Load bearing wall removal in Arlington homes

Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth and grew mostly from the 1960s through the 2000s. North and central Arlington have many homes from the 1960s to the 1980s, while south Arlington filled in later with larger homes from the 1990s and 2000s. In almost all of them, the wall homeowners want gone is the one between the kitchen and the living area, and in most Arlington houses that wall is load bearing.

Homes from the 1960s to the 1980s

In north and central Arlington, many homes are single-story brick houses with a closed kitchen, a separate den and a formal living room at the front. The wall between the kitchen and the den usually carries the ceiling joists and part of the roof. These homes are often good candidates for a flush beam hidden in the ceiling, so the kitchen and den share one flat ceiling after the wall is gone.

Some of these houses have a low, wide roof with limited attic space. When there isn’t room to hide the beam, the engineer designs a dropped beam that can frame a kitchen island or bar, and we finish it to match the room.

Two-story homes in south Arlington

South Arlington has many two-story homes with bedrooms and a game room above the kitchen and family room. In those houses the wall between the two rooms often supports the floor above, so it needs a beam sized for floor load. Our engineer checks what sits upstairs — bathrooms, tubs and closets add weight — and sizes the beam and posts for it.

Slab foundations on North Texas clay

Arlington homes sit on slab foundations over expansive clay that swells when wet and shrinks in dry summers. When a wall comes out, the load moves to the posts at each end of the new beam, so the engineer checks that the slab can carry it. Newer slabs are often post-tensioned, with steel cables inside, so we locate the cables before cutting anything. When a new footing is needed, it’s in the plan and in your price.

Permits in Arlington

The City of Arlington requires a building permit for structural changes like removing a load bearing wall. We file the permit with the engineer’s plan, schedule the framing inspection and close it out, so the change is documented when you sell.

Plumbing, gas and ductwork inside the wall

Kitchen walls in Arlington often hide a vent stack, a gas line for the range, ductwork or the switches for the kitchen lights. In older homes we also look for galvanized pipe and older wiring that should be updated while the wall is open. Any rerouting is listed in your written price so nothing surprises you on the work day.

Formal living rooms and dens

A lot of Arlington homes from the 1970s and 1980s have a formal living room at the front and a den at the back, with the kitchen between them. Removing one or both walls turns three small rooms into one large space. Some of those walls are load bearing and some aren’t; we tell you which during the estimate.

Rental and investment homes

Arlington has many rental homes near UT Arlington and the entertainment district. Investors opening up a layout before renting or selling still need an engineered beam and a permit; it protects the property and makes the change easy to document. We can work with a property manager when the owner isn’t local.

A recent Arlington project

A typical Arlington project opens a closed kitchen to the living area, with a new beam carrying the load and the kitchen finished around it. You can see projects like it on our gallery page.

What it costs in Arlington

Most load bearing wall removals in Arlington include engineering, the city permit, the beam and the ceiling and floor patch. Two-story homes, walls with plumbing or ductwork inside and openings that need a new footing sit at the higher end. You get a written price before any work starts.

How long it takes

Most walls come out in one day of work. Engineering and the Arlington permit come first and set the overall timeline. We protect your floors, contain the dust and clean up every day.

What happens on the day of the work

On the work day our crew sets up temporary walls on both sides of the opening to hold the ceiling, removes the old wall, sets the new beam and posts, and takes the temporary supports down only once the beam is carrying the load. The ceiling and floor are patched where the wall stood, and the Arlington framing inspection is scheduled right after.

Raised ceilings and back patios

With the wall gone, some Arlington homeowners also raise the kitchen ceiling to match a vaulted den, or replace the posts on a covered back patio with one longer beam. Both depend on the framing above, which we check in the attic during the estimate.

Combining wall removal with a kitchen remodel

If you’re remodeling an Arlington kitchen, take the wall out first. The beam, the ceiling patch and any rerouted plumbing or electrical need to be in place before cabinets, countertops and flooring go in. We can hand your remodeler a finished, permitted opening on schedule.

Why an engineer is on every job

A wall that looks simple can carry more than you’d expect: a roof valley, a point load from upstairs or a girder truss. A licensed engineer looks at what the wall carries in your Arlington home and designs the beam and posts for it, so the ceiling stays flat and the floors don’t move after the wall is gone.

Questions Arlington homeowners ask us

Is the wall between my kitchen and den load bearing? In most Arlington homes, yes. Text us photos of the wall and the attic above it and we’ll tell you what we see.

Do we need to move out? No. Most families stay home. We close off the work area, protect the floors and keep a path through the house.

Selling an Arlington home after opening a wall

Arlington buyers expect open, updated layouts, and their inspectors look for permits on structural changes. A wall removed with an engineer’s plan, a closed City of Arlington permit and a transferable 12-year warranty is easy to explain at closing.

Book your estimate in Arlington

Call or text (469) 436-5680 with photos of the wall and the attic above it, or book a free on-site estimate. We serve all of Arlington, from the older neighborhoods in north and central Arlington to the newer homes in south Arlington, plus Grand Prairie, Mansfield and Fort Worth.