What is the process of removing a load-bearing wall?

Mar 31, 2026

Almost any licensed general contractor should be able to handle this type of work. Not all home expansion projects require removing walls, but if they do, here are the stages involved:

• Structural observation – Done by an architect or engineer, most likely the same one who is used to create the plan for the home addition.
• The architect will include the details of this wall and work needed to transfer the loads to a new beam, posts, and footings.
• The contractor will create a temporary wall or use any other method to temporarily carry the weight of the structure until the new beam, posts, and footings are in place. Once that is achieved, the temporary hold can be removed, and the load will now be transferred to the new elements safely.