Last updated: 2 July 2026
1Introduction
When you need to split a room, add a bedroom, or carve a meeting room out of an open office, one early question decides the budget and the timeline: build it in drywall, or build it in brick? Both make a solid wall. They just get there very differently — one dry and fast, the other wet and slow.
This guide compares the two the way owners actually weigh them — on speed and on cost — then shows where each one still wins. One point up front: we are talking about a non-structural dividing wall, not a wall that holds the building up. For that job, our gypsum & drywall partition service frames, boards and finishes the wall, so the comparison below is about which method suits your space, not about which is “better” in every case.
The video below shows how this works in practice.
How to install GypWall Classic – The definitive metal stud partition system
Source video: British Gypsum on YouTube
2How Fast Is a Drywall Partition vs a Brick Wall?
Quick Answer: A drywall partition is far quicker to build than a brick wall. A standard room-dividing partition frames, boards and skims in roughly two to four days, while a brick wall of the same size needs laying, curing, rendering and skimming over one to three weeks. The big difference is drying time — brick and plaster must cure; drywall does not.
Speed is where drywall pulls ahead most clearly. This is roughly how long a standard single-room dividing wall takes to reach a finished, paintable state, by build method, across the jobs Hypro handles in the Klang Valley:
| Drywall partition | |
| Blockwork wall | |
| Brick wall |
Source: Typical time to a finished single-room partition by build method (longer bar = longer build), Hypro Renovation reference, Malaysia, 2026. Indicative range, not a fixed quote — actual time depends on wall size, access and finish.
Drywall wins on speed because it is a dry trade. The frame goes up, the boards screw on, the joints and skim dry overnight, and the wall is ready to paint. Brick and block have to be laid course by course, then left to cure before rendering and plastering — and each wet layer needs its own drying time before the next. That curing is the hidden week most owners forget. A gypsum board partition skips all of it, which is why it suits fit-outs on a tight handover date.
3Drywall Partition vs Brick Wall Cost
Quick Answer: For a non-structural dividing wall, a drywall partition usually costs less than brick once you count labour, drying time and site protection. Brick uses more material and more days of skilled labour. Neither has one fixed rate — both are priced per square foot once the spec is set — but drywall’s faster, cleaner build normally lands lower for the same interior wall.
Cost is not just the material on the shelf — it is the labour, the days on site and the mess each method brings. Here is how a drywall partition and a brick wall compare, element by element, for the same interior dividing wall:
| Cost element | Drywall partition | Brick wall |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Metal studs + plasterboard | Bricks, sand, cement, render |
| Labour & days on site | Lower — 2–4 days | Higher — 1–3 weeks |
| Drying / curing | None to speak of | Curing before render & skim |
| Finishing | Tape, skim, paint | Render, skim, paint |
| Mess & site protection | Minimal — dry trade | Higher — wet, dusty trade |
| Changing it later | Easy — unscrew & reboard | Hard — break & cart away |
Source: Drywall partition vs brick wall by cost element, Hypro Renovation reference, Malaysia, 2026. Direction of effect only — final figures vary by size, spec and finish.
Brick can look cheap on materials alone, but the cost lives in the days and the mess: more skilled labour, more site protection, and a wall that is expensive to alter once built. Drywall front-loads a little more on framing and board, then saves on almost everything after. For a firm number on your own wall, our partition service quotes per square foot once the board, height and finish are known — the same way you would price a gypsum board partition to spec rather than off a flat rate.
On a tight handover date?
Tell us the room and when it has to be ready. Hypro will tell you honestly whether drywall or brick fits your timeline — and spec the partition to match. See our partition work →
4Drywall vs Brick: The Full Comparison
Quick Answer: Drywall beats brick on speed, cost, mess, weight on the slab and how easily the wall can be moved. Brick beats drywall on raw mass, holding heavy wall-hung loads without backing, and any load-bearing or external role. For most interior dividing walls, drywall wins the factors that matter; brick wins where weight and permanence are the point.
Neither wall is “better” outright — each leads on different factors. Here is the head-to-head across the things owners actually ask about:
| Factor | Drywall partition | Brick wall | Usual winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build speed | Days | Weeks | Drywall |
| Cost (non-structural) | Usually lower | Usually higher | Drywall |
| Mess on site | Low, dry | High, wet | Drywall |
| Weight on the slab | Light | Heavy | Drywall |
| Soundproofing | Good with acoustic spec | Good from mass | Tie |
| Fire rating | Good with fire board | Naturally good | Tie |
| Heavy wall-hung loads | Needs backing built in | Fix almost anywhere | Brick |
| Moving / altering later | Easy | Hard | Drywall |
| Load-bearing / external | No | Yes | Brick |
Source: Drywall partition vs brick wall, factor by factor, Hypro Renovation reference, Malaysia, 2026. General guidance — the right choice depends on the wall’s job.
Read down the table and a pattern shows: drywall leads on everything to do with speed, weight and flexibility, while brick leads on mass and permanence. Sound and fire are a tie — drywall matches brick once you spec acoustic or fire board, it just gets there through the build rather than through weight. That flexibility is why drywall is the default when you want to divide an open office that may be re-planned again in a year.
