoff do?

Part of never presenting a guess as a measurement is telling you plainly where the line sits.

Not covered yet

  • Fasteners. ReadMyBlueprint counts studs and track — screws, clips, and other connection hardware aren't quantified.
  • Blocking and bridging. Horizontal blocking, bridging, and other mid-wall reinforcement called out in a detail (rather than the wall-type legend itself) isn't picked up automatically.
  • Head-of-wall deflection details. Slip track and deflection assemblies at the top of a wall are only counted when the wall-type legend specifies them explicitly.
  • Scanned or flat-image PDFs. The measurement is only as real as the vector geometry it comes from — a scanned page has none to measure, so those pages are called out rather than guessed at.

See your own stud count.

Upload your plan set and get a real, labeled stud-and-track count in minutes. Your first plan set is free.

Continue — upload your planTake the 2-minute tourFree first plan set · no card needed

Doing it by hand? Read the step-by-step guide: How to calculate metal studs and track from plans.

Reference: Metal stud sizes & dimensions · Metal stud gauge chart

Related

Frequently asked questions

How do you count metal studs and track from a plan set?

Each wall is measured from the plan's vector geometry, matched to the stud gauge and spacing on your wall-type legend, then converted to a stud count with track derived from the same run. Each gauge-and-spacing combination gets its own row. On our Freeport Square test set (21 pages), 68.9% of walls auto-matched and 99.8% resolved after one "Confirm all". That is one test set, so uncertain walls are flagged for you to confirm.

What does metal framing takeoff not cover?

Fasteners, blocking and bridging called out in details, and head-of-wall deflection assemblies unless the legend specifies them. Scanned PDFs are flagged rather than guessed.

Can I try it on my own plan set?

Yes. Your first plan set is free, no card needed.

Compare tools: ReadMyBlueprint vs. STACK & Bluebeam · Features · Take the tour