The average cost to remove a wall is $3,000, though you could spend from $1,000 to $10,000. The type of wall, the number of stories, and whether the wall is load-bearing are the biggest cost factors.
The average cost to remove a wall in your home is around $3,000, but your project could cost anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000, depending on a few different factors. Knocking down an interior wall in your home can be a key element to a renovation project. If you are looking to expand your kitchen, open up one of your bedrooms, or add another entrance to your living room, you can use this guide to figure out the cost to remove a wall in your home to get a sense of the project scope and price tag.
The average cost to remove a wall will be $300 to $1,000 for a non-load-bearing wall, or $1,200 to $10,000 for a load-bearing wall. The design of your home will also affect this cost, as wall removal in multi-story houses tends to cost more, particularly if you are removing a wall from the bottom level.
| Wall Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Load-Bearing Wall (Multi-Level Home) | $3,000 – $10,000 |
| Load-Bearing Wall (Single-Level Home) | $1,200 – $5,000 |
| Non-Load Bearing Wall (Multi-Level Home) | $300 – $1,000 |
| Non-Load Bearing Wall (Single-Level Home) | $300 – $1,000 |
You can usually get rid of a non-load-bearing wall for between $300 and $1,000. The specific price you’ll pay will depend on the wall material—brick walls are more expensive to remove than stick-framed walls—and the location in your home—labor costs for debris removal can increase if the area is more challenging to access.
It can be difficult for the average homeowner to tell the difference between a non-load-bearing wall and a load-bearing wall, as from the outside, they tend to look the same. However, each offers a different level of support for your structure. The home’s architectural plans may indicate which walls are non-load-bearing, but if you don’t have access to them, call in a pro for help.
Generally speaking, non-load-bearing partitions will not have any walls, posts, or other supports directly below or above them. However, there can be exceptions to any rule, so you should hire a professional inspector to figure out if the wall is load-bearing or not.
The cost to remove a load-bearing wall will be higher, as they act as necessary support for everything above and below them. It will usually cost $1,200 to $5,000 to remove a load-bearing wall in a single-story home. That cost includes the necessary stabilization method that’s best for your home. Some common options include building new walls to receive the load and installing steel I-beams to avoid the need for a new structural wall.
These prices do not include the cost of hiring an engineer to weigh in on how to maintain your home’s structural integrity. You can expect to pay around $500 for an engineer’s report and recommendations, and most engineers charge between $200 and $1,400, depending on the scope of the job.
When it comes to multi-level homes, potential complications increase along with the cost. Expect to pay $3,000 to $10,000 for load-bearing wall removal in a multi-story house.
Much like in a single-family home, a good portion of that cost will go toward adding the necessary support to provide stability for your structure after you remove the wall. That support could come in the form of an additional wall in a new location, a steel I-beam, or some other option your engineer determines is sufficient.
As a quick primer, a load-bearing wall will typically sit directly above metal or multi-board wood beams in a basement, directly above or below other load-bearing walls, directly above or below attic knee walls, or perpendicular to floor joists. Additionally, every exterior wall is load-bearing.
Every renovation project is unique in size, difficulty level, and scope, so costs will vary according to individual issues that arise. Wall removal cost estimates vary by the size and design of your home, the amount of labor involved, and whatever replacement materials will be necessary to maintain your home’s structural stability.
Also, there is a lot going on behind the average wall, including pipes, wires, and structural support beams. All of this affects the cost estimate. Plus, the cost of a structural engineer to assess your specific needs is something you need to consider.
Labor costs increase with the difficulty of removing the type of material your wall is made of. As you can imagine, the cost of plaster wall removal will involve more debris removal than with a wall made of drywall and 2x4 material, so labor costs will be higher.
The table below includes some typical pricing you’ll see with different wall materials. These prices are for non-load bearing walls, so keep in mind that costs will increase quite a lot if your wall is structural. Of course, the size of your wall will also affect these prices.
| Wall Material | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Brick | $1,000 |
| Concrete | $1,000 |
| Drywall/Studs | $300 |
| Plaster | $600 |
Steel support beams are costly, at $1,300 to $5,000, though they are incredibly durable. A more cost-effective option is a laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beam, which ranges in price from $55 to $400, with an added labor cost of $200 to $400 per beam. In some cases, you may have a third option for maintaining your structural integrity: building a new wall nearby. The average cost if you go this route would be between $1,000 and $2,000, depending on the material and size.