5When to Choose Drywall and When to Choose Brick
Quick Answer: Choose a drywall partition for interior dividers — office rooms, extra bedrooms, meeting rooms and any layout that may change later. Choose brick for external walls, wet-area walls that take constant water, walls carrying heavy loads, and anything structural. The rule is simple: drywall to divide space, brick where mass or permanence is the point.
The choice gets easy once you name the wall’s job. Here is what usually suits each common scenario:
| Scenario | Usually choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Divide an office or add a room | Drywall | Fast, clean, easy to move later |
| Extra bedroom in a home | Drywall | Non-structural, quick, low mess |
| Layout that may change | Drywall | Reboards and moves easily |
| Constant-wet or splash wall | Brick or MR board | Stands up to sustained water |
| External or boundary wall | Brick | Weather and security |
| Load-bearing wall | Brick | Carries structural load |
Source: Recommended wall type by scenario, Hypro Renovation reference, Malaysia, 2026. A guide, not a ruling — confirm the wall’s role before you commit.
Most interior jobs point to drywall, and most external or structural jobs point to brick. The grey areas are wet walls and sound-sensitive rooms, where a well-specced drywall build with moisture or acoustic board often does the job that owners assume needs brick. Settling that spec before framing is exactly what our gypsum & drywall partition team does on site, so the wall matches its room from day one.
Not sure which wall your space needs?
Send Hypro the room, the wall’s job and any doors, glass or heavy fixings you have in mind. We will tell you straight whether drywall or brick fits — and price the partition once the spec is set. Get a partition quote →
6How to Decide Between the Two
Quick Answer: Decide in order: first check whether the wall is structural or external — if it is, it is brick. If not, set the wall’s job, weigh how much speed and low mess matter, then get it specced and priced. For most interior dividers this lands on drywall; the questions just confirm it before you build.
A clear decision comes from asking four questions in the right order, not from starting to build and hoping:
- Is it structural or external? If the wall holds load or faces the weather, it is a brick job — stop here and build in brick.
- Name the wall’s job. Privacy only, or must it block sound, hold a fire rating, or carry heavy fixings? This sets the spec.
- Weigh speed & mess. Tight handover or an occupied space? Drywall’s dry, fast build usually wins on both.
- Spec it and price it. Lock the board, height and finish, then get the partition quoted per square foot — no guesswork.
Done in this order, the structural check rules brick in or out first, then the wall’s job sets the board and thickness, and speed settles the rest. For nearly every interior divider the answer is drywall — the four questions simply make sure of it before a single stud is fixed. That is the same order our partition team works through with you before framing begins.
7Conclusion
For dividing an interior space, a drywall partition usually beats a brick wall on the two things owners care about most: speed and cost. It goes up in days, makes little mess, weighs less on the slab, and comes apart again when the layout changes. Brick keeps its place for external walls, structural walls and anywhere real mass or heavy fixings are the point — and it matches drywall on sound and fire only through weight rather than spec.
Name the wall’s job, run the structural check, and the choice almost makes itself. When you are ready to plan yours, explore Hypro’s gypsum & drywall partition service, or start from the Hypro Renovation homepage for the full ceiling and partition range across KL and Selangor.
8Frequently Asked Questions
Is a drywall partition cheaper than a brick wall?
For a non-structural dividing wall, a drywall partition is usually cheaper once you count everything, not just materials. Brick needs more skilled labour days, more site protection for the wet, dusty work, and it is costly to alter later. Drywall spends a little more on the frame and board, then saves on labour, mess and rework. Both are priced per square foot once the spec is set, but drywall normally lands lower for the same interior wall.
How much faster is drywall than brick?
A standard single-room drywall partition typically frames, boards and skims in about two to four days. A brick wall of the same size runs one to three weeks once you include laying, curing, rendering and skimming. The gap comes from drying time — brick and plaster must cure before the next layer, while drywall is a dry trade that is ready to paint almost as soon as the joints are done.
Is a drywall partition as strong as a brick wall?
For dividing a room, a properly built drywall partition is plenty strong — it stands firm, takes doors and glass, and holds light-to-medium fixings with the right anchors. Brick is heavier and better at carrying heavy wall-hung loads or acting as a structural or external wall. So they are strong in different ways: drywall is strong enough to divide space cleanly, brick is strong enough to hold weight and the building.
Can a drywall partition block sound like brick?
Yes, when it is specced for it. A basic single-layer drywall wall blocks less than brick, but add an acoustic quilt in the cavity, a wider stud and a double layer of dense board and it matches or beats brick for everyday noise. Brick blocks sound through sheer mass; drywall does it through the build. For a meeting room or a bedroom next to a living area, an acoustic drywall spec usually does the job.
Can you hang a TV or heavy items on a drywall partition?
Yes, but plan the fixing before the wall closes up. Light items go straight into the board with plasterboard anchors. For a wall-mounted TV, cabinets or shelves, the wall needs timber or ply backing, or a fix into the metal studs, built in during framing. On brick you can drill almost anywhere, which is its edge for heavy loads — but tell your drywall contractor early and backing solves it cleanly.
Ready to plan your partition?
Hypro Renovation has built drywall, gypsum and glass partitions across KL & Selangor for over 15 years. CIDB-certified, itemised quotes, real project photos, and a written workmanship warranty. Tell us what you want to divide and how the wall will be used, and we will spec it and price it honestly.