Load-Bearing Wall Removal: What to Know Before Changing Your Floor Plan

Thinking of knocking down walls to create an open floor plan? Or perhaps moving walls to reallocate space in your home? Or maybe adding a new door or window to an exterior wall? Before you begin any renovations that involve removing or modifying walls, you need to know the difference between load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls.

Definitions: Load-Bearing vs. Non-Load Bearing Walls

Let’s start with some definitions.  A “load-bearing wall” (or sometimes just a “bearing wall”) is so-named because it supports the weight, or the “load,” of the structure above it.  This includes upper-level floors, the roof, and even the weight of the people and furniture inside your home, as well as the weight of snow and ice on your roof during the winter.  A load-bearing wall transfers this load down to your home’s foundation via a series of connected structural members (load-bearing walls, beams, columns, etc.).  The path by which the load passes through these connected structural members is called the “load path.” 

By contrast, a “non-load-bearing wall” (or sometimes just a “non-bearing wall”) does not support the weight of the structure above it.  These walls simply divide up the interior space of your home, which is why they are sometimes called “partition walls.”

Why You Need to Know the Difference

Why is it critical to know the difference between load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls? If you remove a load-bearing wall, you will need to replace the wall with another structural member, such as a beam, to redistribute the weight of the structure above to other load-bearing elements and provide a continuous load path to your home’s foundation. Meanwhile, a non-load-bearing wall can be removed without installing additional structural support.

How to Tell the Difference

Now you know why you need to know the difference, but how do you know the difference?  Before beginning construction, you will likely need to enlist the help of a structural engineer (more on that below), but if you’re still in the brainstorming phase and just want to get a general sense as to which walls are going to be easier and less expensive to remove, here are some ideas to consider.

If you happen to have the blueprints for your home, you can use those to identify load-bearing elements.  Be sure to account for any remodeling that has occurred since the blueprints were prepared.

If you do not have blueprints, there are a few clues you might follow. 

The first one is pretty easy: exterior walls are generally load-bearing.

But suppose you’re looking at an interior wall.  If you can access the attic and can see the floor framing, look at the floor joists.  If the joists run perpendicular to the interior wall in question and sit on top of the wall, then the wall is likely load bearing.

As another potential clue, walls that are in the same location on each floor (i.e. positioned directly over one another, or stacked on top of one another) are likely load bearing.

Similarly, if a wall is positioned over a structural element, such as a beam or column, in the basement, the wall is likely load bearing.

The diagram below illustrates some of these clues in action.  Note that the center wall on the top floor is an exception to the “rule” that stacked walls are generally load-bearing.  In this particular example, due to the roof trusses, the roof does not require an interior load-bearing wall for support.

When to Enlist the Help of a Professional

Before you begin tearing down a wall, it is advisable to consult a qualified professional, such as a structural engineer.  A structural engineer will determine whether the wall is load-bearing and, if so, determine the specifications for the structural member that will replace the wall—in layman’s terms, the structural engineer will tell you what size beam you need.  Additionally, sometimes when a load-bearing wall is removed, additional support may be needed at the foundation to support the altered load path.  A structural engineer will make this determination and prescribe the necessary foundation modifications, if any.

In addition to ensuring the structural integrity of your home, you might engage a structural engineer based on your city’s permitting requirements.  In the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, many cities have a permitting process that requires a structural engineer to sign-off on any project involving structural changes. 

If you or your clients are considering a home renovation, Schroeder Engineering would be happy to help.  In addition to foundation inspections, we can assist with load-bearing-wall analysis, designs for beam or post removal, header sizing, and other home renovation projects.  We can also provide the technical documents needed for permitting in cities around the metro.  Contact us today to schedule a design appointment.