You cannot knock down a load-bearing wall without putting in some kind of alternative support structure in its place. Luckily, the same structural engineer who knocks down your wall should source out a contractor to install an appropriate support structure of some kind.
It is extremely important to source this job to a competent professional with plenty of experience. Improperly installed support beams can cause unlevel floors, cracked ceilings, sticking doors, and, worst of all, complete structural collapse.
A professional plumber may have to come in to replace or remove pipes behind your wall if they run through the area. The chance of needing this service increases dramatically if you’re knocking down an exterior wall, as much of the plumbing in your home runs around the perimeter of the structure.
The exact rates will vary depending on the complexity of the job and the number of pipes that need servicing, but hiring a local plumber will cost $45 to $200 per hour, plus the cost of materials.
The total cost will be highest if your plumber needs to move main gas lines coming into your home or install new copper piping to account for the floorplan changes. Running new lines from your gas or water source can quickly add up to $1,000 or more, depending on how much work and materials are involved.
Walls also hide crucial electrical wiring. Call in an electrician near you to remove and reroute any wires running through the wall you’re removing. The total cost will vary depending on the complexity of the job, but electricians will cost around $50 to $100 per hour. Most electricians will charge a one to two-hour minimum rate even if the project ends up being on the simpler side. If the electrician discovers something unexpected, such as outdated or sub-standard wiring, the rate could go up.
When you knock down a wall, you could expose parts of nearby partitions, which you may want to cover up and smooth out by installing new drywall. Hiring a drywall contractor near you will cost about $1.50 per square foot of drywall or $65 per 8-foot by 4-foot sheet.
While you’re at it, you may want to hire a local painter to add some sparkle to that newly minted drywall. This will cost $300 to $750 per room, not including the cost of the paint. Your total price could be significantly less, though, since you’ll likely only need a small portion of the wall painted. If you’re installing a new wall to maintain support in your home, the price will be toward the higher end of that range, given that more work is required.
Regardless of what kind of wall you’re removing, you’ll need to pay for the removal of all of the materials you remove. The debris removal cost will usually be included in your total demolition price, so we’ve included it in our estimates above. However, your contractor may charge for this separately.
The table below includes average prices for debris removal after you take down your wall.
| Wall Material | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Brick | $250 – $500 |
| Concrete | $250 – $500 |
| Drywall/Studs | $100 – $300 |
| Plaster | $100 – $300 |
In most cases, we would recommend against DIY wall removal, as the whole process carries a lot of risk for personal injury and structural damage. Even experienced DIYers can make costly mistakes when removing a wall, especially if the wall is load-bearing or there are utility lines running through the wall.
You can cut down costs, however, by saving the contractor a little bit of time. Clean and prep the area before they arrive and clear out any obvious obstacles. You can also put on your DIY hat after the job is done to save a few bucks. Feel free to handle your own demolition clean-up to save between $100 and $500, and you can repaint the space, lay down any wallpaper, or do other finishing work to save some money.
However, you will still have to consider hiring multiple tradespeople to handle plumbing issues, wiring issues, and drywall issues.
The easiest way to tell if a wall is load bearing is to check if it’s an exterior wall or if it runs perpendicular to the joists above and below it (or parallel to beams). Exterior walls are almost always load-bearing, and walls that run under beams or parallel to them are also usually load-bearing. There are exceptions to these rules, and walls that don’t fit into these categories can still be load-bearing. If you’re unsure, hire a structural engineer to look at your home to assess whether or not the wall is structural.
In most cases, yes, you will need a permit to knock down a wall, regardless of whether it’s load-bearing or not. Removing a wall always has the potential to compromise the structural integrity and safety of your home, and a rigid permitting process helps ensure that the removal is completed safely and doesn’t put your home at risk. Your contractor will usually be able to determine if you need permits and even pull them for you, but you can also ask your local building department if permits are necessary for your specific project.
In many areas, advice from a structural engineer or an architect will be required by your building department before you can remove a wall, but even if it’s not necessary, it’s a good idea. Accidentally removing a load-bearing wall—even if a general contractor advises that it’s safe—can cause major structural damage, putting you and your family at risk and potentially costing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in property damage.
