How to tell if a wall is load-bearing, what's involved in removing one, and why this is one of my favorite design challenges.
“Can I take out this wall?” — I get asked this more than almost anything else. It’s the first question people have when they want to open up a floor plan, combine a kitchen and living room, or just make their home feel bigger.
The short answer is: usually yes, but it depends on whether the wall is load-bearing. And figuring that out is one of my favorite parts of the job.
A load-bearing wall carries weight from above — the floor above it, the roof, or both. Remove it without replacing that support, and things start to sag, crack, or worse.
A non-load-bearing wall (sometimes called a partition wall) is just dividing space. It’s not holding anything up. These can be removed without structural consequences.
There’s no single trick that works every time, but here’s what I look at:
Direction relative to floor joists. Walls that run perpendicular to the floor joists above are more likely to be load-bearing. Walls running parallel are more likely to be partitions — but not always.
Location in the house. Walls near the center of the home, running the long way, are often carrying the ridge load or second-floor loads. Exterior walls are almost always load-bearing.
What’s above it. If there’s a wall directly above the wall in question, it’s very likely load-bearing. If there’s nothing above it (like in a single-story section), the analysis is different.
Foundation below. Load-bearing walls typically sit on a beam or foundation wall below. If you can see the basement or crawlspace below, check what’s supporting it.
The “it depends” factor. Old houses, especially Wisconsin farmhouses, don’t always follow modern framing rules. I’ve seen framing decisions that made sense to someone in 1920 but look unusual by today’s standards. That’s part of what makes these projects interesting.
Removing a load-bearing wall doesn’t mean the open floor plan is impossible. It means we need to replace the wall with a beam (or header) that carries the same load across the opening.
This involves:
I handle all of this in the plans. The builder gets clear drawings showing the beam size, post locations, connections, and any foundation work needed.
I’ll be honest — I love working on old farmhouses. They’re structural puzzles. The framing is often unconventional, the loads have been transferred in creative ways over decades of additions and modifications, and figuring out how everything works is genuinely fun.
Right now I’m helping someone redesign an old farmhouse to rearrange the stairs and open up the upstairs. It’s a structural challenge, but that’s what makes it interesting. Every old house has a story in its framing, and reading that story is part of doing the design right.
If you’re thinking about removing a wall — or any structural modification — it’s worth having someone look at it before you start swinging a hammer. I can assess the situation, determine if the wall is load-bearing, and if it is, design a solution that gives you the open space you want while keeping everything structurally sound.
A quick conversation can save you from an expensive mistake — or confirm that the wall can come out and you can move forward with confidence.
Reach out if you’ve got a wall you’re wondering about. I’m always happy to talk through it.
You don't need to have it all figured out. Tell me what you're thinking and I'll help you figure out the next steps — no pressure, no obligations.
