Before you knock out a wall for an open floor plan, you need to know one thing: is it holding up your house? Remove a load bearing wall without a replacement support and you can get sagging ceilings and floors, cracked framing, doors and windows that stick, and in the worst cases, a partial collapse. It’s not cheap to fix.
The good news is that there are clear clues you can check yourself. Below, our structural engineers walk through the signs that a wall is load bearing, what’s inside one, what happens if you want to remove it, and what it typically costs.
Quick answer: how to tell if a wall is load bearing
A wall is probably load bearing if one or more of these is true:
- The floor or ceiling joists above it run perpendicular to the wall, especially if they stop or overlap on top of it.
- It sits directly on top of a beam, girder or foundation wall in the basement.
- It lines up with a wall directly above or below it on another floor.
- It runs the long way through the house, across the joists’ short span.
- It runs down the middle of the house, under the ridge of a gable roof.
- In the attic, you can see braces or ceiling joists bearing down on it.
- It’s an exterior wall (most are, though not all).
These signs only tell you what’s likely. Most cities require a structural engineer to sign off before a load bearing wall comes out, and only an on-site inspection can confirm it. If you’re planning a remodel in the Twin Cities, our load bearing wall assessment gives you a definite answer and a plan your contractor can build from.
What is a load bearing wall?
A load bearing wall is a structural part of your home. It carries weight from the roof and the floors above and passes it down to the foundation. If you remove it without putting in an equal support, you take out part of the system that keeps your home standing.
A non-load bearing wall (also called a partition wall) only separates rooms. It doesn’t carry weight from above, so it can usually be removed without adding new support, though you should still check for plumbing, wiring and ductwork inside it.
Because loads pass from one level to the next, load bearing walls are often stacked directly on top of one another, floor by floor. Often, but not always.
Anatomy of a load bearing wall
Knowing what a load bearing wall is made of helps you spot one. A typical wall has a base plate (a single 2×4 or 2×6 on the floor), vertical studs, and a doubled top plate (two 2x4s or 2x6s). The second top plate helps carry the floor joists above and keeps them from sagging.
Floor joists (usually 2×6 up to 2×12) are the horizontal framing members that carry the floor and pass its weight to the walls and beams below. You can learn more in our guide to ceiling joists. In the sketch above, the joists run perpendicular to the wall and end on it, which means it is most likely load bearing. If the joists ran continuously over the top of the wall, it could be non-load bearing, depending on the loads above and below. That’s the kind of call a structural engineer makes.
7 signs a wall is load bearing
1. The joists run perpendicular to the wall
This is the first thing to check. If the floor or ceiling joists above a wall run across it (perpendicular), the wall is often load bearing. It’s even more likely if the joists stop, start or overlap on top of the wall. If the joists run parallel to the wall, it’s usually not load bearing.
If the drywall is open, or you’re in an unfinished basement or attic, you can see the joists directly.
2. It sits on top of a beam or foundation wall in the basement
Head to the basement and look for the main beam (also called a girder). It’s usually a steel I-beam or several boards fastened together, running the length of the house, with the joists resting across it. Any wall directly above that beam is very likely load bearing. Our article on structural steel I-beams shows what to look for.
In a finished basement the beam is often boxed in with drywall. Look for a long soffit (a boxed-in bump in the ceiling) or support posts wrapped in trim. Walls standing on top of one are probably load bearing.
3. It lines up with walls on the floors above or below
Follow the wall up and down through your home. Does a wall sit directly above it on the next floor, or directly below it in the basement? Load bearing walls tend to stack, because each one passes its load to the one below on the way to the foundation.
4. The joists span the short side of the house
Can’t see the joists without tearing out drywall? The shape of the house gives you a good guess. Joists usually span the shortest distance across a building. So in a rectangular house, the joists typically run front to back, and the walls running the long way down the middle are the likely load bearing ones. Walls running the same direction as the joists are usually not.
This is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee, so have it verified before you remove anything.
5. It’s under the ridge of a gable roof
Step outside and look at your roof. A gable roof has two sloped sides that meet at a peak (the ridge). Not sure what you have? See our guide to roof types.
In homes with a gable roof, the ceiling joists often run perpendicular to a center wall under the ridge, and the main beam of the house usually runs perpendicular to the ceiling joists. A long interior wall running down the middle of the house under the peak is a strong candidate for a load bearing wall.
6. The attic shows braces or ceiling joists bearing on it
Licensed structural engineer Stephen Hammill of Complete Building Solutions puts it this way: “A lot of it comes down to where the roof rafters and trusses bear when determining what walls are load bearing.” In the attic, look for two things:
- Ceiling joists stopping and starting over the top of the wall.
- Braces running down from the rafters onto the wall.
If you see either one, the wall below is very likely load bearing. If your home has engineered roof trusses, they often span from one exterior wall to the other, and interior walls may carry little or no roof load. An engineer can tell the difference.
7. It’s an exterior wall (usually, but not always)
A common myth is that every exterior wall is load bearing. Most are, but it depends on which way the floor joists and roof trusses run. Stephen Hammill, P.E., sketched two examples:
In the first house, the floor joists and roof trusses run perpendicular to each other, so all four exterior walls carry load. In a long, narrow house like many ranch homes, the trusses and joists often run parallel to each other. Then only the two walls they rest on are load bearing, and the end walls are not.
Why you still need a structural engineer
Even if you or an experienced contractor are confident a wall is or isn’t load bearing, most cities will require a permit to alter structural parts of your home, and nearly all will require a structural engineer to sign off on the plans.
