Load bearing wall removal in Richardson homes

Most Richardson homes were built between the 1950s and the 1980s, when kitchens were closed off from the rest of the house and formal living and dining rooms sat at the front. Those homes are solid, well located and perfect for an open floor plan. The wall homeowners want gone is usually the one between the kitchen and the den, and in most Richardson houses that wall is load bearing.

Mid-century ranch homes

Neighborhoods across central and south Richardson are full of single-story ranch homes with low-pitched roofs. In many of them, the kitchen wall carries the ceiling joists and part of the roof load. Because the roof is low, there’s often limited attic space, so the engineer chooses between a flush beam hidden in the ceiling and a dropped beam based on what the framing above allows.

Some mid-century homes also have long, low ceilings with exposed beams already in the den. When the kitchen wall comes out, we can match that look with a new beam so the opening looks like it was always there.

Two-story homes in north Richardson

North of Campbell Road, many Richardson homes are newer and two stories, with bedrooms sitting above the kitchen and family room. In those houses the wall between them 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

Richardson homes sit on slab foundations over expansive clay that swells when it’s 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. When it can’t, we cut the slab and pour a new footing before the beam goes in.

Permits in Richardson

The City of Richardson 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

In older Richardson homes the kitchen wall often hides a vent stack, a gas line for the range, ductwork or the switches for the kitchen lights. Some homes still have original galvanized pipe or older wiring inside the wall. We check for all of it before we quote, and any rerouting is listed in your written price.

Raised ceilings after the wall comes out

Once the wall is gone, some Richardson homeowners want the kitchen ceiling to match a vaulted den next to it. Whether that’s possible depends on the roof framing above the kitchen, which we check in the attic during the estimate.

A recent Richardson project

A typical Richardson 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 Richardson

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

Combining wall removal with a kitchen remodel

If you’re remodeling a Richardson 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.

Questions Richardson homeowners ask us

Is the wall between my kitchen and den load bearing? In most Richardson ranch 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.

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 Richardson home after opening a wall

Richardson buyers, many of them working along the Telecom Corridor and near UT Dallas, 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 Richardson permit and a transferable 12-year warranty is easy to explain at closing.

Formal living and dining rooms

Many Richardson homes from the 1970s and 1980s still have a formal living room and dining room at the front that families rarely use. Removing the wall between them, or between the dining room and the kitchen, turns that space into one large room for everyday life. Some of those walls are load bearing and some aren’t; we tell you which during the estimate.

Porches and back patios

Covered back patios in Richardson often have a post or two right in the view to the yard. Replacing those posts with a longer beam opens the patio and makes room for outdoor furniture. Exterior changes may need HOA review in some neighborhoods, and we help with the drawings.

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 Richardson 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.

Book your estimate in Richardson

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 Richardson, from Canyon Creek and the neighborhoods around Arapaho and Belt Line to the newer homes north of Campbell, plus Dallas, Plano and Garland.