Load bearing wall removal in Forney

Forney has grown fast along US 80, but it started as a railroad town, and both sides of its history are still easy to see. Older homes line the streets near downtown, while newer subdivisions spread out to the north and west. We remove walls in both, and the approach is different in each.

Old Forney and new Forney

The historic center of Forney follows the original street grid around Main Street and Bois D’Arc Avenue, with homes dating to the early twentieth century, mature trees and smaller lots. Most of the city’s homes, though, are much newer, built in master-planned subdivisions over roughly the last decade or two.

In an older house, the plan starts under the floor. In a newer house, it starts in the attic. Either way, a licensed engineer designs the beam before any wall comes out.

Older homes near Main Street and Bois D’Arc

Homes in central Forney were built with separate rooms and doorways between them, and many have been renovated in different ways over the years. Owners often want the kitchen opened to the dining or living room, or two small front rooms joined into one. Those walls frequently carry ceiling joists, so they need a beam.

Pier-and-beam floors under older houses

Many older homes sit on pier-and-beam foundations with a crawlspace. When a bearing wall comes out, the posts at each end of the new beam need solid support down to the ground, not just to the floor framing. The engineer’s plan often adds piers or blocking in the crawlspace, so the floor stays level after the wall is gone.

Renovating a house with character

Buyers in central Forney often choose an older home for its character, and renovations are common. We try to keep that character intact: matching trim and casing where we can, and placing the beam so it looks like part of the original house. Older walls can also hide wiring or plumbing changed by past owners, so we check before the framing comes out.

Front porches and porch posts

Front porches are part of many older Forney homes. When a porch post is rotted or in the way, the engineer can size a longer beam so one or more posts come out. The porch roof is shored the whole time, and the new beam is finished to suit the house.

Newer subdivisions off US 80

On the west side, Windmill Farms has grown quickly over the last decade or so. Gateway Parks and other newer communities are built the same way: builder floor plans on slab foundations, usually with an HOA. Shopping and services cluster along US 80 and FM 548 nearby.

Opening up a builder floor plan

Newer Forney homes are usually more open than older ones, but many still have a wall between the kitchen and the living room, a closed dining room or a front flex room with only one doorway. Removing or widening one of those walls makes the main living area feel noticeably larger. In two-story plans, the wall may carry the floor above, and the beam is sized for it.

Trusses and the attic above

Many newer homes have truss roofs, which often carry the roof load to the outside walls. That can mean an interior wall carries little load, but not always: some trusses are designed to bear on interior walls, and a second floor changes everything. We check the attic, and the engineer confirms what the wall is doing before we quote.

Slab foundations on clay

Newer Forney homes sit on slab foundations over expansive clay that swells after rain and shrinks in dry summers. When a long beam replaces a wall, the posts concentrate weight on the slab, so the engineer checks it under each post and adds a footing when needed. Before the design is final, we also look for signs of past movement, like cracks above doors or doors that stick.

Permits inside Forney city limits

The City of Forney requires a building permit before making alterations to a property, and that includes structural work like removing a load bearing wall. We file the permit with the engineer’s plan, schedule the inspection and close it out.

Homes outside city limits

Some communities with a Forney address, like Travis Ranch, sit outside Forney city limits. The permit and inspection path there can be different. We confirm which rules apply to your address before we quote, so the paperwork is right from the start.

HOAs in newer neighborhoods

Newer subdivisions in Forney usually have an HOA, while most older homes downtown don’t. Interior walls rarely need HOA approval, but exterior work like porch column removal or a garage extension often does. We provide drawings for the review.

Garage and home extensions

Sometimes the answer is more room, not just an opening. We handle garage and home extensions too, including the beam where the new space ties into the existing house. In newer subdivisions, exterior changes need HOA approval first, and we include that step in the schedule.

Taking the wall out before a remodel

If you’re planning a new kitchen, remove the wall first. The beam, the ceiling patch and any rerouted plumbing, gas or electrical need to be finished before cabinets, counters and flooring go in. That way the new kitchen and floors can run across the whole open space without seams where the wall used to be.

We can hand your remodeler a finished, permitted opening, or handle the opening on its own if the remodel comes later.

What the price includes

Older homes may need crawlspace work, piers or wiring updates. Newer homes may have second-floor loads or ductwork in the wall. Engineering, the permit, the beam and the drywall, ceiling and floor patch are included, and you get a written price before any work starts.

How long it takes

Engineering and the permit come first and set the overall timeline. Once they’re done, most walls come out in one day of work. The crew shores the house with temporary walls, removes the old wall, sets the beam and posts, and patches the drywall, ceiling and floor. We protect your floors, contain the dust and clean up at the end of every day, and the inspection is scheduled right after the beam is in.

Questions Forney homeowners ask

Can you remove a wall in an older pier-and-beam house? Yes. The engineer plans the support under the floor as carefully as the beam above it.

My home has a Forney address but isn’t in the city. Does that matter? It can change the permit path. We check your address and handle it either way.

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

Book your estimate in Forney

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 Forney, from the older streets downtown to Windmill Farms and Gateway Parks, plus Rockwall, Heath and Mesquite. Every job has a 12-year written, transferable warranty.