That isn’t just red tape. Opening a wall can reveal surprises: undersized beams, missing supports, past remodels done without permits, or framing that’s too weak for what it’s carrying. An engineer is trained to spot these. Undersized framing can mean anything from bouncy, sagging floors to structural failure.
An engineer’s inspection also gives you documentation that the wall was checked. If the wall is load bearing, most engineers can provide a scope of work your contractor can follow to remove it safely and meet building code.
What happens if the wall is load bearing?
Don’t give up on that open floor plan. A load bearing wall can almost always be removed. It just has to be replaced with an equal support system, most often a beam and posts (columns) that carry the same load the wall did. Ask our engineers whether they’ve seen a wall that absolutely couldn’t come out, and they’ll tell you almost anything can be done with framing. It comes down to cost versus benefit.
Here’s how the process usually works:
- On-site inspection. A structural engineer visits your home to look at the wall, the attic and the basement. Photos alone aren’t enough. Our load bearing wall assessment covers this.
- Report and design. The engineer confirms which walls are load bearing and designs the replacement beam and posts, including materials and connection types.
- Scope of work or drawings. If you ask for it, the engineer provides a scope of work (or full structural drawings for complex projects) your contractor can build from. That includes how to support the floor or roof temporarily while the wall comes out.
- Permit and construction. The engineer’s paperwork helps you get your building permit, and your contractor follows the plan.
Never remove a load bearing wall without first building temporary support walls. Taking it out unsupported can suddenly shift loads through your home and cause sagging floors or ceilings, cracked walls, doors and windows that won’t close, floor settlement, or collapse.
What a structural engineer considers when replacing the wall
Designing the new support system takes more calculation than most people expect. The engineer traces the loads from the roof all the way down to the foundation. Key factors include:
- Load path: the route the weight takes through the connected parts of the structure down to the ground. The new beam and posts have to keep that path continuous.
- Uplift: upward force on the structure, mainly from wind on the roof. If the wall was holding the roof down against wind, the replacement must too, with properly engineered connections from the beam to the posts and down to the foundation.
- Blocking: short pieces of lumber between joists or studs that fill gaps, join members and carry loads down to the foundation where a new post lands.
- Slab strength and footings: the concrete under a new post has to carry a lot of weight on a small spot. If the slab isn’t strong enough, a section is cut out and a properly sized footing is poured below it.
For more on beams, posts and the questions homeowners ask most, see our guide to support beams and load bearing walls.
What does it cost to remove a load bearing wall?
Costs vary with your home, the materials, the contractor and the engineering firm. According to Angi’s national cost data, the national average to remove a load bearing wall is about $5,700, and most homeowners spend between $1,400 and $10,000. As a general guide:
- Single-story home: about $1,200 to $3,000 to remove a load bearing wall and install the new support.
- Two-story or larger home: about $10,000 to $15,000, because the loads from the floors above make the beam, posts and footings bigger.
- Structural engineer: about $350 to $800 for a typical residential wall assessment. Expect more if several walls are involved or you need full structural drawings.
- Building permit: about $500 to $2,000, depending on your city.
- Non-load bearing wall: often $300 to $1,000, since no new beam is needed.
Rerouting wiring, plumbing or ductwork inside the wall, plus drywall, flooring and paint repairs afterward, can add to the total. Prices in the Twin Cities may differ from national averages, so get local quotes.
Most engineers work by the hour. The site visit is the quick part, and the calculations and design behind the scenes take the most time. Be clear up front about what you want done and what your budget is, and ask whether the fee includes the inspection, a written report, drawings and a scope of work. A simple project may not need full structural drawings.
A good order of operations: get rough quotes from a few contractors, have an engineer inspect the wall and write the report, then go back to your contractor for a firm price. Once they know exactly what support is needed, they can price the materials and labor accurately.
Frequently asked questions
Are all exterior walls load bearing?
No. Most exterior walls are load bearing, but in long, narrow homes where the roof trusses and floor joists run the same direction, only the two walls they rest on carry load. The end walls may not.
How can I tell if a wall is load bearing without opening it up?
Check the basement for a beam or foundation wall under it, see whether a wall sits directly above it on the next floor, look in the attic for braces or ceiling joists bearing on it, and use the house’s shape (joists usually span the short direction). These clues narrow it down, but an engineer’s inspection is the only way to be sure.
Are interior walls in a single-story house load bearing?
Sometimes. In a single-story home with a stick-framed roof, the wall running down the middle under the ridge often carries the ceiling joists and roof braces. In a home with engineered roof trusses that span wall to wall, the interior walls may carry little or no roof load. Check the attic, and have an engineer confirm.
Can a load bearing wall be removed?
Almost always, yes. It has to be replaced with a support system that carries the same load, usually a beam and posts designed by a structural engineer, with temporary supports in place while the work is done.
Do I need a permit to remove a load bearing wall?
In most cities, yes. Altering a structural wall typically requires a building permit, and the city will usually want plans or a letter from a licensed structural engineer.
Who can tell me for sure if a wall is load bearing?
A licensed structural engineer, after an on-site inspection of the wall, attic and basement. Complete Building Solutions offers a load bearing wall assessment for homeowners and contractors in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.
Summary: how to tell if a wall is load bearing
- Use the signs above to get a sense of which walls are likely load bearing and to prepare your questions.
- Hire a structural engineer to inspect the walls you want to remove, confirm which are load bearing, and give you a scope of work your contractor can follow safely.
- Get your building permit using the engineer’s paperwork.
- Have your contractor do the work following the engineer’s plan, with temporary supports in place first.
Planning to open up a wall? Schedule a load bearing wall assessment or contact our team and we’ll help you do it safely.
