Load bearing wall removal in Carrollton homes

Carrollton grew fast in the 1970s and 1980s, and a large share of its homes date from those years: brick, single-story or two-story, with a closed kitchen, a separate den and a formal dining room. They’re solid houses in good locations, and opening the kitchen to the living area is the change most Carrollton families ask us about. In most of these homes, the wall that needs to go is load bearing.

1970s and 1980s floor plans

A typical Carrollton home from this era has the kitchen at the back, a breakfast area beside it and a den on the other side of a wall with a pass-through or a short bar. That wall usually carries the ceiling joists and often part of the roof. Replacing it with a beam joins the kitchen, breakfast area and den into one room with light from both sides of the house.

Many of these homes also have a soffit over the kitchen cabinets and ductwork running through the kitchen ceiling. We check where the ducts run before we design the opening, so the beam and the ductwork don’t compete for the same space.

Two-story homes and second-floor loads

In two-story Carrollton homes, the wall between the kitchen and the family room often holds up the bedrooms and bathrooms above. That needs a beam sized for floor load. Our engineer checks what sits upstairs and sizes the beam and posts for it, and we tell you up front whether the beam can be hidden in the ceiling or will drop below it.

Older homes near Downtown Carrollton

Around the historic downtown square, some Carrollton homes are older, with pier-and-beam foundations and hand-framed roofs. When a wall comes out in those houses, the posts at each end of the new beam need solid support down to the ground, so we check the piers under the floor and add support where the engineer calls for it.

Slab foundations on North Texas clay

Most Carrollton homes sit on slab foundations over expansive clay that swells when wet and shrinks in dry summers. Where the new posts land on the slab, the engineer checks whether it can carry the point load. When it can’t, we cut the slab and pour a new footing before the beam goes in.

Permits in Carrollton

The City of Carrollton 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.

Three counties, one city

Carrollton spreads across Dallas, Denton and Collin counties. The county doesn’t change how we plan a wall removal, but it does change where your property records live. We make sure the permit and the engineer’s letter are in your hands so they’re easy to find when you sell.

Plumbing, gas and ductwork inside the wall

Kitchen walls in Carrollton often hide a vent stack, a gas line for the range, ductwork or the switches for the kitchen lights. We check for all of it before we quote, and any rerouting is listed in your written price so nothing surprises you on the work day.

A recent Carrollton project

A typical Carrollton 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 Carrollton

Most load bearing wall removals in Carrollton 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 Carrollton 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 Carrollton framing inspection is scheduled right after.

Raised ceilings and porches

With the wall gone, some Carrollton 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 a Carrollton 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 Carrollton 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 Carrollton homeowners ask us

Is the wall between my kitchen and den load bearing? In most Carrollton homes from the 1970s and 1980s, 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.

Will my HOA need to approve it? Interior wall removal usually doesn’t. Exterior work, like porch columns, often does in neighborhoods with an HOA.

Selling a Carrollton home after opening a wall

Carrollton 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 Carrollton permit and a transferable 12-year warranty is easy to explain at closing.

Book your estimate in Carrollton

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 Carrollton, from the neighborhoods around the downtown square to the homes along the George Bush Turnpike, plus Farmers Branch, Addison, Dallas and nearby cities.