Don’t try to bear the load of major structural work on your own
If your dream home involves an airy open floor plan, but your living room and kitchen are currently closed off, you’ll probably want to look into tearing down some walls. Before you get started on the great room you’ve been envisioning, hire a structural engineer to check if any of the walls you want to remove are load-bearing.
Hiring a structural engineer to check if a wall is load-bearing can ensure your renovation project is done safely and correctly. Benefits of hiring a structural engineer include:
Verifying the structural stability of your home
Preventing structural damage
Identifying any necessary reinforcements or alterations
Suggesting a plan to safely remove the wall and accomplish your desired result
While general contractors can tell if a wall is load-bearing and then actually remove a load-bearing wall, they don’t have the additional structural training that a structural engineer does. A structural engineer can determine if a wall is load-bearing and develop a plan to remove the wall in a way that preserves your home’s structural integrity. A general contractor will then follow the structural engineer’s recommendations and knock down the wall.
A structural engineer may consult your home’s architectural drawings or blueprints or examine the house’s joists and beams to determine if the wall is load-bearing. They may also factor in where the wall is located, what it’s made out of, and how it’s braced.
Hiring a structural engineer costs between $70 and $250 an hour, and some structural engineers may have a minimum fee for smaller jobs like checking if a wall is load-bearing. Ask a local structural engineer about their fees to see how much an assessment will cost.
It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to structural work on your home. Having a structural engineer confirm whether a wall is load-bearing or not will not only minimize the risk of structural damage, it may be necessary to ensure the work is up to code. You should consult a pro for any project that may compromise the structural integrity of your home.
