Home Additions & Structural Services
Wall Removal
Structural modifications to open floor plans by removing load-bearing walls and installing engineered steel beams with proper support posts.
Home Additions & Structural Services
Load-Bearing Wall Removal with Steel Beam Installation
Every load-bearing wall removal starts with a structural engineer calculating the loads, sizing the replacement beam, and specifying the posts and bearing connections at each end. We don't estimate header sizing. Oakland County's permit and plan review process requires stamped structural drawings before any demolition starts.
During construction, we install temporary shoring on both sides of the wall to carry the load while we open the ceiling, set the beam, and install the posts down to a bearing point. The beam type — LVL, glulam, or wide-flange steel — is determined by span and load. We remove the shoring only after the beam is properly bearing, then complete the ceiling and wall finish work.
The process takes longer than homeowners expect because the engineering and permit phases can't be rushed. A wall removal done without permits or structural review is a liability. When you sell the house, it surfaces as an unpermitted structural modification, and that's expensive to resolve after the fact. We do it with documentation, every time.