Everything You Need to Know Before Removing a Load-Bearing Wall for a Renovation

When remodeling a home, you aren’t stuck with the current layout of your rooms. In fact, changing the layout is one of the main reasons homeowners choose to renovate in the first place. While removing walls is often necessary to create a more open space that flows better, it’s not always straightforward. 

Walls that support the weight of your house, also known as load-bearing walls, can’t simply be removed without additional planning to install new supports. If you’re planning on changing your floor plan during a renovation, it’s important to understand how load-bearing walls can affect your design, project timeline, and budget before you get started. 

Why is Replacing a Load-Bearing Wall a Major Project?

If you’ve ever watched a home renovation program, you’re probably familiar with the drama that unfolds when a load-bearing wall is “discovered” mid-project. In reality, experienced designers and builders know how to tell if a wall is load bearing and plan for structural changes from the beginning. 

Removing a wall is a very common part of the process, especially in the Twin Cities, where many older homes have compartmentalized layouts. However, it can have a significant impact on your overall project because you have to find other ways to redistribute your home’s weight. 

A load-bearing wall renovation doesn’t have to come with drama and surprises. An experienced design-build team plans for them from the beginning of a project so that the budget, scope, and timeline accurately reflect the work that needs to be done. 

Removing a wall realistically only causes your budget or timeline to go over if it’s not part of your original project scope. Setting a clear scope of work at the beginning of your project ensures that you don’t need to make mid-project changes like these. 

From Planning to Execution: The Logistics of Removing a Wall 

Taking out a wall is not a simple DIY project. Minnesota has strict regulations for structural changes, and while you can navigate these yourself, working with a design-build team like James Barton Design-Build means you don’t need to be directly involved with the complexities. 

Let’s outline exactly what you can expect from the process, including how it affects your design, what to expect from permitting and inspections, budget considerations, and the construction process. 

Design Considerations

When you remove a wall, you almost always need to replace it with another structure to help distribute the load of your roof or upper floors. Your options usually include:

• A dropped beam: Structural support that sits below the ceiling grid to distribute the weight along the length of the beam. Dropped beams remain visible, but they can be drywalled to blend in with your walls. Alternatively, you can finish and stain the wood to serve as a visual boundary. 
• A flush beam: Structural support that is hoisted into the ceiling cavity and completely hidden from view. Intersecting floor joists in the upstairs level must be cut back and joined to the new beam, making it a more labor-intensive process. 
• Permanent support columns: Vertical posts that support the weight of the floor above. Rather than unfinished steel posts, support columns can be integrated into your design to look intentional rather than tacked on. 
• Wing walls: Instead of removing a wall across its entire width, builders can leave a section intact on one or both ends. For larger homes, wing walls are a great way to create more room without making the space feel too open. 

Permits and Initial Inspections 

The Minnesota State Building Code (MSBC) requires detailed construction plans to be submitted before any structural elements can be removed or altered. Technically, MSBC allows for “prescriptive” framing designs, meaning that contractors may secure a permit by submitting designs that follow those in pre-approved code books. 

However, under Minnesota Rule 1300.0130, municipalities have the ultimate administrative authority over building plans. Nearly all suburbs in the Twin Cities have additional requirements for structural changes, with most requiring approval from a Professional Engineer (PE). In areas like Edina, Eden Prairie, Woodbury, Plymouth, Bloomington, and numerous other suburbs, contractors can’t obtain a permit unless the design has a Minnesota PE stamp. 

For homeowners, this is one of the main reasons not to attempt a DIY wall removal. While it is possible, it typically requires hiring a PE yourself, something that may involve the engineer cutting holes in the walls and physically measuring joists. When working with a design-build firm, this process is typically handled with digital measurements and approvals, making it much faster and less invasive. 

How Removing a Wall Impacts Your Budget 

When it comes to your remodeling budget, removing a wall can have a significant impact. Baseline costs, such as new appliances, countertops, cabinets, and flooring, are generally the same whether you remove a wall or not. The price difference lies almost entirely in the invisible structural engineering that makes it possible to remove a wall. 

Removing a supporting wall is more expensive than projects without structural changes because of: 

• Permits and fees. Because municipal building permit fees are based on material and labor costs, adding heavy engineered lumber and structural framing can increase your project’s overall valuation, therefore driving up your city permit fees and state surcharges.
• Basement supports. Depending on the design, a new structural beam may concentrate a great deal of weight at its endpoints. If an engineer determines that the existing basement slab can’t support it, you may need to have supporting endpoints installed. This may require pouring new, steel-reinforced footings around each support.  
• Mechanical rerouting. Partition walls are rarely just empty frames. They typically have ductwork, wiring, or plumbing behind the drywall. Contractors need to find other ways to route utilities, which often requires opening up other areas. 

Featured Project: See how JBDB accomplished a seamless structural wall removal with mechanical rerouting in this 1980s Apple Valley kitchen remodel. 

How Replacing a Load-Bearing Wall Affects Your Project Timeline 

One of the biggest concerns homeowners have about removing walls is how long it will take. While projects that involve taking out a wall are more complex, the time will be reflected in your project schedule. When you work with JBDB, you receive a detailed timeline so you know what to expect at each stage. 

Builder’s Insight: “The duration of this is dependent on each project, but typically it is built into our schedules already. These situations may add a day or two depending on the complexity of the situation” -Troy Polinsk

Plan a Stress-Free Load-Bearing Wall Renovation with JBDB

Removing structural elements in a renovation sometimes requires a more creative design approach and makes a project more labor-intensive. However, walls don’t have to limit the vision for your renovation. 

At James Barton Design-Build, we have been renovating Twin Cities homes since 1997, and our experience has made us well-versed in navigating the building codes and design challenges that come with wall removal. Ready to start talking about ideas for your renovation? Schedule a consultation to get started today!