How much does it cost to remove a load bearing wall in DFW?

Most load bearing wall removals in Dallas–Fort Worth with DFW Wall Removal include engineering, the permit, the beam and the patch work. The final number depends on a few things we can see from photos or a short visit.

Span: A longer opening needs a deeper or stronger beam and more support at each end.

Beam type: A dropped beam is simpler to install; a flush beam hidden in the ceiling takes more framing work.

What’s inside the wall: Plumbing, wiring, gas lines or ductwork have to be rerouted before the wall comes out.

Finish level: Patching the ceiling and floor is included; continuing hardwood or tile across the old wall line can add cost.

You get a written price before any work starts, and it doesn’t change unless you change the scope.

Do I need a permit to remove a load bearing wall?

Yes. The City of Dallas lists the removal of any wall or structural element as work that needs a building permit, and Plano, Frisco, Fort Worth and most DFW cities follow the same rule.

We pull the permit for you, submit the engineer’s plan and schedule the inspection. Permitting adds time before the work day, depending on the city.

Skipping the permit can hurt you later. An unpermitted structural change can show up on a buyer’s inspection and stall the sale of your house.

Who designs the beam?

A licensed engineer designs every beam we install. The engineer looks at what the wall carries — the roof, a second floor or just ceiling joists — and specifies the beam size, the posts at each end and how the load reaches the foundation.

That signed plan is what the city reviews, and it’s what keeps the opening from sagging years later. We never guess beam sizes on site.

Flush beam or dropped beam?

Both carry the load safely. The difference is how the ceiling looks when we’re done.

Dropped beam: The beam sits below the ceiling line, like a header across the opening. It’s faster to install and usually costs less.

Flush beam: The beam is set up into the ceiling, so the ceiling stays flat from room to room. It takes more framing and patch work, and it’s the look most homeowners want for an open kitchen.

The engineer confirms which option your framing allows. In some houses a flush beam isn’t possible without changing the floor or roof structure above.

Steel or LVL beam?

LVL (laminated veneer lumber): Engineered wood that’s strong, predictable and easy to bring into a finished house. It covers most residential openings.

Steel: Used for longer spans or heavier loads, or when a flush beam has to stay shallow. It costs more and takes more handling.

We use what the engineer specifies for your span and load, not what’s easiest to carry in.

What about plumbing, wiring and HVAC in the wall?

Many interior walls hold more than studs. Before we quote, we look for outlets, switches, vents and plumbing on both sides of the wall and in the attic above it.

Wiring, ductwork and plumbing are rerouted before the wall comes out, and that work is listed in your written price, so there are no surprises on the work day.

Slab or pier-and-beam: does the foundation matter?

It does. Most North Texas homes sit on a slab over expansive clay, and older neighborhoods have pier-and-beam foundations. The posts at each end of the new beam bring the load down to the foundation, so the engineer checks that the slab or the piers below can take it.

On a slab, that can mean a thickened footing under each post. On pier-and-beam, it can mean adding a pier. We tell you up front if your house needs either one.

How long does it take?

Most walls come out in one day of work. Engineering and the city permit take longer than the work itself, so they set the overall timeline.

Day one

Floor protection, temporary shoring, wall removal and beam install.

The next days

Drywall, tape and texture on the ceiling, then a paint-ready finish.

Inspection

The city inspector checks the framing and signs off on the permit.

What happens to the floor and ceiling?

Where the wall stood, there’s a strip of missing ceiling and a gap in the floor. We close the ceiling, match the texture and leave it ready for paint. The floor strip is patched; if you want hardwood or tile continued across the old wall line, we include it in the estimate.

We protect floors and furniture before we start and keep dust contained while we work.

Why not do it yourself?

Removing a load bearing wall without shoring and a properly sized beam can crack drywall, bow the ceiling or, in the worst case, drop part of the floor above. Damage like that often shows up months later, when doors stop closing and cracks spread.

There’s also the paperwork. Without an engineer’s plan and a permit, the change can cause problems with your insurance and when you sell.

What to ask any contractor before you hire

Who designs the beam? You want a licensed engineer’s name on the plan.

Who pulls the permit? The contractor should, in their name.

Are you insured for structural work? General remodeling coverage isn’t always enough. Our $1M policy covers load bearing work specifically.

What’s in the price? Engineering, permit, beam, rerouting and patch work should all be listed.

What’s the warranty? Ask for it in writing, with the number of years.

Our 12-year written warranty

Every load bearing wall we remove is backed by a 12-year written warranty. If anything we built — the beam, the posts or the framing around them — doesn’t hold up, we come back and make it right.

The warranty is transferable. If you sell the house, the next owner keeps it, which buyers and their inspectors like to see.

Load bearing walls in Dallas–Fort Worth homes

Many DFW homes built in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s — across Plano, Richardson, Carrollton and Frisco — were laid out with a closed kitchen, a formal living room and a formal dining room. The wall between the kitchen and the family room is usually the one homeowners want gone, and it’s often the one holding up the ceiling joists or a second floor.

In two-story homes, that wall may carry floor joists from the rooms above. In single-story homes, it often supports the ceiling and part of the roof load. Either way, the engineer traces the load before we touch a stud.

How to tell if a wall is carrying load

Only an engineer can confirm it, but a few signs point to a load bearing wall. Go into the attic above the wall and look at the ceiling joists: if they run across the wall and overlap or splice on top of it, the wall is likely carrying them.

Other signs: the wall sits near the center of the house, there’s another wall or a beam directly above it on the second floor, or it lines up with a beam or girder in the basement or crawl space. Exterior walls are almost always load bearing.

Send us photos of the wall from both sides and the attic above it, and we’ll tell you what we see before you book a visit.

Living in the house during the job

Most families stay home while we work. On the work day we close off the area with plastic, protect the floors and keep a clear path through the house. Expect noise during demolition and the beam install, and plan to keep pets away from the work area.

Water, power and HVAC usually stay on, except for short shutoffs when we reroute lines inside the wall. We tell you ahead of time if anything needs to be off.

Opening a wall as part of a kitchen remodel

If you’re remodeling the kitchen, remove the wall first. The beam, the ceiling patch and any rerouted plumbing or wiring need to be in place before cabinets, flooring and lighting go in.

We can work alongside your remodeler or cabinet company and hand off a finished opening with the ceiling patched and ready for paint, so the rest of the remodel starts on a clean, permitted structure.

Why homeowners choose DFW Wall Removal

DFW Wall Removal is a family-owned company that does one thing: take out walls safely. Owner Ernando Teixeira oversees every job, and a licensed engineer signs off on every beam.

We’ve opened kitchens, living rooms and raised ceilings across Dallas–Fort Worth, from Plano to Frisco. We’ve removed hundreds of walls.

Book your estimate in Dallas–Fort Worth

Call (469) 436-5680 or text us photos of the wall and the attic above it. Estimates are free, on-site or by photo. We serve Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, Carrollton, Fort Worth and nearby cities. Open Mon–Fri 6 AM–6 PM and Sat 6 AM–3 PM.

Reviewed by Ernando Teixeira, owner · Updated October 2026