Removing a Load-Bearing Wall? Get the Beam Engineered First.
Beam, post and footing design with a complete load path — engineered from your plans or photos and delivered as permit-ready documents.
Upload plans, photos or permit comments. Get a defined scope and quote before any commitment.
Most remodel engineering comes down to one question: where does the load go once the wall is gone? Answering it properly means identifying everything the wall carries — roof, ceiling, floors above, sometimes a share of the lateral system — then sizing a beam for strength and deflection, posts for the concentrated reactions, and verifying that the existing footing (or a new one) can take the point loads. In older California housing that last step is where projects get surprising: many pre-1970 homes sit on narrow, often unreinforced footings that were never designed for a concentrated load.
We handle the full scope: flush or dropped beam options, engineered lumber versus steel, temporary shoring notes, hardware call-outs and, where a shear wall is being removed, the lateral analysis the plan checker will ask for. Upload your plans, or a few photos and a sketch with dimensions, and we will define the scope before you commit to anything.
Common projects
- Kitchen-to-living-room wall removal
- Flush beams for uninterrupted ceilings
- Enlarged window and slider openings
- Interior remodels with new bearing points
- Second-floor modifications and stair relocations
- Garage door widening
- Vaulted ceilings in stick-framed or trussed roofs
- Steel beam and post design for long spans
- Structural evaluation of previous unpermitted work
What to upload
Submit what you have — we'll tell you what else is needed before engineering begins.
- Floor plan or sketch showing which wall is coming out, with dimensions
- Photos of the wall, the ceiling and the space above it (attic or second floor)
- Photos of the crawlspace or basement below the wall, if accessible
- Approximate year built and number of stories
- Architectural plans, if you have them
- Existing structural drawings or truss layouts, if available
- Notes on what is above the wall: roof only, a floor, or both
Deliverables
What you receive
Every set goes through structural design, drafting and review by the licensed engineer responsible for the work before it is released to your dashboard.
- Beam and post design with sizes and material specifications
- Load path from roof to foundation, shown on plan
- Footing verification or new pad footing design
- Hardware and connection schedule: hangers, post caps and bases
- Temporary shoring and sequencing notes
- Lateral analysis and replacement shear wall design when required
- Framing plan and structural detail sheet
- Bound calculations
- Signed and sealed documents where the jurisdiction requires them
Example project
Kitchen wall removal in a 1962 ranch — Citrus Heights
Removal of an 18-foot bearing wall between the kitchen and family room in a single-story home with a conventionally framed hip roof and a raised-floor foundation.
Jurisdiction
City of Citrus Heights
Turnaround
5–7 business days
Engineering scope
- Dropped glulam beam with deflection-limited design
- Post design and point-load path to the crawlspace
- New pad footings under both posts
- Ceiling joist and rafter bearing details
- Lateral check of the remaining wall lines
- Calculations and structural detail sheet
How it works
From Plans to Engineering in Four Steps
- 1
Submit Your Project
Tell us what you're building and upload whatever you already have. Plans, photos, sketches and permit comments can all be submitted.
- 2
Receive Your Scope & Quote
We review the project and send you a defined engineering scope, price and estimated turnaround.
- 3
Engineering Begins
Your project moves through structural design, calculations, drafting and engineer review.
- 4
Receive Your Documents
Final engineering documents are delivered through your project dashboard. Permit comments can be submitted back through the same project.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether a wall is load-bearing?+
Clues include a wall that runs perpendicular to the floor or ceiling joists, a wall directly under a ridge, girder or upper-floor wall, and a girder or pier line beneath it in the crawlspace. None of these is definitive on its own. Send photos of the wall, the attic or floor above and the crawlspace below, and we will confirm what it carries during scope review.
Do I need a permit to remove a load-bearing wall in California?+
Yes. Removing or altering a structural element requires a building permit, and the building department will generally require an engineered beam design with calculations. Work done without a permit tends to surface at sale or on the next permit application, when it is far more expensive to fix.
Flush beam or dropped beam — which should I choose?+
A dropped beam sits below the ceiling and is simpler to install, since the joists bear on top of it. A flush beam hides inside the ceiling depth and requires joist hangers on both sides, a deeper or stronger beam for the same span and more careful shoring. We design either; tell us your preference and any ceiling constraints when you submit.
The wall being removed is also a shear wall. Does that change the scope?+
Yes. Exterior walls and many interior walls in California homes are part of the lateral system. If one is removed, the plan checker will ask how the seismic and wind loads it resisted are now carried — usually by strengthening other walls, adding hold-downs or, in some cases, a steel moment frame. We identify this during scope review so the quote reflects it.
Can you engineer a wall removal from photos alone?+
For many single-story homes, yes. We need a dimensioned sketch of the floor plan, the length of the wall, photos of the wall and ceiling, the attic or floor above and the crawlspace or slab below, plus the year built. Two-story homes and homes with prior modifications may need more, and we will ask for it before quoting.
What if the framer opens the wall and finds something different?+
It happens often in older homes — hidden posts, a beam that is not what the plans show, a footing that is not there. Send photos through the project and we will address the field condition with a revised detail or a supplemental letter, as the situation requires.
Related services
Structural Plans & Calculations
Foundation and framing plans, lateral design, details and a bound calculation package — engineer reviewed and organized the way building departments expect to read them.
Room & Second-Story Additions
Foundation, framing and lateral design for room additions, second stories and bump-outs — coordinated with your architectural set and the existing structure.
Foundation Engineering & Repair
New foundations, underpinning, seismic retrofits and repair details — engineered from your plans, photos and inspection reports.
Have a project that needs engineering?
Upload what you have and we will define the engineering scope and send a quote.
No commitment required to submit a project for review.