Wall removal in Mesquite homes

Much of Mesquite was built during the suburban boom after World War II, and many of its neighborhoods are full of one-story ranch homes. Newer subdivisions added larger two-story houses later on. Whichever kind you live in, removing the right wall can change how the whole house works day to day.

Small ranch homes, big difference

In a compact ranch house, every wall counts. A wall between the kitchen and the living room can make both rooms feel cramped, and taking it out often does more for a smaller Mesquite home than a whole addition would.

Because these houses are one story, the wall usually carries the ceiling joists and sometimes braces from the roof. The engineer checks both and designs a beam that fits the space.

Casa View Heights and Eastern Heights

Casa View Heights, near I-30 and Gus Thomasson Road, has many ranch homes built in the 1950s and 1960s. Eastern Heights has ranch homes mostly from the 1960s and 1970s, set close together under mature trees.

Homes like these tend to have a closed kitchen, a separate living room and a short hall to the bedrooms. Opening the kitchen to the living room is the most common request, and it’s usually very doable.

Hallway and kitchen walls in post-war floor plans

Post-war plans often run a load bearing wall down the middle of the house, splitting the kitchen from the living room and the hall from the bedrooms. That center wall is where the ceiling joists meet, so removing part of it needs a beam and posts.

We look at the whole run of the wall, not just the part you want gone, so the new opening lines up with the rest of the house.

Converted garages done right

Some Mesquite homes have had their garages converted into extra rooms over the years. If you want to connect that room to the kitchen or living room, the old exterior wall between them is almost always structural.

We also handle garage and home extensions from scratch. In both cases, the engineer designs the beam, we pull the permit and the change goes on record properly.

Creek Crossing and newer two-story homes

Creek Crossing Estates and other newer subdivisions were built from the late 1990s into the 2000s, with more two-story homes and larger lots. In a two-story house, the wall between the kitchen and family room may hold up bedrooms or a bathroom upstairs.

That means a heavier beam sized for floor load, plus a check of the slab under each post. If the slab needs more support, we add a footing before the beam goes in.

Attic framing in older ranches

Older ranch roofs often use braces that push down onto interior walls. Some of those braces land right on the wall you want gone. Before we quote, we go into the attic, see where every brace lands and give that information to the engineer.

If your Mesquite home has a crawlspace

Not every older house sits on a slab. If yours is on pier-and-beam with a crawlspace, the posts at each end of the new beam need solid support below the floor. The engineer may call for new piers, and we check from the crawlspace before we quote.

Permits in Mesquite

The City of Mesquite requires a building permit for structural work like removing a load bearing wall. We file the permit with the engineer’s plan, schedule the inspection and see it through to final approval.

What drives the price

Every Mesquite project includes engineering, the permit, the beam and posts, and the drywall, ceiling and floor patch. Longer openings, second-floor loads and walls with plumbing, gas or ductwork inside cost more. A short opening in a one-story ranch sits at the lower end. You get a written price before any work starts.

How long a Mesquite project takes

Engineering and the city permit come first, and they set the overall timeline. Once they’re approved, most walls come out in one day of work. We protect your floors and clean up before we leave each day.

Making room for a kitchen island

In a small kitchen, there is rarely space for an island. Once the wall to the living room comes out, the island can sit where the wall used to be, giving you counter space on the kitchen side and seating on the other. A dropped beam above it can even frame the island and give pendant lights a natural place to hang.

Inside the one day of work

The crew sets temporary walls on both sides of the opening so the ceiling stays supported, takes out the old wall and installs the beam and posts. Only when the beam is carrying the load do the temporary walls come down. Drywall, ceiling and floor patches follow, and the city inspection is scheduled right after.

Selling a Mesquite home later

Buyers notice open layouts, and their inspectors notice missing permits. A wall removed with an engineer’s plan, a closed City of Mesquite permit and a transferable 12-year warranty is easy to explain when it’s time to sell.

Rental homes and investors

If you own a rental in Mesquite, an open layout can make the house easier to rent and easier to sell later. We can schedule the work between tenants so the house is empty and the job moves quickly. A permitted, engineered opening also keeps the work on record, which matters when the house changes hands or a buyer’s inspector asks about it.

Covered patios and porch posts

Many ranch homes have a covered patio or front porch held up by one or two posts. Replacing those posts with a longer beam opens the view and frees up space for furniture. It’s an exterior structural change, so it goes through the same engineering and permit process.

Shops and offices along I-635

Mesquite’s busiest commercial areas sit along I-635 and around Town East Mall. If you run a shop, office or restaurant there, we can remove walls in your space with the same engineering and permit process, and plan the work to keep your doors open as much as possible.

Questions Mesquite homeowners ask us

Is the center wall in my ranch house load bearing? In many one-story ranch homes, yes. Text us photos of the wall and the attic above it and we’ll tell you what we see.

Can you open a converted garage to the kitchen? Usually, yes. The engineer designs a beam for the old exterior wall.

Will the floor show where the wall was? We patch the floor where the wall stood, and we talk with you about matching it before the work day.

Neighborhoods we cover in Mesquite

We work all over Mesquite, from Casa View Heights and Eastern Heights to Creek Crossing Estates and the neighborhoods along I-30, I-635 and I-20.

Book your estimate in Mesquite

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 every part of Mesquite, plus Garland, Balch Springs, Sunnyvale and nearby cities.